View Full Version : the smart phone conundrum
I have come to the conclusion (almost) that it is time to join the lemmings and get a smart phone and/or tablet. I have nothing against them - to each his own - I just don't like the monthly cost.
I am justifying it because I no longer hear from dd as well as other people since they only text. Additionally, the thought of traveling to new places without internet access kind of scares me. I don't do media or read books online however - yet anyway. Please talk me out of it or tell me how it is worth every dollar. I am one of those last generations with a foot in both worlds - before technology and after - so I am having difficulty with this choice. Perhaps you know of deals, too??
Mr. Money Mustache talks about Republic Wireless which is supposedly MUCH cheaper, but I don't know anything about the user-friendliness of it, or its capabilities.
https://republicwireless.com/
I too am ready to throw in the towel and get a smartphone. In recent years I've still been using ATT for my very cheap flip phone. I know lots of people complain about ATT, but I've never had any problems with them. I chatted with a sales rep the other day online and found that I can get unlimited talk and text with 1GB data for around $50/mo. (not including tax). I could probably find cheaper rates with one of the upstart vendors, but I expect to be traveling next year and want the widest possible coverage.
My plan is to get an unlocked smartphone--probably a Moto G, currently retailing for around $200--that way I can switch providers any time if I want.
ApatheticNoMore
9-4-14, 12:56pm
Well talking to your daughter is a pretty good reason. Why would traveling to new places without internet be scary? I can't see it. I guess if you travel to very dangerous places it's scary period, but I don't think that has anything to do with internet or not. I don't think internet is necessary for travel at all. You could of course travel with a laptop if you had to (not that it's not a pain).
I'm probably younger, I just don't care about having the latest whatever that I have to pay for every month. I think people fall into the default of buying whatever they feel is the new social necessity and therefore have to cut corners elsewhere, which suits the system just fine (I would buy the fair trade chocolate but I can't afford it - oops my $100 iphone subscription is due). But that's just in general, I do think keeping in touch with one's daughter is a pretty good reason.
Gardenarian
9-4-14, 1:54pm
We use Republic Wireless and are very happy with it. You have to shell out for the phone in the beginning, but compared to other plans the cost over a year is much cheaper. I'm not the kind of person who is going to want to upgrade their phone every year, so it works for me. I pay $20/month (I have their older phone) for unlimited everything.
My dd has the uber-fancy Moto X, and we pay $10 per month for her to have unlimited talk and text, and unlimited internet where there is wifi. I'm getting dh one for his birthday and cutting the landline. The Moto X is really a great phone; Republic wireless also offers the cheaper Moto G, which has smaller screen, not as sharp a camera, less memory, etc.
Texting is pretty much essential today, and once you start using it you'll find it very handy. I would go so far as to say that texting has simplified my life!
What I like best about RW is that there are absolutely no additional fees - what you see is what you get.
Do note that if you are a Mac person, they might not be for you - they only support Android.
If you are an AARP member, there are deals available. Ads are in the magazine. My friend gets her service for a great price through AARP.
I don't have a cell phone because there is no coverage here. I'll be moving soon and will get an Apple smartphone.
Another friend recently told me that Apple is about to come up with 6 model so the 5s are pretty cheap. Apple makes such terrific computers that don't crash as much as PCs, so I'll stay with a reliable company I know.
I used to have Verizon when I lived in my previous. The service and customer interface was so bad I took them to small claims court. I won. Judge gave V rep a huge lecture.
Verizon has the only cell tower in my current town and you can only access the service within a short block of the tower.
I really like some things about my new iPhone. But dang........it can be a real pain too. If you move your finger wrong, it can bring up pages you don't want......and then you can't get out of them.
And.......on my "old fashioned" cell phone, I could just dial "9-1-1" if needed. Now I have to push the button to open up the phone, then I have to slide the "unlock the phone" thing, then I have to press on the phone icon, then I have to press on the "keyboard" icon, press 9-1-1. then press on the phone icon. And if I'm all flustered because I'm being attacked, or can't breath or am upside down in my car..........it's going to be tooooo complicated.
But I love some of the other parts to it. But all the sliding I have to do........wears me out. :~)
And.......on my "old fashioned" cell phone, I could just dial "9-1-1" if needed. Now I have to push the button to open up the phone, then I have to slide the "unlock the phone" thing, then I have to press on the phone icon, then I have to press on the "keyboard" icon, press 9-1-1. then press on the phone icon.
Cathy - When you slide across your phone do you have the word emergency in the lower left corner? On the same screen you would unlock the phone. Could this be how you could call 911 w/out wasting keystrokes to unlock the phone?
on my "old fashioned" cell phone, I could just dial "9-1-1" if needed. Now I have to push the button to open up the phone, then I have to [long sequence deleted]
Hmm. I press one of two different buttons (my choice) to wake up the iPhone, swipe once, and press Emergency. I think there also might be some shortcuts which could cut down on the excessive swiping. Then again, maybe not.
- To pinkytoe's point, it is still possible to buy "messaging" phones which will provide a physical keyboard for texting. They're pretty inexpensive anymore. And people for decades went places with only maps. I love turn-by-turn navigation. But it's not infallible. And it does come with a price (data package with a wireless carrier).
A smartphone does not have to cost a fortune if one chooses carefully. There's no need to buy the latest and greatest phone or sign up for a hugely-oversized data plan. Plenty of reputable places sell smartphones obsessed over and passed on by those who have to have the newest thing; these phones have been checked over and are ready to go. All of the major carriers offer prepaid plans which are cheaper than postpaid and there are a few good reputable resellers for those carriers which are even less expensive.
We've just gone through this with DW. We'll probably get a used iPhone (ours is an Apple house); probably a 5 or the (unloved) 5c to future-proof a little. We'll buy it outright, which will cost a few hundred, but it will give us our choice of carrier. Then we'll take the phone to Airvoice Wireless (an AT&T MVNO/reseller) and pay $20 a month for the minutes and data she'll use.
A few points:
- Republic Wireless gets lots of press for being cheap, but make sure the coverage works for you and price your usage fully before you commit. One less-understood point about RW is that there is almost no market for used RW phones. There's almost always a buyer for a used Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile/Sprint phone, which will recoup some of what the phone cost you. But old RW phones have pretty much no resale value: RW has made it difficult/impossible to activate a used RW phone (if you can find one) for another buyer or even in case you lose or damage your phone.
- AARP's service is provided by Consumer Cellular. It is postpaid, not prepaid, and roams as AT&T roams (most prepaids do not roam). AARP members get a discount. CC, however, is relatively expensive for single users and for big-data users (their highly-advertised $10 plan, for example, includes NO minutes; it just lets you keep your phone number another month). I've looked at it for DW and me and the price isn't there for as little mobile data as we use. (We use mostly wifi, which does not require mobile data.)
- If you just want what comes with the smartphone (Web browser, maps, etc.), Nokia's lower-end Lumia Windows phones are good and inexpensive. But there aren't many third-party apps available for Windows Phone and I have serious doubts about the longevity of the ecosystem. If that doesn't matter to you, consider one. But don't be surprised if Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows Phone in the next few years because they're spending lots of money for very little market share.
- BTW iPhones hold their values really well. The 5c/5s will get cheaper when the 6 comes out, but they won't be bargains. They're still very viable phones. The models to watch will be the 4/4s: if the new version of iOS works on them, they'll be great deals. If not, they'll be a lot cheaper but will have a limited lifespan.
Good luck!
Hmmm.........no, I don't have any "emergency" sign on my phone. Maybe I need to select that somewhere in my set-up. I'll check it out. Does it bring up the keypad? I'd hate to accidentally hit it and have it call 9-1-1 immediately. (Haha......I guess there's no pleasing me!). I'll research it further.
Thanks!
I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread for a minute, Pinkytoe. Okay..... I made a passcode, and now when I press the home button, and then swipe to open the phone, a keyboard and "emergency" sign come up, asking me to type in my passcode. Once I do, the main phone screen comes up.
Will this happen every time I swipe the phone? Sure would be nice to just have the emergency word at the bottom of the main screen, with all the other options (phone, mail, safari, pictures, etc.)
Oh, I get it......a passcode is needed if you don't want anyone else to get into your phone. I guess they want anyone at all to be able to make an emergency call, so that "emergency" is at the bottom left.......but if you disable the passcode, you just have to go the route I was initially complaining about. Clear as mud? :~)
CathyA - I'm glad you found it. Only 3 keystrokes, the same as dialing 911.
On the bottom right you can access the camera to take emergency photos/videos without entering the passcode.
You'll still have to enter the passcode to access the photos but you can take as many photos as your camera will fit.
Nokia's lower-end Lumia Windows phones are good and inexpensive.
I was actually thinking about the Lumia using GoPhone cards. Maybe get my feet wet for a year and then switch to i-phone after the 6 fever wears off. The irony is dd probably has a drawer full of old broken i-phones.
Dhiana.....sorry I'm being a little dumb here......but are you saying that yes, I need to enable to passcode, and then type in the passcode every time I want to use the phone (not for emergencies?).
Dhiana.....sorry I'm being a little dumb here......but are you saying that yes, I need to enable to passcode, and then type in the passcode every time I want to use the phone (not for emergencies?).
You don't need to use a passcode. However, if you don't use one, anyone who picks up your phone (3-year-old grandchild, coworker, finder of your lost iPhone, thief) will be able to access all of the information you have on the phone as well as Internet connections for which you have supplied ID/password information.
You want to use a passcode, and I applaud that you've enabled it. :+1: Many people don't realize the exposure of not securing their phone. But using a passcode means keying it in everytime you don't want to dial emergency or take a picture.
It would be nice if Apple did what my old Nokia Symbian phone did, which was to give you a definable grace period in which you could sleep and wake up the phone without having to key in the passcode again, but they don't. There might be an app that does that, though, used in place of Apple's passcode. I just haven't found it enough of a problem to want to solve it, personally.
The irony is dd probably has a drawer full of old broken i-phones.
Old broken iPhones can be fixed! Even the iPhone 3GS, which is five generations old and pretty much functionally obsolete for apps, is still worth almost $100. Might even be able to sell off all the old ones and buy a new(er) one. My iPhone has to go under the knife soon -- one of the microphones kicks out randomly now. It's like a $50 fix by an expert; probably would be less if I let some teenaged guru do it, but -- well -- my phone isn't optional (if this were DW's, though,...)
Dhiana.....sorry I'm being a little dumb here......but are you saying that yes, I need to enable to passcode, and then type in the passcode every time I want to use the phone (not for emergencies?).
I second what Steve said...definitely enable the passcode.
You're not being dumb. Smart phones have a huge amount of features and many are being upgraded to function better or faster or in a way that will reduce battery usage. One step at a time you'll get it figured out :)
Thanks Steve and Dhiana........so you're saying if my passcode is enabled, I will have to type in my code number every single time I use the phone? (Sorry if I'm repeating myself). And there's just no way around it, except to disable the passcode function?
Thanks Steve and Dhiana........so you're saying if my passcode is enabled, I will have to type in my code number every single time I use the phone? (Sorry if I'm repeating myself). And there's just no way around it, except to disable the passcode function?
Yes. It's worth it. We unlock our car door each time we use our car for a reason. Same here.
Check how long your Auto-Lock is set to start after the iPhone's last input:
Settings > General > Auto-Lock: 1min, 2 min, 3min, 4min, 5min or Never?
Mine is set for 1 min to save battery and to ensure it locks asap if I forget to hit the off button at the very top side of the iPhone. I think it was originally set for a longer time out of the box.
Gardenarian
9-5-14, 9:23pm
My dh decided he really wanted an iPhone, as he is a Mac person. (That sounds kind of insulting - MacMansions, Macpeople...)
Anyhow, he is going to get an iPhone 4 from Ting (https://ting.com/) for $95 (used) and go with their $32/month plan.
They do charge (as far as I can tell) for roaming and if you go over your data limit - things I don't want to have to think about. Ting gets pretty good reviews all around, though.
awakenedsoul
9-5-14, 11:37pm
I love my Jitterbug. It's really easy to use, and the numbers are easy to read. It's affordable, too.
ToomuchStuff
9-6-14, 12:29am
I love my Jitterbug. It's really easy to use, and the numbers are easy to read. It's affordable, too.
I wish the Jitterbug phone, was available for other networks.
We've been happy with Republic Wireless. I have a Moto X, and my daughter has a Moto G, and our monthly bill for both comes out to be around $24 a month once the taxes and fees are figured in. The service has worked fine with our wifi network. If you only use Wifi, they have a $5 a month plan. $10 a month buys you unlimited talk and text, but all your data usage is over wifi. $25 a month is talk, text, and data.
Their plan does rest on everyone using wifi when they can. If you are constantly streaming music or movies over the cellular connection, instead of wifi, it defeats their business model. They discourage it, and they do throttle your download speed if you exceed a certain amount of data a month. (We never come close, so I don't know what it is). If you don't have wifi at home and at work, it might not be the best service for you.
Mom and I are on a plan with Consumer Cellular with the AARP discount. It uses the AT&T towers, so coverage is basically the same. If you don't think you will use much data, you can get in with $5/mo for adding data, and go up if you need it, checking their webpage to see how much you have used. That gives you more texts than you will probably need even at the lowest level of data. Not a great plan if you use a lot of data, but nice if you just want texting and to have it there if/when you need it. I monitor our usage (and get text alerts if we get near the limits I have set) so I can keep the voice and data plans at the cheapest and only go up on months we use one or the other more and need a more expensive level. My AT&T phones work with no issues (off contract before I switched).
I'm happy with Consumer Cellular.
rodeosweetheart
11-10-14, 1:13pm
I think you have to think through why you want the Smartphone. I got one last year so that I could access my classes while traveling (I teach online) and it never worked well for that; even a tablet would have had limited functionality. The day that I was driving my husband to the ER while he was undergoing anaphylaxis did it for me--I realized it probably wasn't charged and there was no way I could deal with dialing it and working it while undergoing an actual emergency, which is why I had purchased it, to have while driving with emergencies.
So I went to the old Jitterbug--they do have a Smartphone, too, but I went back to the old flip phone and now have access to emergency services for car or me or for my husband if he is injured again. It is the phone I got my dad for safety reasons and they have many features for folks have physical concerns. I like being able to access a live operator--probably would have done it the day in the car with husband going to ER, to get him help quicker, but it all turned out fine.
Ironically, it is more expensive than my Virgin pay by month iphone plan, which was a great plan--got it at RadioShack.
If it weren't for the health concerns, would just get a Tracfone. I like saving money, and dislike talking on the phone.
i love my flip-phone. i think i will only have a smartphone if the carriers refuse to provide service to basic phones. then i may get a rotary home phone. hee hee.
simplelife4me
12-6-14, 4:48am
Android smart phone prices have plummeted and going on sale for 10-15 dollars. I just pulled the trigger on my first smart phone, a tracfone LG Optimus Fuel.
ToomuchStuff
12-6-14, 1:42pm
Android smart phone prices have plummeted and going on sale for 10-15 dollars. I just pulled the trigger on my first smart phone, a tracfone LG Optimus Fuel.
They have plummeted. But there is another aspect of the Smart phone, that makes me like my dumb phone, the amount of time you need to plug it in for charging. My candybar style phone, I can go charge it, every seven days.
Blackdog Lin
12-6-14, 9:26pm
I tell anyone and everyone whenever the smartphone subject comes up: I truly believe that within (x) amount of years I will feel forced to have one to be able to function halfway optimally in modern society.
I was an early devotee of the PC, and now would give up a lot of my "discretionary purchases", and would pay a lot more, to continue my online access. It just seems absolutely necessary to me to function in modern society. Something that I didn't think about or plan for back in circa 1994. Back then, being online was a marvelous informational toy. (I know many people get by fine today without one.....I just don't see HOW!) :)
For me, today, a smartphone would be the same thing as a PC was back then: a marvelous informational toy. But I fear - and believe - that smartphones are gonna end up being just as essential. But since I'm so much older now, I will continue to save money and resist the paradigm change.
:)
My smart phone has replaced my PC. I don't own a computer other than a tiny netbook that's 10 years old that I use 1-2 times a year and only if I have to. I don't have Internet at home. I don't have a landline. I don't have cable. I only have my smart phone. It's cheaper than having all those other things and it goes with me everywhere.
And yes, I use my smart phone to write on this forum.
Excellent discussion. I'm on the verge of getting a smartphone but am weighing what kind, and which carrier to use.
Tammy, what kind of smart phone do you have?
I'm leaning towards Consumer Cellular because they use AT&T towers, and they work fine with my GSM Tracfone when I'm in my rural area on the weekends.
rodeosweetheart
1-20-15, 1:21pm
Well, just weighing in to say that massively increased minute requirements now have led me back to my old smartphone, which was mothballed in a drawer. I use the Virgin mobile prepaid, which I like so far, and it is 35 dollars a month unlimited talk and text and some data. I bought the 4siphone a couple of years ago and it's back in business--this was a Radio Shack deal, and was a good deal, so now my kids are texting me and sending photos of the grandchildren again, which is nice.
I must say that since acquiring a smart phone, I have been in closer contact with dd than in any time since she left home. Like so many her age, texting is the primary mode of communication and I couldn't do that easily on my old phone.
I am a diehard neo-Luddite and I HATE modern technology (I'm 71) :D ... but I have a smartphone. It's my DH's old phone, since he upgraded to something else. I hate it. Well, that's not true, really, because it does have its uses, but it drives me crazy because I can never remember all the steps I have to go through to do anything. I'm always messing up. I'm supposed to be able to text now, much easier than with my older phone, which you had to press number keys two or three times for each letter. Life used to be a whole lot simpler, but I do appreciate a phone for emergency reasons. Other than that ... no. DH, however, LOVES all the new tech stuff and has to keep abreast of it, as much as possible, but ... not me {sigh}. And I drive him crazy because I'm not "into it" like he is. This too shall pass ...
I have an iPhone 5s and we are with Verizon.
gimmethesimplelife
1-21-15, 1:02am
I don't know if I have the best or least expensive deal but I finally have a deal and a smartphone I am happy with. I am now with Metro PCS with unlimited talk, text, and supposedly unlimited data with no throttling once you reach a certain point for $60 a month with all taxes and fees, etc. I also bought a Samsung Galaxy Light - a stripped down version of the Galaxy that others salivate over it seems....but it has all the features that I want/need and then some - for $29. This is one of those rare times when trickle down has worked for me - I feel that this phone is just unbelievable for $29 and that this quality of a phone has trickled down to be in reach of most people these days. Too bad I don't see trickle down working very often period but that's another thread lol.
For once I am pleased with this bit of technology in my life. Rob
Hey Pinky,
I could have written your post myself. I'm kind of in the same place. Don't like talking on the phone, but want to be more reachable and communicable with family--all of whom are completely smart-phone-ized.
Appreciate SteveinMN's extensive analysis! Thank you!
In general I tend to think that staying connected with beloved family and friends is The Paramount Value---I will spend money on restaurant meals and trips that are a bit outside my budget comfort zone in order to increase time with family and friends. So I'm looking closely at getting a smart phone...just not quite there yet. I hate, hate, hate all the details and comparisons one has to deal with in order to get a deal...it all seems like such a chore.
BUT--I love my family and my friends.
SO gave me an iPhone 4S for christmas 3 years ago and I have to say, I love it for the most part. People have mentioned that the younger crowd use texting as the way to keep in touch, but even for my peer group, (upper middle class 40-50 somethings) texting is THE way to keep in touch. (maybe this is because half my friends work for tech companies, I don't know, but I pretty much never talk to any of them on the phone. And that suits me fine since I don't really like talking on the phone.) The only time I use the phone function is work calls and occasionally for personal business type calls (the dentist, my insurance agent, etc).
As the kid of a father who refused to enter the computer or smart phone age (or even the answering machine age...) all I can say to those who have kids/other younger relatives that they want to be more in touch with, please do it. Mom had been an enthusiastic computer user so I emailed with her on an almost daily basis for years, but after she died 8 years ago the only way I could keep in regular contact with dad was to call him. I did so but was not nearly as much a part of his day to day life as I would've been if I could've routinely sent off a quick email or text. Things like a quick "do you feel better this morning?" weren't asked because it didn't seem worth a whole phone call for just one quick question.
flowerseverywhere
1-23-15, 12:26am
I am giving up my smartphone. I had one for the last two years and found I used a very small part of the limits of the plan. I really prefer to pick up a phone and talk to someone in person, and I have a home computer to keep up the facebook etc. I actually write letters on paper with a pen and put a stamp on the envelope and mail it.... I really don't like facebook, texting etc. but when you are dealing with modern life you have to adapt.
The biggest problem was that I had an Iphone and when we bought it at a big box store they added me to DH's contract. So my phone was locked to his carrier. We were on alternating years so we ended up being stuck with the carrier. So every year we were committing to a two year contract for one of us and it reminded me of the power of these big conglomerates. They dictate when you can upgrade. How ridiculous is that. Also, we had to watch our bill like hawks because charges would suddenly show up. I can't switch my phone to another carrier as it is locked. What a racket. They are taking us for a ride. You buy a phone and it gets locked to a company? ridiculous.
so our solution was to get a cheap tracfone for me for a year while I wait out DH's contract. Since we have home internet and a landline I really only need a phone in case of an emergency. I am in my 60's and can thing of only a few times I needed to call someone immediately. And those times I could have walked to get help or simply waited. The need for instant communication is grossly overrated for most of us.
After a year we will revisit republic wireless, tracfone etc. and see who meets our needs best.
as far as a smart phone goes, there is a lot of power in those little devices but make sure you really need to pay for it. The slick packaging by advertisers can really make you pay for far more than you need. Some people need it for work or business, but most of us can get by on far less.
... texting is THE way to keep in touch.
I definitely see the value of texting, but my problem is that I do not want to go around with my phone in my hand or propped in front of me 24/7. I leave my phone in my purse or on the kitchen counter so it can charge. I may not look at it for hours. I know some of my family and friends are annoyed that I rarely text, but they know if they have something urgent they need to call me, or if not so urgent, email me during the day.
I do think it is a matter of controlling your own access. No one is required to be accessible 24/7. People who care will learn your pattern. I don't text yet, because I don't want to have the cell phone on. I hardly use it. People who need to talk to me call my land line and get the machine, leave a message and I get back to them or pick up. Email works as does Facebook messaging. Of course, I am retired. That might make a difference.
I was a loyal tracphone customer for many years. My wife changed over to it eventually and it was our $8-$9 a month cell phone for many years. We were down to one income many of those years and had young children. One of us was staying at home with the kids and the other worked a job.
When our kids both were old enough to go to school, we both ended up in jobs and I noticed lots of my co-workers (engineers) had the smart phones. I hated the idea of going from $8 a month per phone to $80 just to be able to check things from my phone like facebook or twitter. Not worth it to me. However, I heard Virgin Mobile had $25 a month plans and nice smart phones so I got one. I liked it and eventually my wife got one.
Only 1.5 years ago I splurged for the VM $500-ish Apple 5c. The monthly rate is still no contract and $32 a month, but I have an iphone. I like it a lot but its certainly a want to have not a have to have. My wife has a newer Android with a big screen, also from Virgin Mobile and it costs about $37 a month. I'm pretty pleased with this but might go back to tracphone one of these days as I notive their phones are getting better.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macworld.com%2Farticle%2F2049 363%2Fiphone-5c-review-the-no-brainer-upgrade-for-iphone-4-or-4s.html&ei=g_nDVI2YOIWcNuiSgnA&bvm=bv.84349003,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNGP8uzAYey_usuTIYVvJU7xE0SEiw&ust=1422215927323807
SteveinMN
1-25-15, 10:58pm
The biggest problem was that I had an Iphone and when we bought it at a big box store they added me to DH's contract. So my phone was locked to his carrier. We were on alternating years so we ended up being stuck with the carrier. So every year we were committing to a two year contract for one of us and it reminded me of the power of these big conglomerates. They dictate when you can upgrade. How ridiculous is that. Also, we had to watch our bill like hawks because charges would suddenly show up. I can't switch my phone to another carrier as it is locked. What a racket. They are taking us for a ride. You buy a phone and it gets locked to a company? ridiculous.
There are a couple of ways to look at the whole contract/upgrade paradigm.
One is that the carrier is subsidizing the purchase of the phone so they want to make sure they get their money back by tying you up for a certain length of time. Not unreasonable. Not a lot different from the come-on credit-card rollover deals some people like which tie them to a certain amount of purchases over time, or from the need to maintain full insurance on a car with a loan.
The other is that the phone is still useful beyond the end of the contract. Many people choose to keep the phones they have after contract, giving them more latitude in changing their plans. Many plan changes have no effect on/did not restart contracts. Buying a phone, of course, does. Or did -- that model is disappearing because many people choose not to be locked into contracts at all (see the Republic Wireless thread in this section).
Unlocking: Short of a few carriers who are notorious for being a PITA about unlocking *cough* Tracfone/Net10/its kin *cough* or use such proprietary equipment there's almost no other company which would activate the phone *cough* Sprint *cough*, pretty much any phone out of contract can be unlocked. Sometimes the phone can be unlocked earlier if you have a certain payment history with the carrier or a compelling reason (trip outside the country, etc.).
flowers, I would suggest contacting AT&T and getting your phone unlocked as a start. If, for some reason, that does not work, you still can move your phone to an AT&T prepaid subsidiary or MVNO (Airvoice, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, and H2O all will activate even a locked AT&T phone). Unlocking would let you move to T-Mobile (with some caveats) or T-Mobile MVNOs or hybrids like TruPhone. You're not stuck where you are.
gimmethesimplelife
1-25-15, 11:37pm
I looked over the posts here and its seems that yes indeed some people are paying less than I am. I was slightly bummed about this until I realized that the fact that I have unlimited data has helped me get last minute very heavily bonused mystery shops while I am out and about. The bonuses to date I have been able to snag by having mobile access to email have more than paid for the phone and the extra that I am paying over what some folks here are paying. I think this may be a case where you have to spend money to make money but what I make above expenses in this case is worth it to me.
As with anything else, YMMV. Rob
simplelife4me
2-1-15, 5:52am
Smart phones are addictive for some, as you know. Just yesterday I see the news reporting of "Text Neck". It is a disorder of the neck caused by looking down too much at smart phones..basically bad posture causing chronic neck pain.
I finally decided to get a tracphone LG. It's smart enough, can be used with wi-fi, and has rear-facing camera, so it meets my needs. The best thing about it is that my stalker health insurance company won't have my new number...
iris lilies
2-1-15, 1:53pm
Smart phones are addictive for some, as you know. Just yesterday I see the news reporting of "Text Neck". It is a disorder of the neck caused by looking down too much at smart phones..basically bad posture causing chronic neck pain.
I,ve had iPad mini for 31 days and have played innumerable games of Diamond Mine, Free Cell, Solitaire, Etc.
I Don't understand Angry Birds however.
the stuff is addictive.
I like this new device in our household because it works when our computer is out of commission and it can hook into the G network when needed for short periods--one day one month.
I don't think I will ever get any kind of phone. I said that about a computer too, and finally bought one in 2011. Although, I don't really have use for a cellphone, smart or otherwise. I still have a landline at home. I love the look on people's faces when I tell them I don't have a phone. Classic.
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