Drinking the Kool-Aid and buying a smart phone.

[iris lilies]

I hate my Iphone. Screen too small for anything useful. Keypad too small.

I use Ipad minis instead. But they arent phones.

[Teacher Terry]

I switched to a iPhone 7 2 years ago from a android and love it. You can download free books from the library.

[Simplemind]

I have a smartphone only because my volunteer jobs require one. Actually, we always had a pay as you go for emergencies, OUR emergencies and never gave out the number.
What I love about the smartphone is the GPS and the camera. I have always been a picture buff and I love that there is always a camera at hand. It has come in handy at fender benders to take pictures of damage, license plates, drivers licenses and insurance cards. It comes in handy when finding something obscure that somebody has been trying to find, taking a picture and sending it to them saying "Do you want me to snag this for you?". It comes in handy when I have to wait for something and I can play solitaire.
We have tracphones so it keeps our expenses down. We won't be giving up our landline anytime soon and we ask that people use that to contact us because we don't want to be tied to our cells.

[frugal-one]

There are also GPS units to put in your car... cheaper than a phone. Also, tracPhone is $100/year... depending on usage.

[Simplemind]

Frugal I do have a GPS in my car but my job requires that I have a phone with GPS. We do pay $100 a year.

[Rogar]

I'm still in the Tracfone bunch. 19.95 every three months and I have enough roll over time to last for a long time. It's actually a basic cheap smart phone and satisfies a lot of your needs, UL. Camera, email, texting, internet, and whatever android apps you want. Although I have to say it is not so good for navigation, or I've not figured out how to make it better. What I like about a good smart phone is that you can just say, Siri, get me to so and so place or address and you get verbal directions without messing with any screens or typing. That might be enough on it's own to go over to the dark side some day. Then again, some days I think about the simplicity of a flip phone.

[pony mom]

I dragged my heels for years and finally got a Smartphone .....and LOVE it!!! The internet at your fingertips is the best part. If you need to know anything anywhere, it's right there. Photos, texts, directions, anything.

After reading many reviews, I bought a Moto E4 on sale for $60 through Boost Mobile. I pay $35/mo. (no tax) for more stuff than I could possibly use in a month. Right now I'm listening to Pandora app, using a wireless Bluetooth speaker....heavenly.

[SteveinMN]

I would think a minimalist would have jumped on a smartphone for the so many things it can replace (calendar, alarm clock, etc.)! But I also can understand not wanting the expense or complication of one.

Phones don't need to be expensive and don't need to be expensive to run. iPhones do tend to be more expensive, but they're also generally made of better materials than cheaper Android phones and hold better value at resale. But an entirely decent Android smartphone can be purchased for around $150.

DW and I have 2 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts on AT&T through an MVNO for less than $50/month and we never bump against that ceiling. If we didn't use that much data or could get by without service in Frozen Nose, Minnesota , we probably could find similar service for around $15-20 each (n.b., not on any kind of multiple-person plan).

I can't speak to the whole "cancer" thing beyond commenting that using a headset to listen to calls and talk moves you away from the biggest potential generators of radiation of any kind -- and to reiterate my belief that we're exposed to all kinds of toxins all the time, so not buying a smartphone because of that issue is not a prime argument in my book.

The texting? You got to send 'em to get 'em (and vice versa). And I think someone who can apply the rigor you do to life might be able to impose enough of a limit on yourself to keep the texting from getting out of hand.

[Alan]

My wife and I both have smartphones and receive service through an MVNO operating on Verizon's network. Since we buy our phones outright and prefer paying for data by the gigabyte, our combined expense is $28 per month with unlimited calls and texts.

[Ultralight]

Thoughts on these deals from AT&T?

iPhone 6 $150 + $50 unlimited data

Or...

iPhone 7 $250 + $50 unlimited data