Could you live without a smartphone?

[TwiceOver]

Been thinking about going back to a flip phone. I take my son to the park and all these parents are face deep in their phones. I stopped bringing mine to the park to avoid that issue.

 

[moonbogg]

Yep. Could do without. Only reason I have one is because its free for me. I wouldn't pay for this expensive iphone shit.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I probably fairly easily could. I'm not glued to it like most people are. What I can't stand is people who are glued to their phones when you're in the middle of having a conversation with them. Is this really what is has come to now?

 

[biostud]

yeas, but I would buy a mp3 player if I didn't have one.

 

[Captante]

I can and I do.

 

[IronWing]

Still using a flip top phone. I laugh at you all and your cracked screens!

My flip phone has a cracked screen.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

only if i'm allowed to use my 3g/edvo enabled tablet

 

[tesher]

I use my smartphone for work, but if i didn't I could absolutely live without it. Sometimes it feels like an electronic leash.

 

[MongGrel]

yeas, but I would buy a mp3 player if I didn't have one.

What I do.

 

[lxskllr]

Easily. I got my first smart phone only a couple months ago. It's a big boost to my productivity at work, as well as being convenient and fun, but completely unnecessary. I don't like phones much in general. I use mine as a portable computer that sometimes irritates me with people wanting to talk. Get rid of that, and I'd like it even more than I do.

 

[ch33zw1z]

yeas, but I would buy a mp3 player if I didn't have one.

I use my old blackberry pearl as a mp3 player. takes a 4GB card, seems to be enough so far.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Still using a flip top phone. I laugh at you all and your cracked screens!

never ever cracked a screen. I can't imagine the kind of punishment that people would put their phones through that would crack a screen.

 

[zCypher]

Only bought into the smartphone craze once i started working for a telco. I get big discounts on the devices and the rate plan is almost free, so the cost for me is negligible. At the price a regular customer pays for a smartphone with a reasonable amount of data in Canada, I doubt I'd have one, or at least, would not have a data plan. Customers are being completely and utterly gouged by all of the phone companies here, to the point of comedy. For a shareholder it's great, but as a customer, you're really being screwed.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I could live without a house too, but what's the point? To impress some uptight hipster with a hatred for technology?

All of the uptight hipsters that I know worship technology. You couldn't pry their smartphones out of their grubby little fingers with a crow bar.

 

[OverVolt]

I dont have a smartphone. I have AAA roadside towing. I have a gps...texting...email....i dont get it really. What do you guys do stream 2gb of netflix on a 3inch screen? who cares. Smart phones probably make you stupid when you can voice google shit you should remember anyway, like conversions or where the hell you are going

 

[lxskllr]

I dont have a smartphone. I have AAA roadside towing. I have a gps...texting...email....i dont get it really. What do you guys do stream 2gb of netflix on a 3inch screen? who cares. Smart phones probably make you stupid when you can voice google shit you should remember anyway, like conversions or where the hell you are going

My biggest use is viewing blueprints, and keeping my work data synced. I can also get data from the office without driving around looking for open wifi, or spending the time to crack locked wifi. Other than that, it's a toy. I can read, play games, or listen to music. Everything Google is blocked, and once I'm sure the phone won't blow up, I'll start removing all the Google stuff. Oh, and the gps is very convenient. Beats using ripped up old ADC maps.

 

[OverVolt]

My biggest use is viewing blueprints, and keeping my work data synced. I can also get data from the office without driving around looking for open wifi, or spending the time to crack locked wifi. Other than that, it's a toy. I can read, play games, or listen to music. Everything Google is blocked, and once I'm sure the phone won't blow up, I'll start removing all the Google stuff. Oh, and the gps is very convenient. Beats using ripped up old ADC maps.

Get a tablet! They never should have made them. Eliminates the need for a smart phone entirely. You can still download apps and be part of that scene. Bigger screen for media. etc. Just without all the extra money for data. So like... amazon prime on kindle allows you to pre-download dvd's. I imagie you can do the same with blueprints. I also prefer a dedicated gps. Its much snappier. Its not like ding, email, ding text message, ding turn left, ring ring phone call take right exit merge left ah damn you missed it. Dont use your phone as a gps if you're popular!

 

[lxskllr]

Get a tablet! They never should have made them. Eliminates the need for a smart phone entirely. You can still download apps and be part of that scene. Bigger screen for media. etc. Just without all the extra money for data. So like... amazon prime on kindle allows you to pre-download dvd's. I imagie you can do the same with blueprints. I also prefer a dedicated gps. Its much snappier. Its not like ding, email, ding text message, ding turn left, ring ring phone call take right exit merge left ah damn you missed it. Dont use your phone as a gps if you're popular!

I can't really carry a tablet with me in the field. I did do a lot of that with my 7" tablet, but it wasn't always with me. That's where the phone wins big time. It's not like blueprints are a real joy to view on a 5" screen, but the truck being 1000' away on the other side of an interstate, or through the woods, and over crappy terrain makes it enjoyable enough. Also, if I'm on a quiet site, I can play music through the speaker. Not the greatest sound for sure, but it passes the time when doing tedious work.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I learned to when I went abroad and didn't have reliable data everywhere. It sucked mostly because I was in a foreign city and maps is a god send.

 

[kage69]

Without much difficulty I'd imagine.




Sometimes being a farmer or fisherman 'minimally tethered to the grid' is all I dream about.

 

[Leyawiin]

Easy since I don't have one.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I could. But it would be kind of annoying. I'd need a separate device for my audiobooks/music while on my motorcycle. Then I'd need to get a gps and some how wire that to my headphones as well.

When I'm on transit, it would be rough planning my trip home without live data on the buses locations, because buses never run on time in SF.

I could do it, but it would hard to go back. Despite all the bad rap smart phones get, they do add a lot of convenience. Sure you can design around it, but I'd rather not.

 

[phucheneh]

If I didn't have a smartphone, what would I do during awkward moments?

What am I gonna pretend to check email on so I don't have to look at people?

 

[shortylickens]

Yes. I'd still need an emergency phone just in case.
I'd have to use a laptop for school.
And I would go back to the old habit of always keeping a paperback on me at any given time.


But I could get by.

 

[K1052]

I could. But it would be kind of annoying. I'd need a separate device for my audiobooks/music while on my motorcycle. Then I'd need to get a gps and some how wire that to my headphones as well.

When I'm on transit, it would be rough planning my trip home without live data on the buses locations, because buses never run on time in SF.

I could do it, but it would hard to go back. Despite all the bad rap smart phones get, they do add a lot of convenience. Sure you can design around it, but I'd rather not.

People who display excessive optimism should be made to ride Muni for a month.

I wouldn't set foot on the system without accurate tracking data.