My son recently upgraded his service and got a free phone which he didn't need and sent to me for Father's Day with a note that said, "Time to get with the 21st century, Pop".

I currently have a home landline and a burner flip for emergencies that only makes and receives calls, no texting or any other functions. I am contemplating switching to the smartphone and migrating my home phone to it, simply because more and more, life's daily tasks are made so much easier with today's tech. For instance, got a free internet upgrade but can't set it up without an app on a smart phone. All my doctors are using point and shoot check in's and I'm the one guy still filling out paperwork. I sell stuff on occasion and have to run to the bank to deposit checks a few times a month. My neighbor uses a banking app to take a picture of checks to deposit them. He hasn't gone to the bank in years except to get ATM cash, etc., etc., etc.

So... what say the brain trust. How much easier is getting through the modern day with a smart phone and is it worth it? (Costs are excluded from this decision)

I admire your dedication to have avoided getting one up to this point.

It certainly does make life easier in some ways, as you mention.

I got my mom to get one maybe two years ago (she’s 74). She doesn’t really use it like most people do, but she does have an iPad she uses for everything. So she’s not technologically ignorant. She’s just stubborn. As a damned mule.

The only aggravation is she does not text, which you may or may not do on your current phone. But I think she has a good balance of using the phone when she needs it versus needing the phone all the time for people to communicate with her.

I say go for it, but do it on your terms.

You can read SF and post while on the throne so there is that.

Seems we don't get much of a choice now.

I got stuck with one at work years ago because I'm on call. 'Here is a picture of where you need to be and what happened'...

The only thing I use it for that my Nokia wouldn't do is check the weather.

Most everybody else seems addicted to their digital crack rock, I just wish I had one I could close and still fits in my pocket.

I got rid of my last smartphone six years ago, my first was a 3rd gen iPhone back in 2009. I don't miss it one bit, my dumb phone is for voice calls and simple texts only, no data. YMMV, but I'm much happier this way.

I could easily go back to the days of pay phones on street corners. Phones have turned many people into digital addicts which also makes them inconsiderate assholes. I have often said if you want to wipe out half or more of the population in seven days or less bring down the cell phone service. People would be jumping off buildings or found hanging in their garage after a couple days of their phone going dark.

But it is hard to avoid having one. So many things require an app before you can use them. I'm generally separated from my phone most of the day by design. It's usually in the house on the table when I'm outside. I'll look at it when I go in to see if I missed any important calls. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a phone person so if they don't get a text or phone call answered in a couple hours they know why.

Yes. Smart phones are incredibly powerful instruments. My iPhone:

* Links my MacBook and Kindle to the Internet.
* Plays beautiful music through my AirPods.
* Has an excellent camera – that’s always with me.
* Gets/sends email
* Has wonderful apps: e.g. lets me do all my banking from wherever I am. And so many others.
And, again, it’s always with me.
And, yeah, does phone calls.

Yes. They are too handy. Do try to minimize your social media involvement to limit the time and brain cells lost.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
You can read SF and post while on the throne so there is that.

And porn, don’t forget the mobile porn aspects.

You're about a year behind me.
I got rid of my landline last year and needed something more reliable than my flip-phone.

I got a very inexpensive android phone that does everything I need. I'm very happy w/ it.
It's made life easier in certain aspects but I still only do my banking in person or on my desktop.

Absolutely you should. They are handy for so many different uses. Normally, the more you use it, the more uses you’ll find for it.

The key is to make the tech work for you instead of you working for the tech.
Always remember that it is your phone and you don’t HAVE to use it. When you find youself jumping to check it every time it makes a noise, turn it off and stick it in abdrawer for a few days.

Everything you said makes sense, get a good plan with unlimited data, almost all carriers have a 55+ plan so make sure you go on that plan for unlimited data and text and calls at a lower cost.

Banking, weather, SF, any other apps you might want to use for medical etc. all become very helpful.

My dad is 88 and he uses his iPhone and iPad daily, spends a lot of time reading either Amazon Prime Books from his membership, or, online SM, I get 5 to 10 texts of videos from him a day now LOL....

Plus you can move your home line to the mobile phone service and cut expenses.

It's all good, smart phones just make sense for most people in the 21st century.

I just got a current iPhone. We travel a fair amount, so having comms and texting with the wife and family is very handy.

Security on wifi away from home is a big problem. Doing banking and checking email on cellular is secure. So a decent phone is good when traveling.

The downside is ever increasing and always changing complexity. Operating system updates change the look and feel. Where you find various things changes. There are an increasing number of settings that have to be reviewed after an update to maximize security, privacy, and battery life. You do have to, or should, become a bit of an IT manager of your device.

Another big downside is if you lose your phone or it gets stolen. It risks exposing your finances to theft. You need to ensure your phone is configured with maximum security to prevent access by a thief.

An iPad can fulfill all of your needs such as banking, checking email, and texting. It would be a convenience at home, so the question is how much you would enjoy the convenience vs the extra work of managing it? If you travel with an iPad you have the same concerns as with a phone.

Nobody gets "glued" or "addicted" to smart phones unless they choose to.

I like mine, in large part as a piece of emergency equipment, but also as a convenience and occasional entertainment. "Emergency" doesn't necessarily mean "life-threatening" or otherwise dire. Suppose, for example, you get into a fender-bender car accident. You can take pictures of the accident scene, relative positions of the other vehicle(s) and their damage, license plates, VINs and even the drivers themselves, all in a convenient package that can always be with you. I also like to send people pictures. Sure, there are other ways of doing all this, but why?

A few things I don't do with a smart phone. There's only so much information that can be read or entered on a 3x6-inch screen. Even viewing this forum is generally "read-only". For those situations I have a plain old keyboard, mouse and 24-inch monitor. I don't do QR codes for things like reserving spots in line or restaurant menus. For that matter, I don't even know if mine works, or if the function is even present, on my 2022-vintage phone. All I've ever been able to do is take a picture of one.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

In a word - yes.

The thing to remember is just because a smart phone CAN do a bajillion things doesn't mean you HAVE to use them.

I make calls (bluetooth to hearing aids is a Godsend) text (having a written record is priceless) take pictures (for reference in technical situations or for memories) use the Google Maps function on road trips, read Kindle Books while waiting for appointments or my wife to re-appear from the depths of WalMart and very rarely use the internet when I'm not near a real computer (small keyboard and tiny screen are a pain in the ass).

I DO NOT bank, use Venmo or Zelle, keep financial data, play games, surf social media or store critical personal data on it.

I think age & willingness to adapt to new things factors in. If you were 25, wouldn’t be asking this question.

Some relatives tried to give my mom a minimal smart phone a few years ago, she could barely turn it on & make a call, went back to the flipper. She’s 88.

I know we like to rip on smart phones, but there’s a lot of utility with one. Back to my mom, she still watches the evening news to get the weather. She got rid of the internet also, never used it.

I’m the opposite. Can’t wait to go back to a flip phone. The smartphone isn’t near as necessary as people make it out to be. I’d acquire a small iPad or tablet with cellular built into it and just use that for the times it’s absolutely necessary. The etherwebz can wait until I’m back home.

I use mine a lot. One example of how they can make life easier is the Sam's Club app. It lets you scan your items and pay for everything right on the phone. Completely bypasses the checkout lanes which are usually always crowded and very slow.

I think the embedded camera is the game changer for most people. I would love to know how many more digital photos are taken now compared to when you had to have a dedicated device. So many old memories and friends I don't have any pictures of.

In fact, I don't take nearly as many photos as Mrs. A. does, probably no more than one a month. But it sure is handy when I need to use it.