Dumping Smartphone

Author
Discussion

ZesPak

24,423 posts

195 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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As above, same as many people can ditch their full on computer for a simple tablet. If you don't use all this functionality, why buy a device that's overly expensive and complex for you?

Old Tyke

288 posts

85 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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ZesPak said:
As above, same as many people can ditch their full on computer for a simple tablet. If you don't use all this functionality, why buy a device that's overly expensive and complex for you?
1. If you need to actually get anything done on a computer, a tablet isn't going to help as firstly it's a tiny screen so you can't see st and secondly you can't type fast and accurately on a touch screen like you can on a proper keyboard. They're fine for occasional web browsing but I wouldn't want to work on one.

2. People buy them because it's a new shiny and come with hundreds of "free" minutes and texts and a "free" internet allowance, all wrapped up in a nice £30 per month package for 18 months. More people are waking up to the fact that an older phone from a few years ago still does everything they want it to do just fine and it's better to have a sim only contract for peanuts per month.

ZesPak

24,423 posts

195 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
Old Tyke said:
1. If you need to actually get anything done on a computer, a tablet isn't going to help as firstly it's a tiny screen so you can't see st and secondly you can't type fast and accurately on a touch screen like you can on a proper keyboard. They're fine for occasional web browsing but I wouldn't want to work on one.
Yep, but apparently there's loads of people that actually don't need to get anything done on a computer.

MockingJay

1,311 posts

128 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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I run my business from my iPhone, I'd be f*cked without it.

condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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I haven't used a smartphone yet, but now I've bought a car with bluetooth enabled I'm going to be buying one. I had hoped that my old Nokia would work in the new car as it does have bluetooth compatibility - but car doesn't appear to let me use it to answer phone calls. Now need to research which one is the simplest and cheapest for my needs.

schmunk

4,399 posts

124 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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Old Tyke said:
2. People buy them because it's a new shiny and come with hundreds of "free" minutes and texts and a "free" internet allowance, all wrapped up in a nice £30 per month package for 18 months. More people are waking up to the fact that an older phone from a few years ago still does everything they want it to do just fine and it's better to have a sim only contract for peanuts per month.
True enough, but for most people that older phone is still a smart phone.

ZesPak

24,423 posts

195 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
condor said:
I haven't used a smartphone yet, but now I've bought a car with bluetooth enabled I'm going to be buying one. I had hoped that my old Nokia would work in the new car as it does have bluetooth compatibility - but car doesn't appear to let me use it to answer phone calls. Now need to research which one is the simplest and cheapest for my needs.
Moto G4. Job jobbed smile.

Randy Winkman

Original Poster:

16,021 posts

188 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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Thanks again folks. I can completely see why some people need smartphones for work. I can also see that my preferences are at odds with other people, even for social stuff. I'll see how I get on without one. But since I make practically zero use of my current one, I cant see what problem I could have. By the way, I like photography an have 2 decent cameras, one big, one small. But I never take pictures spontaneously of my dinner or of car accidents.

battered

4,088 posts

146 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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I have done this. My smartphone started messing me about, so I bought a dead basic cheapo in Asda and chucked the card in. It's OK, but I miss having nav in my pocket and very occasional web browsing. Things like the Ryanair app are useful, without that you need to find a computer to check in.

I don't need a Samsung latest 5" screen monster that I can't get in my pocket, but some 'net capability is handy.

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Monday 10th April 2017
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For me, Spotify, email and the camera are invaluable, also, my car stereo uses it for data, love my Iphone, really is a Swiss Army Knife.


condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Tuesday 11th April 2017
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ZesPak said:
condor said:
I haven't used a smartphone yet, but now I've bought a car with bluetooth enabled I'm going to be buying one. I had hoped that my old Nokia would work in the new car as it does have bluetooth compatibility - but car doesn't appear to let me use it to answer phone calls. Now need to research which one is the simplest and cheapest for my needs.
Moto G4. Job jobbed smile.
Thanks for the recommendation, I googled it and found other reviews on cheap phones. Have decided to go for a payg vodafone smart first 7 for £20 from Amazon and will see how I get on with it.

Edited by condor on Tuesday 11th April 08:34

condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Friday 14th April 2017
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New phone has arrived - I'm a bit confused about how to get it started. I suspect I haven't been given a SIM card, There is a Vodafone credit card sized with a sim card cut out - but it doesn't have any connections to it. Presumably I have to get a SIM card or do I have to cut out the one that's within the card? confused

andy_s

19,397 posts

258 months

Friday 14th April 2017
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condor said:
New phone has arrived - I'm a bit confused about how to get it started. I suspect I haven't been given a SIM card, There is a Vodafone credit card sized with a sim card cut out - but it doesn't have any connections to it. Presumably I have to get a SIM card or do I have to cut out the one that's within the card? confused
Yes - push out the sim card.

Sent from my iPhone

condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Friday 14th April 2017
quotequote all
andy_s said:
Yes - push out the sim card.

Sent from my iPhone
Thanks thumbup I've now managed to put the SIM card and the battery in the phone. You'd think that this would have been covered in the instructions!

TameRacingDriver

18,048 posts

271 months

Friday 14th April 2017
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ZesPak said:
Old Tyke said:
1. If you need to actually get anything done on a computer, a tablet isn't going to help as firstly it's a tiny screen so you can't see st and secondly you can't type fast and accurately on a touch screen like you can on a proper keyboard. They're fine for occasional web browsing but I wouldn't want to work on one.
Yep, but apparently there's loads of people that actually don't need to get anything done on a computer.
I must admit, having bought and sold loads of gadgets, I'd still rather a nice laptop I think than a tablet in the end, even just for sofa surfing. OK you wont always use all of its potential but its nice to know the capability is there when you require it.

That said, I have mates who do everything on their iphone. They insist they need no more. That's fair enough, but its not for me, but hey, I'm one of these dinosaurs that still has and uses a full on desktop PC biggrin

ZesPak

24,423 posts

195 months

Friday 14th April 2017
quotequote all
TameRacingDriver said:
I must admit, having bought and sold loads of gadgets, I'd still rather a nice laptop I think than a tablet in the end, even just for sofa surfing. OK you wont always use all of its potential but its nice to know the capability is there when you require it.

That said, I have mates who do everything on their iphone. They insist they need no more. That's fair enough, but its not for me, but hey, I'm one of these dinosaurs that still has and uses a full on desktop PC biggrin
Same, even going from a tablet to a chromebook is an upgrade imho just for the physical keyboard. I think we took it just too far with the tablet.

TameRacingDriver

18,048 posts

271 months

Friday 14th April 2017
quotequote all
ZesPak said:
Same, even going from a tablet to a chromebook is an upgrade imho just for the physical keyboard. I think we took it just too far with the tablet.
Agreed.... although even the Chromebook in my case went the journey for an ultrabook biggrin

condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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I've bought a £10 Vodafone top up voucher and not sure whether I'm now to be signed up for a 30 day bundle of free texts/minutes and data. I thought I could have this in the car as back up when I'm driving where it's likely £10 would last me all year! If the 30 day bundle is the case then I could have just as well bought a contract one ( with a free phone) for the same amount.
The instructions don't even mention topping up using a top-up voucher - more confusion.
Has anyone else found it this difficult to use a smartphone?

V8covin

7,215 posts

192 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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You might be better getting an unlock code off eBay and going for 3-2-1 on the 3 network

GrizzlyBear

1,072 posts

134 months

Sunday 16th April 2017
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condor said:
I've bought a £10 Vodafone top up voucher and not sure whether I'm now to be signed up for a 30 day bundle of free texts/minutes and data. I thought I could have this in the car as back up when I'm driving where it's likely £10 would last me all year! If the 30 day bundle is the case then I could have just as well bought a contract one ( with a free phone) for the same amount.
The instructions don't even mention topping up using a top-up voucher - more confusion.
Has anyone else found it this difficult to use a smartphone?
I thought that when I had a Vodaphone plan, I was fairly sure that the top-up was only valid for 30 days, so I attempted to actually speak to someone, I gave up after 10 minutes as I couldn't find a way of getting through to a human, and just let the 30 days run out, and yes indeed it was a 30 day plan, it is almost like they want to confuse people.. I think they don't want the "top it up as required" users, pay and go now appears to be more like a semi-contact, where you have to top-up once a month to keep service. Oh well, I am obviously not the sort of customer they are looking for, and they aren't the sort of provider I am looking for, so obviously neither of us lost sleep when I left.

Randy Winkman said:
Thanks all. After making my post I did wonder if there was any point asking in this forum but I'm glad to see that people appreciate my issue. I might get a 3310 on pay-as-you-go for a bit to see what happens. It will be a bit of fun to have a 3310 again anyway.
I really want them to release a modernised version of either the Nokia 6210 and 6310, I had them back in the day (maybe 15+ years ago), and this is not rose tinted memories of when I was younger; I still have one that lives in the glovebox of my car as an emergency phone.

Like many others, I use a phone for calls and texts, the odd bit of satnav, but the camera is essential for work, so at the moment I am stuck with a smartphone and getting sick of poor battery life.