# Smart Phone Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321 "2012-09-20T21:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/21 "2012-09-22T03:04:54Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Guess I’m wrong. Oops! :smack: > > I am amazed that the carriers didn’t collude with the phone manufacturers to intrinsically link all smartphone data functionality to the existence of a data plan. I’m absolutely \*shocked \*that Apple didn’t do this! I mean, what would they have to lose? Although from a technical standpoint smartphones are essentially portable desktop computers (with built-in wireless connectivity), because of the huge discounts the carriers give on the purchase prices (with a contract) I figured they’d feel entitled/required to restrict them that way! They could have tried to, but it would have been circumvented with the quickness, and would have just led to more people jailbreaking/rooting their phones to better suit their needs. Some greedy _carriers_ prevent (or at least try to discourage) people with smartphones from getting voice service without also getting a data plan, and they would be happy to hear that there are people who believe that it’s not possible. I encourage people to vote with their dollars, and not fall for those kinds of unreasonable business practices. If someone wants all the functions of a smartphone, but doesn’t need internet access everywhere they go, there’s no good reason why they should pay for something they don’t want or need just because the carrier wants to impose artificial limits in order to pad their bill. Spread the word! Because if they start losing customers to carriers who don’t try to impose unwanted services on their customers, they might eventually be forced to change their greedy ways. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/22 "2012-09-23T03:10:45Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Some greedy _carriers_ prevent (or at least try to discourage) people with smartphones from getting voice service without also getting a data plan, **_and they would be happy to hear that there are people who believe that it’s not possible_.** \* [\*emphasis mine] Are you listening smartphone makers? The long-con might work! Where’s my check?!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/23 "2012-09-24T22:37:54Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I am amazed that the carriers didn’t collude with the phone manufacturers to intrinsically link all smartphone data functionality to the existence of a data plan. I’m absolutely \*shocked \*that Apple didn’t do this! Are you kidding? You must not be paying much attention to Apple. Apple barely even cooperates with anyone else, let alone colludes. They’ve made some limited concessions to carriers (tethering controlled by carriers, carriers can limit VOIP in some ways, might be others), but that’s about it. Even the original design was pretty much take-it-or-leave-it. You know how other phones come with the carrier’s branding on them? The last thing Apple would agree to would be letting some other company screw with the _experience_ of using an Apple product. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/24 "2012-09-25T05:24:28Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Are you kidding? You must not be paying much attention to Apple. Apple barely even cooperates with anyone else, let alone colludes. They’ve made some limited concessions to carriers (tethering controlled by carriers, carriers can limit VOIP in some ways, might be others), but that’s about it. Even the original design was pretty much take-it-or-leave-it. You know how other phones come with the carrier’s branding on them? The last thing Apple would agree to would be letting some other company screw with the _experience_ of using an Apple product. Well, I’m surprised they didn’t at least collude more with their original, exclusive carrier AT&T. I’m no Apple fan. I only got an iPhone because I wanted to use it as my car’s stereo and therefore wanted a custom-fitting mount so that I could insert & remove the phone from my car’s dash easily with one hand. Because there was a jazillion different models of Droid phones but iPhones are (or were) all the same it made sense. But I can upgrade in less than six months and I doubt I’ll be getting a 5. Screen’s still too small, different port, no SD slot, locked files, and iTunes for Windows is barely functional crapware! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/25 "2012-09-26T17:32:04Z")
What stereo do you have? Do you like it? Does it work well? That sounds awesome to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/26 "2012-09-27T01:11:52Z")
My car has a factory Bose head unit. Bose units use special speakers (different Ohm rating) so if I changed head units I would had to have changed all eight speakers too! Plus Bose OEM stereos do sound pretty awesome. So I went with a [Dension iPhone mount](http://www.dension.com/iPhone-car-accessory/car-dock-for-iPhone) and just a cassette tape adapter. The Dension was expensive (more than the iPhone!) cause it came from Germany (S&H, VAT etc.) but I really like it. Power & audio both come from the iPhone port (no headphone cable dongle!) so the iPhone goes in & out of the cradle easily and with one hand. And the cassette adapter works perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/27 "2012-09-27T01:29:58Z")
My carrier offers a data plan that is pay-per-use–no charge if you never use the cellular network during a given month. So you could have that for emergencies, and then just keep it set to wi-fi for routine use, if you have enough wi-fi around where you usually are. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/28 "2012-09-27T03:05:29Z")
> [@Anachronism](#): > > AT&T forces you to buy a data plan if you use a smart phone on their network even if you bought the phone without subsidy :mad:, so definitely check with your carrier before you buy a phone. This is no longer true. I use an AT&T iPhone with a pre-paid GoPhone SIM card. No data plan, so I turn off ‘Cellular Data’ in Settings. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321/29 "2012-10-01T18:07:58Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > Why don’t you get a phone from Virgin Mobile? They don’t require a contract. They cost more than a phone with a contract, but the HTC EVO V is $300, which is only $100 more than is costs with a contract from Sprint. Of course, if you and called when it was on sale, you could have got it for $240. I was looking and the phone is back on sale for $240. [http://www.virginmobileusa.com/shop/cell-phones/htc-evo-phone/features/](http://www.virginmobileusa.com/shop/cell-phones/htc-evo-phone/features/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-question/635321.md?page=1)