# Who else has not yet transitioned to a smart phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747 "2013-11-12T19:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/21 "2013-11-12T20:47:51Z")
I forgot the most important thing about me having a tablet. We have wifi at home already; it’s how I run the netflix off the Wii, it’s how my SO uses his iPod Touch, it works for my Kindle and for our netbook, so it really was no biggie to attach our tablets (yes we both have one - I had tablet envy after he got his) to it too. That’s a big advantage to a tablet. Maybe one day the whole (Western) world will be wifi-enabled. I hope so. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/22 "2013-11-12T20:49:07Z")
A week ago I was doing it old school with a 8 year old flip phone… but it started to really show signs of its age. So of course I bought a smartphone… and a few days later got one from work as well (I just know this means I’ll be expected to read my email continuously). So there you have it, from zip to two in a week… I’m drowning in apps and seriously irritated at how quickly the batteries of smart phones drain. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/23 "2013-11-12T20:50:30Z")
No hurry, here. I’ve got a flip phone, and am really quite happy living like it was still 2006, technologically speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/24 "2013-11-12T20:50:33Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I don’t want my coworkers to call me on it. You could like just not give them the number. Or heck even not tell them about it in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/25 "2013-11-12T20:52:31Z")
Pllease distinguish smart phone from cell phone from tablet, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/26 "2013-11-12T21:00:12Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > You could like just not give them the number. Or heck even not tell them about it in the first place. Twice a year I _am_ responsible and need to be available over the weekends. Besides, it’s not I that should have to suffer, it’s them who should learn better. Nothing they call me for is urgent (except for those two weekends). But what I really mean by is, I really would like it if no one else ever called me, ever. Ok, I exaggerate a little, but generally the phone is for my use. I use it for necessary things. It is not a chatting device…I was never a fan of talking to people on the phone and never have been. (Well, except maybe when I was fourteen.) ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/27 "2013-11-12T21:10:53Z")
For mobile computing, for me, a tablet works much better. Yes, it’s bigger, but I need that. My eyesight is bad. I need the bigger screen and keypad. For mobile talking, my dumb phone is fine. And cheap. No need to upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/28 "2013-11-12T21:19:24Z")
I’ve had smartphone capable phones for several years now but I just recently moved to purchasing data plans and enabling their smartphone features. I use it a lot for a number of things. I don’t have a tablet so the phone functions as a recipe book in the kitchen, or a shopping list in the grocery store (because sometimes I leave work and think, hey I want to make X but I don’t know off the top of my head everything I need.), a gps in the car, a hulu chromecast app, games and apps for amusing me when I’m waiting, I often read ebooks on it, listen to music or podcasts and all on a device that fits in my pocket. I find it quite handy. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/29 "2013-11-12T21:22:01Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Pllease distinguish smart phone from cell phone from tablet, etc… We’ve already established that tablets are simply large smart phones. A basic cell phone is small enough so that you can use virtually all of its features with just one hand and carry it efficiently in a breast pocket. Though it may (at this date probably does) have a built-in camera & microphone, it is so constructed that its primary use is for phone calls and perhaps text messages. It has a separate keypad and display screen. A smart phone is about the size of a basic phone, perhaps a mite larger. The display screen is either larger than the keypad or integral to it, and in the latter case the “keypad” is virtual, created by the touch keypad. The larger screen allows more utility in using the internet and internet-based applications. You can carry it in a breast pocket on on your belt without difficulty. A tablet is too big to be carried in a breast pocket; generally it’s manipulated by one’s dominant hand and held in the other (or rested on a desk). Its larger screen makes it more practical for many applications, though more difficult to use discreetly. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/30 "2013-11-12T21:24:04Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > We’ve already established that tablets are simply large smart phones. Er…no? I can’t make phone calls on my tablet. ---
**Author:** ![Obeseus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@Obeseus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obeseus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/31 "2013-11-12T21:29:56Z")
I have a landline phone at my house. From work, I can go online and check for any phone messages at my house. I don’t have a cell phone / tablet / smart phone / whatever, and I don’t want one. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/32 "2013-11-12T21:33:04Z")
I have a very basic non-smart cellphone and I pay $100/year for more minutes than I can use. I really like the _ **idea** _ of having a smartphone, but I’m just not willing to pay the price. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/33 "2013-11-12T21:36:38Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Er…no? I can’t make phone calls on my tablet. I know. I love you in SPITE of that, not BECAUSE of that. Anyway, read this: > **[How to make phone calls from your tablet using your cell number](http://androidfannetwork.com/2013/07/15/how-to-make-phone-calls-from-your-tablet-using-your-cell-number/)** > > How can I make a phone call from my tablet using my cell number? So, you just got an Android tablet and want to show people you can make phone calls from ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/34 "2013-11-12T21:48:17Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I know. I love you in SPITE of that, not BECAUSE of that. Anyway, read this: > > [How to make phone calls from your tablet using your cell number](http://androidfannetwork.com/2013/07/15/how-to-make-phone-calls-from-your-tablet-using-your-cell-number/) That is actually pretty cool, especially for the texting option! ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/35 "2013-11-12T21:49:01Z")
Other reasons: 1. IIRC I use about 4 minutes of voice time per month, ingoing and outgoing. Most of those are one particular coworker, who does text, but prefers to call\*. Even my 60+ year old parents text, and well (although mom can be annoying on there). Infinite text package, to be sure. Main reason I don’t call is also because Verizon tends to have shitty shitty service, and I doubt a smartphone will fix that. 2. Stupid keyboards. My previous phone was the best I’ve ever had (LG Octane). It flips along the long way, and the inside has a keyboard and the outside has a phone. All physical keys. My new phone is similar, but the outside is a stupid touchscreen like smartphones. I like Swype fine, but sometimes I like to e.g. start a text in a dark theater without showing everybody how bright it is. I can get used to the tactile stimuli if it’s not a touchscreen. 3. Again, huge. I think they’re a big larger than a mite. I roughly measured my phone with some random Android phone and it’s 25% larger. > [@Anaamika](#): > > Er…no? I can’t make phone calls on my tablet. > **[Skype | Stay connected with free video calls worldwide ](http://www.skype.com/en/)** > > Keep in touch with free video chat, messaging & affordable international calls. Create instant online video calls with one click, no download required.  \*Often she calls to ask a yes no question that can be answered in one text OR 3 minutes of “are you there? hello?” Or there was the time where I got a text, saw it was her, was about to read it, and then I get a call from her before I can. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/36 "2013-11-12T21:49:46Z")
I kind of want a smartphone, but every time I look into getting a smartphone, it looks like all of the available carriers are crooks. I can’t really justify the expense, especially when it’s being paid to crooks. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/37 "2013-11-12T21:52:31Z")
I have nothing against smart phones (well, ok, a few things), but my old Nokia candy-bar phone still works fine, despite having been dropped dozens of times onto various surfaces from various heights over the past - oh, probably 6? 7? years. I’m sure I’ll get a smart phone eventually, but I’m rarely in a situation where it would be any more useful than my current phone. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/38 "2013-11-13T00:06:38Z")
My cheapie slider phone fits me needs exactly. I can use the phone, send texts, and even take and send low-quality photos. That is all I really need. I would not mind a smartphone, however, the costs are considerably more than what I pay now, so I see no need for the upgrade since I like my current, cheap arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/39 "2013-11-13T00:49:08Z")
I finally got a cell phone, but it’s not “smart.” ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747/40 "2013-11-13T00:57:37Z")
I don’t have a cell phone, and neither does my (Doper) wife. We could debatably “afford” it in that we have cash reserves which could be used to pay for such things, but my income doesn’t quite cover all our monthly expenses (she’s a SAHM with our 2 small children). We decided that smart phones (along with cable TV) were two of the extravagances we can do without in the spirit of budgeting and saving money. If she were to go back to work and pull in a good salary, we would probably get smart phones fairly quickly. I’m a technophile and would enjoy having that kind of information on demand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-else-has-not-yet-transitioned-to-a-smart-phone/673747.md?page=3)