Anyone still with a trusty dumbphone/going lower tech?

[escrow4]

Tried smartphones (they were crappy Windows ones but still), gave up and went back to a decent Nokia 301:

http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_301-5323.php

I had hoped for 2 weeks battery life not 1, but its sufficient. Am I missing something? Couldn't care less about apps and I only (and barely) use them for calls and texts ($50 or less a year maybe). I'm not 90yrs old either. And yes I've recently started to wear a watch again.

Seems like the more tech we have the more I can't be bothered shifting. Prefer offline and low tech.

 

[irishScott]

I gather you don't have a job that requires rapid communication. Also I've found my Moto X to be infinitely more reliable than the dumb-phones I've had over the years, likely due to the touchscreen preventing moisture ingress. Battery life is solved by keeping a microUSB cable at every computer and a charger in my car. Even without charging I can squeeze a full day out of it most of the time.

As for preferring offline, I don't know what advantages that has. Stacks of paper and snail mail vs readily searched and sorted digital versions that I can process in seconds? I'll take the latter every day.

 

[RossMAN]

Until last year my wife was rocking a Nokia 3320 and now she can't live without a smartphone.

This was my cell phone of choice about 15 years ago:

 

[escrow4]

I gather you don't have a job that requires rapid communication. Also I've found my Moto X to be infinitely more reliable than the dumb-phones I've had over the years, likely due to the touchscreen preventing moisture ingress. Battery life is solved by keeping a microUSB cable at every computer and a charger in my car. Even without charging I can squeeze a full day out of it most of the time.

As for preferring offline, I don't know what advantages that has. Stacks of paper and snail mail vs readily searched and sorted digital versions that I can process in seconds? I'll take the latter every day.

Never had an "office" job but even then the type of job that requires you to be attached to a smartphone 24/7 isn't something I'd work for. As for digital versions, dead wood doesn't go offline. You print it out its there.

 

[balloonshark]

I just got rid of my flip phone a couple of weeks ago. I had it forever. It's was a tracfone that I mainly used when out or when the net goes off and kills Vonage. I moved to a new $10 LG 306G feature phone tracfone from an ebay store. So far it looks to have about 9 days between chargings.

 

[zinfamous]

If I had my way, the world would still depend on tethered phones with real analog voice--you know, something you could actually hear, people sounded like the people you actually know...and that stupid phone didn't dominate the lives of everyone you know.

well, there you go.

my smartphone thingy is already 4 years old...so at least I'm slow to upgrade. I only got rid of the analog because it didn't make sense in terms of cost anymore. It remains funny to me, though, how godawful voice quality has become, and how people tolerate it with very little complaint. Is it that easy to forget?

 

[Mixolydian]

My dad has a "dumb" phone, he can't even figure out how to use THAT...

 

[Mayne]

I've never owned a cell/smart phone. :shrug:

 

[walkur]

Yup, got a nokia costs €9.95 (and came with a €10,- prepaid card). Has a max. 2 week battery life.
I've got a 7" nexus for my "smart" needs (got Wifi almost everywhere here).

 

[notposting]

How are all these people on *this* forum?

(any forum, really?)

Shouldn't they be gathered around the water cooler, discussing when Luddite Fest 2015 is going down?

 

[xSauronx]

I gather you don't have a job that requires rapid communication. Also I've found my Moto X to be infinitely more reliable than the dumb-phones I've had over the years, likely due to the touchscreen preventing moisture ingress. Battery life is solved by keeping a microUSB cable at every computer and a charger in my car. Even without charging I can squeeze a full day out of it most of the time.

As for preferring offline, I don't know what advantages that has. Stacks of paper and snail mail vs readily searched and sorted digital versions that I can process in seconds? I'll take the latter every day.

im with you, my brother is a surveyor and at least wants his smartphone for music listening and an email here and there.

 

[highland145]

Shouldn't they be gathered around the water cooler, discussing when Luddite Fest 2015 is going down?

Hell, yes. I'm in.


LG vx8300. 8+ years, same battery.

 

[mvbighead]

How are all these people on *this* forum?

(any forum, really?)

Shouldn't they be gathered around the water cooler, discussing when Luddite Fest 2015 is going down?

Hell, I don't see a problem with it. Granted, I have an iPhone 5s, but it's provided for me. If it wasn't for that, I may've switched to a lighter smart phone with a no-contract plan.

Anymore, folks are paying $100/month for their phone contract. Seems nuts to me. The most important part of the phone is being able to make/receive calls and texts. If mine didn't have email, then people would tend to try to get me via txt/call for only really important stuff. Being strapped to work has its plusses and minuses.

My dad has used an old flip phone for ages. Has one for work and one for personal.

 

[mmntech]

Flip phones are apparently making a big comeback in Japan.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jadelst...phone-galapagos-phone-whats-old-is-new-again/

 

[highland145]

Flip phones are apparently making a big comeback in Japan.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jadelst...phone-galapagos-phone-whats-old-is-new-again/

I keep telling my 14 yo that my phone will be cool again. He rolls his eyes and pretends like he's not with me if I use mine.:biggrin:

 

[Capt Caveman]

GPS, Internet, camera, email, Remote into home/work pcs/servers, Remote to my ip cams at home, music, books, contacts, calendar, etc...

$43/month unlimited phone, text and internet(5gb LTE)

No, smart phone is a necessity

 

[Thump553]

If I didn't need instant email, texting (ugh-the bane of modern life) and such for work, I'd ditch my smartphone in an instant. A simple flip phone with excellent voice quality (which is surprisingly poor in today's overpricey smart phones), good reception, can hold a charge for a week or more and actually easily fits into your pocket/hand would be great.

Personally whenever I see someone using today's vastly oversized smart phones I think back to 80's ghettoblasters.

 

[Banana]

 

[dullard]

Mine came in quite handy this morning. I sat down for breakfast and it instantly told me my commute to work is 8 minutes longer than normal. By the time breakfast was over, it told me the commute was 26 minutes longer (storm + crash). I started driving and it asked if I wanted another route (by automatically noticing that I was driving and in which direction). I clicked on the navigation button and suddenly it spoke through the car radio and give me directions through an area that I have never driven before. I got to work 3 minutes late and everyone else is 30+ minutes late and now needs to use their very limited and very precious vacation time.

Do I need it? No. Does it make my life better? Yes, by far.

 

[dank69]

A had a dumbphone until it became cheaper to have a smartphone. I hardly use it.

 

[Coulrophobia]

I need to find a dumb phone for my kid soon, he is 10.

 

[IronWing]

I still have a flip phone for work. Smart phones seem awesome for everything but making calls. The smartphone I tried was fairly unresponsive to my fingers but was very sensitive to the touch of my ear. Trying to make a call with "I don't understand that command" bleating every time I put the phone to my ear was beyond annoying. Maybe the new screens are better.

For personal, we have a dumb phone. We can only get Verizon's network and we haven't found a reasonably priced smart phone plan yet.

 

[dullard]

For personal, we have a dumb phone. We can only get Verizon's network and we haven't found a reasonably priced smart phone plan yet.

If you haven't looked recently, you should look again. Their Verizon Edge plan was really cheap a couple of months back. It was cheap enough to get two very frugal family members to get their first smart phone.

Unless they have changed it recently, you pay $15/month for per smart phone and $80/month for a large bundle of data. Share that data with say 4 other people (more if you want), submit the name of the company you work for to get ~$16/month off on the data plan, and the data becomes ~$64/4 = $16/month. Data is generally not taxed, so the tax per phone is generally only on the $15/month portion, so a total of ~$3 tax. Total price: $15 + $16 + $3 = $34/month for each smart phone. Sure you need to buy the phone or lease it (and Verizon only requires you to pay 80% of the phone price and 0% interest if you lease). But the monthly cost isn't bad.

 

[rh71]

Until last year my wife was rocking a Nokia 3320 and now she can't live without a smartphone.

This was my cell phone of choice about 15 years ago:

Wow that (pictured) was my very first back in 1999 with Sprint. I still have the same phone number from it now with VZW.

 

[zinfamous]

How are all these people on *this* forum?

(any forum, really?)

Shouldn't they be gathered around the water cooler, discussing when Luddite Fest 2015 is going down?

We do have that discussion and I'm hosting 2016