Smartphone to "dumb" phone

I am considering downgrading my Android to a "dumb" phone with a good camera and slide-out keyboard for messaging when the time comes. I don't know that I will actually DO this, but am seriously considering it. I spend too much of my life attached to assorted electronic devices, and this would be one way to start to draw back a bit. It would also cut my phone bill :)

Has anyone here made this move? Did you regret it? I MIGHT try dropping my data plan for one month to see what that is like before I take final action - assuming that AT&T will allow me to do so since I've an Android. I know you don't have that option with an iPhone.

I still haven't upgraded from my dumb phone, and I don't feel the need. Much of my life is spent in front of the computer, and adding another device just doesn't inspire me. I WOULD like the ability to upload a quick status to FB, but I can actually do that with my phone if I REALLY want to (it's just really cumbersome). DH and I text throughout the day, but other than that, no need to be smart with my phone :).

SheFly

p.s.
I also don't ever have the need to be checking my phone when out with friends... Just sayin'

Thanks SheFly - that is exactly what I am thinking...

Like SheFly I've never upgraded from a dumb phone, but I have used a smart phone enough to know a little of what I'm missing. I have a basic, compact waterproof and shockproof phone, without a keyboard. I don't miss the keyboard, I message faster than I think anyway ;-). I'd prefer having a better camera, and sometimes I miss a better and larger screen. However, I really like having a small and bombproof phone without a large glass screen to break.

I haven't bought a smart phone because I know I'm too addicted to the net as it is, and would find it hard to not check email and facebook and TE all the time. I enjoy the downtime. But on longer vacations it's very handy having my dh's smart phone around, to check the news, the weather, email every now and then. But texting on it drives me up the wall.

I know I'm missing it out on various apps, though, so I may switch at some point anyway.

On another note - any tips on how to stay OFF the net... ;-)

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Originally Posted by lph

On another note - any tips on how to stay OFF the net... ;-)

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Don't turn on the computer :D

SheFly

What is a dumb phone? Yup, I'm a klutz.

I pay a combined land line phone and unlimited, high speed Internet access for average approx. $72.00CAN/month. It includes up to 300 free minutes of long distance phone calls across North America per month. I don't have a TV and don't want one right now.

A smart phone is an advanced mobile phone with an operating system that enables it to pretty much be a small computer, usually with a large touchscreen. A "dumb phone" isn't. :-)

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Originally Posted by SheFly

Don't turn on the computer :D

SheFly

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Har-de-har. ;)

Actually that's proving easier and easier, as we now have a combined tv and computer room at home, and unless told not to my son is holed up in there playing Skyrim. So being on the computer involves either a discussion or trying to surf with large, angry warriors killing each other 3 inches to the right of my field of vision.

It might just be my age showing, but I tried to downgrade and failed. I very rarely use our home computer, which runs on dial up. My phone's internet is faster than our computer's! I don't have an iPod or anything fancy like that either (though I do have an iPad that I never use and need to get rid of), so I used my phone for literally everything -- GPS, music, e-reader, camera and video, internet, texting, calling, e-mailing, Skyping, news, TV shows, weather alerts, note-taking, you name it...

But even though I use it for everything, I'm not always using it. I can put my phone away and socialize without it, and get through anything I need to (class, work, etc) without bothering about it.

Anyway, I cut it off and went back to an old pre-paid Nokia cellphone about a year ago, and by the end of the fifth month I was wild-eyed and pulling my hair out, haha. I was so reliant on my smartphone! It did everything! So I got rid of TV cable and dial-up internet, and brought back my smartphone. I'm never, ever disconnecting it again, unless something goes horribly wrong and I have to.

Wow Swan, I can see how that was so hard to adjust to! I don't use my smartphone for near that much. I check email, text, interact with FB and TE - though frankly I prefer to do those last two things on my computer. I am finally getting my u-verse TV reinstalled this weekend - got a very good deal from them that gives me all of the channels I want and I only increased my overall bill with them by $10 - and that is balanced out by dropping Netflix. Can't beat that with a stick ;)

I've found myself reaching for my phone to check my email in the middle of the night when I wake up and can't get back to sleep - I mean, seriously! What is the point of that? I don't HAVE to check my work email from my phone, if I need to do so at home I can remote into my work computer directly from my home computer. The more I think about it, the only real advantage I can see to having a smartphone is a backup if my home computer commits hari-kari... I don't really seem to take full advantage of it as far as all of the different applications and so forth that so many use.

There have been times that it's been really handy to have. And I'm often in a position where I'll be meeting someone (who doesn't text), and I'll tell them to shoot me an e-mail if they're going to be late or won't make it. There have also been times when one of the kids has a basketball game in Timbuktu, and the phone is my GPS (I don't have a non-phone GPS).

That said, I get why the idea of downgrading is appealing. I don't need one more screen to be staring at. It's helped to plug my phone in away from my bed (as in, another room downstairs) - I'm now able to get some form of quiet thoughtful time in before I get up, which has been setting the day off on a better note.

WRT the computer, I'll go on computer fasts throughout the year.

It seems as if every time I NEED to use my Android for GPS or whatever that I am in an area where I don't have coverage. I still go to my computer and print maps. Verizon has better coverage, but their fees are higher than AT&T, I am just not going to pay those.

I think that more of the modern "regular" messaging cell phones also have email available, though I would need to look into what that would cost in fees. As far as keeping the phone away from the bed - I can't do that. I rise at 3:50 most mornings and for THAT I need multiple alarms :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by lph

Like SheFly I've never upgraded from a dumb phone, but I have used a smart phone enough to know a little of what I'm missing. I have a basic, compact waterproof and shockproof phone, without a keyboard. I don't miss the keyboard, I message faster than I think anyway ;-). I'd prefer having a better camera, and sometimes I miss a better and larger screen. However, I really like having a small and bombproof phone without a large glass screen to break.

I haven't bought a smart phone because I know I'm too addicted to the net as it is, and would find it hard to not check email and facebook and TE all the time. I enjoy the downtime. But on longer vacations it's very handy having my dh's smart phone around, to check the news, the weather, email every now and then. But texting on it drives me up the wall.

I know I'm missing it out on various apps, though, so I may switch at some point anyway.

On another note - any tips on how to stay OFF the net... ;-)

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lph, I'm like you, no smart phone. However, I did buy a Galaxy Tab 2.0 wi-fi tablet (7") for travel only. I never use it at home as I have my laptop, and I don't feel the need to take it in my pack when I head into town for shopping or whatever. Like many on this thread I am online so much when I'm home, it's nice to have a break, and a smartphone would just be too tempting to be in Facebook, etc all the time. On a trip we're so busy the Tab only gets limited use (mostly first thing in the morning and last thing at night), but it's nice to have instead of a full-size (heavy) laptop on a trip, to look up something quickly, delete all those pesky marketing emails, and be able to reply quickly to anything important.

Might be a nice compromise for you to look at something like that just for traveling as well. It has plenty of apps, including my favorite, the Kindle app, so also allows me to travel without a stack of books. Win! :)

Editing to add: Also, since it's not a phone, there's no monthly data fee. You pay once, and that's it. That does limit its use to where wi-fi is available, but we used it all over Mexico without issue; wi-fi is obviously more and more prevalent.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

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Editing to add: Also, since it's not a phone, there's no monthly data fee. You pay once, and that's it. That does limit its use to where wi-fi is available, but we used it all over Mexico without issue; wi-fi is obviously more and more prevalent.

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This is interesting, thanks for the comment. I've spoken with AT&T and if I were to "downgrade" and get a messaging phone that has email then I would save an entire $10/month (and of course the difference in the cost of the phone). This is less about money than it is trying to pull back on my internet addiction. There, I said it :) I think I will turn off the "cellular data" option on my Android for a few weeks and see how I survive it.

I like a couple of the Nook tablets, if I do this I might consider saving up for one of those to cover traveling and computer breakdown times.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I am considering downgrading my Android to a "dumb" phone with a good camera and slide-out keyboard for messaging when the time comes. I don't know that I will actually DO this, but am seriously considering it. I spend too much of my life attached to assorted electronic devices, and this would be one way to start to draw back a bit. It would also cut my phone bill :)

Has anyone here made this move? Did you regret it? I MIGHT try dropping my data plan for one month to see what that is like before I take final action - assuming that AT&T will allow me to do so since I've an Android. I know you don't have that option with an iPhone.

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I did this some years ago. Phones were smart but not near as smart as today. I had a Blackberry for work. When I retired I went back to a plain old flip phone. No regrets. I hate getting nickled and dimed to death on phone charges.

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Originally Posted by lph

On another note - any tips on how to stay OFF the net... ;-)

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I'm an internet addict (which is apparently getting added to psychology manuals this year), and my best tip to getting off the net is to do something else that you enjoy. I spent hours on my bike up until my back gave out, and during that time I didn't surf the web at all, which is really saying something since I'll go without sleep in order to constantly refresh different web pages. I thought about websites and checking my e-mail and how I needed to refresh that one page a few more times... But as long as I was biking, I felt like "Eh, I can put it off til this hill or that one or maybe just when I get back home." It wasn't too hard, even though my phone comes with me on rides and has internet right there... ;) Granted, I did check FB once or twice during a break in riding, but it was nothing like sitting in front of the computer for two days straight without sleep!


(go on, you can all laugh at how sad of a person I am now, lol)


Edit: I switched to Verizon and it is pretty expensive, but since I live out in the woods their superior coverage is a must if I want to stay connected at all to the outside world. I can even get 4G out here! $10 per 10gb in data is a little harsh, but as emily pointed out, wifi is spreading... if 4G is here, wifi can't be too far behind! Hopefully I won't need to pay so much for data soon!

We went from Verizon to tmobile. We pay about $53 per month for unlimited talk, text and web (though the first 100mb only are fast). We do not have a contract, and that inclus taxes, etc. Coverage isn't as good as Verizon, but the bill is much less. Might be an option for those wanting to explore another carrier. Tmobile uses at&t's towers, so I doubt there's much of a difference in coverage.

I think about giving up the smart phone now that I have an ipad, since I rarely go anywhere without wifi. But - we used synced calendars, and I really wouldn't save much (and would have to buy a new phone). We'll see.

I've only had a smartphone for about two and a half years, but I had a standalone PDA for at least five years before that (I think longer).

It's the PDA features I really couldn't live without. Being able to schedule my next hair appointment while I'm in the salon for the last one. Finding the phone number of a person or business I call frequently enough to be in my contact book, but not so frequently that I know it by memory. Adding things to a shopping list as soon as I realize I need them, and knowing the list will be there no matter when or how I get to the store.

The real choice, I think, isn't between smartphone and standalone "dumb" phone. It's between electronic management vs. carrying around a big paper book like we used to do, or multiple slips of paper that may or may not ever get re-written where they're supposed to, and that don't automatically remind us of stuff.

And yeah. Texting with a numerical keypad is a huge PITA, though predictive spelling is way better than it used to be and DH got pretty adept with it before he finally got his iPhone.

[QUOTE=OakLeaf;667233....
The real choice, I think, isn't between smartphone and standalone "dumb" phone. It's between electronic management vs. carrying around a big paper book like we used to do, or multiple slips of paper that may or may not ever get re-written where they're supposed to, and that don't automatically remind us of stuff.

And yeah. Texting with a numerical keypad is a huge PITA, though predictive spelling is way better than it used to be and DH got pretty adept with it before he finally got his iPhone.[/QUOTE]

Good food for thought. And if I were to do this, it would have to have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard :)

I'm another who never got a smartphone in the first place. I have a dumb phone with a nice keyboard and ok picture capabilities. That said we did recently buy a tablet. However that is mostly for use either while traveling, or for my work (which it may or may not work out for). And apparently it's for a few game apps that my husband put on there and he keeps playing (Angry Birds and a tower defence game).

I don't think you are going to get a "good" camera in a dumb phone. Most simple phones are made to a price point and you simply won't get a good camera in them. In my experience with phones with cameras it wasn't until I got to around 5mp or above that the pictures were useful for anything other than viewing on the phone's tiny screen.

Another one with a dumb phone and a wifi tablet. And I'm supposedly the techy one. :) Had a guy at CES give me crap because I'm in the consumer electronics industry and I don't have a smart phone. He was pushing his product that lets your phone talk to your fridge. Really???

What does the fridge say?

I could never give up a home desktop or less desirable, a laptop. It's his laptop.
I actually dislike laptops unless I hook up a larger keyboard...it's the erogonomics of my hands in relation to tabletop...I'm extremely picky since I spend hrs. at home, on the computer, Internet. (I don't have a tv.)

I could never spend several hrs. on a handheld device for internet, email and texting. I did try with iPad (which was given to me for work) for hrs. and found my neck hurt, squinting at text, etc.

I can't even imagine blogging (and I spend several hrs. writing 1 blog post, plus preparing the photos) on a handheld device. I don't just post a photo with 2 lines for text. It's more content than at that.

Maybe I lead a dull life compared to many others, because seriously I don't get a ton of personal email daily so no need to check constantly. 1-2 check times in the evening is good enough for me. I know that I at least want to check my email for that low frequency even if only for 5 min. So I'm not addicted, expecting much of any personal email. I didn't request to be hooked into the corporate work email network. No reason.

I don't have siblings nor friends who exchange emails every week, much less every few days. It doesn't work that with me/us. And we love each other. Am I missing something somehow in human connections? I don't have children. I don't have a job that puts me on call with other workers, clients when I leave the workplace. (Thank God.) I actually think I'm an useful, but dispensable employee. (Believe me, this attitude comes after working for several good employers. Learned lots from each, but moved on and know I have been replaced by others.)

Or maybe I'm just...11 yrs. away from retirement vs. 30 years away from retirement.

Dearie is the person that I phone, skype or email when I can't see him immediately in person.. 1-2 times per day.

I don't have a smartphone, at least not yet. Don't want to pay for the data plan, although I'm sure in a few years it'll be forced on all of us. When I upgraded my secondary phone, they had one or two non-smart options. I can see the utility, though. It might be more useful if I weren't attached to my computer all day.

My sister got a Galaxy tablet that she is addicted to. (She's the early technology adopter, though.) While we were both home over Christmas, she said "I don't know how I ever dealt with just having a laptop." Really?

When I become disabled/less mobile etc., I'll get the hand held computers, etc.

Maybe I should explain something:

The bulk of my 30- yr. career is on managing information and working with people how research and assess information sources via electronic sources. I have been in front of computers for over 75% of the time during all my full-time jobs. The rest of the time is with clients. The most interesting part of my jobs has been with people...face to face, also understanding human behaviour-computer interaction.

So in my personal life, the last thing I want to do is to become very dependent and hooked to electronic communicative devices.

Tablets are lightweight and have a different range of functions than a laptop, so I can understand Owlie's sister's sentiment...

Shootingstar, I respect that a lot! I typucally shy away from face-to-face interaction, so I really admire you for liking it so much. And it's great to not be addicted to tehnology! You mentioned not wanting to blog on a mobile device, which I sympathized with. I bought a separate, laptop-size keyboard that connects to my phone via bluetooth to work around that (it's the same keyboard I used for my iPad). So much easier for those lengthier blog entries!

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Originally Posted by jobob

What does the fridge say?

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This reminded me of a friend way back when in university, who liked to record confusing messages on his phone's answering machine. My favourite was this one:

"Hello! I'm afraid the phone is busy right now. This is the fridge speaking. If you speak veery slowly, I'll write it down on a post-it, and stick to my door. Thank you for calling."

<squeaking back on topic> Question for those of you with smart phones - what function or app do you use most, or appreciate most? Or is it more the general availability of everything?

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Originally Posted by lph

<squeaking back on topic> Question for those of you with smart phones - what function or app do you use most, or appreciate most? Or is it more the general availability of everything?

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Most often, I use Google Maps, YNAB (budgeting app that works in conjunction with a desktop version), my calendar, my gym's schedule app, and general internet access for stuff like "what time does this store open?". I also like Slacker Radio, especially its caching feature. I keep track of books that I've read in my phone so that I don't buy duplicates at the used bookstore. I use Facebook too- it's a great way to stay in touch with my riding groups and plan rides.

General availability is a big part of it for me, especially when I'm on local field assignments or long-distance travel and thus away from a computer.

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Originally Posted by lph

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<squeaking back on topic> Question for those of you with smart phones - what function or app do you use most, or appreciate most? Or is it more the general availability of everything?

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Good question, and a very helpful one. For me I spend the most time with the PDA and alarm functions. There are several diet/fitness apps I use quite a lot, and I've been known to use my Nook reader app as well. I THINK I use the internet apps less than those things as I get irritated with the small screen for the browser and I tend to make more mistakes in typing emails on my phone than otherwise. I READ a lot on it, but type little. Regardless I need access to my work email on my phone, and that little detail means that I would save little by making the switch - so that consideration is removed.

It's really general availability for me.

In rough order of use, I'd estimate:

Shopping list
Calendar
Navigation
Using the internet to locate a nearby business while I'm out running other errands
Using the internet to check weather radar/forecast
Alarm clock
Taking snapshots that I can immediately upload rather than having to run them through my computer
Contact list/address book
DVR access (set up TV to record a program)

I have a dedicated iPod that I use for my portable music. I manage my music with iTunes, and Apple doesn't allow full integration of third party apps. There are other reasons I didn't get an iPhone, but if I did, I'd be using that for music and ditching the iPod.

I have my email accounts set up, but I rarely check email on my phone. Only if I'm expecting an email and/or I'm away from home for longer than I expected. I used my phone for both email and "entertainment" uses more before I had a tablet. Nowadays I'll bring the tablet along for trips of 1-3 days, or when I know I'm going to have an extended wait somewhere (like when I'm getting my allergy shot and have to wait to make sure I don't have a reaction).

Still, when I have a shorter wait somewhere - or when I'm a passenger - it's nice to be able to pull up TE, FB, local news, whatever I'm reading on Kindle (which syncs to the last page read - and is surprisingly readable on the little screen), or play a game. Beats the heck out of six-month-old waiting room gossip magazines (or just staring at the ceiling when I'm not in a "stocked" waiting room). And if I didn't have a tablet, I'd still be using my phone as my only computer on weekend trips.

Ok! This is helpful, because I can see that some of the functions you find very useful are ones I already have on my dumb phone. (And a helluva lot easier to edit w/o a touchscreen :p IMNSHO)

I have a quite serviceable alarm clock, calendar, to-do or shopping list and contact list on my phone, but not synchronized with my computer. Or maybe they do, I've never bothered to try. What I lack is access to the internet,and even if I had the screen is too small to do anything useful.

I'm pretty sure I could get navigation on a dumb phone, though, if I were buying a new one. That would be a handy function. And I would like a better camera, because I like taking spur-of-the-moment shots, and that means I use my phone. But I think that for the time being I'll do without, because the large screen and access to the internet count both as good points and bad points to me.

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Originally Posted by lph

(And a helluva lot easier to edit w/o a touchscreen :p IMNSHO)

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:D All touch screens are definitely NOT created equal.

Not that that's a defining feature in this discussion anyway (I didn't even know there were "dumb" phones with physical keyboards! and obviously plenty of smartphones do have them) - but virtual keyboards come in different sizes, some of them rotate to landscape mode and some of them don't, some of them only rotate within particular apps. Some let you access numbers and common symbols (apostrophe, dash, ampersand) from the main screen, others require you to scroll through multiple screens.

The predictive spelling on my HTC phones (both old and new) is really topnotch. Its first choice is right about 80% of the time ... my choice is one of the options onscreen about 95% of the time. It's uncommon that I actually wind up having to type an entire word, and the nice thing about predictive spelling vs. autocorrect is that it offers several options and lets me choose, rather than automatically entering a word that might or might not be what I meant.

I can seriously type faster and more accurately on my phone than I can on my iPad. I forgot to mention that when I use my iPad as my only computer on weekend trips, I also have a full sized Bluetooth keyboard, because the iOS virtual keyboard is basically useless.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I have a dedicated iPod that I use for my portable music. I manage my music with iTunes, and Apple doesn't allow full integration of third party apps. There are other reasons I didn't get an iPhone, but if I did, I'd be using that for music and ditching the iPod.

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The app you want for this purpose is iSyncr. It put my iTunes library onto my Android. So if your iPod ever craters and you don't want to go the iPhone route, you have options.

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Originally Posted by luvmyguys

The app you want for this purpose is iSyncr. It put my iTunes library onto my Android. So if your iPod ever craters and you don't want to go the iPhone route, you have options.

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Will it update the date last played in iTunes when I play a song on my Android phone? That's a dealbreaker if it doesn't. I see their FAQ says it "supports play counts," but they're not more specific about what that means.

I use Doublesync to interact with my iTunes library. I don't know if it tracks the last play date however, but it is a nice little application that also maintains my playlists.

I have an iPhone 4. The apps I use most are email, YNAB, camera, text, a couple of radio apps so I can listen to live radio from around the world, calculator, a GPS app that talks to me so I can get where I need to go when I'm driving (my car does not have GPS), Shazam, and Pandora. I also have my Pilates routine in Notes so I can do Pilates anywhere.

Oh, and the PHONE, including the ability to have multiple people on the same call. That is very important.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I like a couple of the Nook tablets, if I do this I might consider saving up for one of those to cover traveling and computer breakdown times.

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You might consider getting a real tablet. The nook and kindle ones are good for media consumption ( watching movies) but come up short for many of the functions tablets are used for. Plus, you have to get apps through BN or Amazon, and there's not nearly the options you have through droid or apple.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I use Doublesync to interact with my iTunes library. I don't know if it tracks the last play date however, but it is a nice little application that also maintains my playlists.

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Good to know there's another one! I don't know how or if iSyncr tracks the last play date, so no answer there, Oakleaf.

And play count is one of the features they disable in the free trial version. Well, it might still be worth $3.99 to me to find out. Thanks for the tip!