Cannot decide whether to get a smart phone. I do like the fact my daughter can google for things on the go.
I was well up with technology at one time, and had a brick of a phone, but now I am way behind.
So my questions are
!. Should I get a smart phone?
2. Which one?
3. What features do you use most?
My husband was in telecommunications before he retired, since when we have been behind the times as far as phones are concerned. Only got a smartphone a few months ago, passed on by our daughter! Best use for us (rather than use of internet,) is Whatsapp, which we use for sending free and instant messages/photos to our family, and seeing our first grandson. It's brilliant for that, definitely worth it.
I have Samsung galaxy 3. I love it but doubt that I could have got the e mail running myself!
I have an iPhone, but they are very expensive compared with other similar devices. But I want certain apps that I use every day, so an iPhone is the only choice for me really! I wouldn't necessarily recommend one to everyone but it depends on what you want to do with it. Android phones are very good too.
My boyfriend loves his Nexus 4.
What I use my phone for mostly: googling, email on the go, reading ebooks, gps/maps, Google Translate, barcode scanner for price comparisons, playing board game apps to keep me entertained on buses or while I'm waiting, writing memos, occasionally checking Facebook, filling in surveys, taking photos, uploading photos to Flickr, looking stuff up on Wikipedia, listening to music and watching videos.
And of course, I use it as a phone too. ;)
Instant access to the internet is something you get used to very quickly! You will never again have arguments about something you can't remember because you can find the answer instantly.
I'm not into social media but do a daily quiz, access A4A at the lottie, use mumsnet, tracked my daughters holiday flight online to make sure she arrived safely....the instant internet access is my favourite thing about my iPhone. Some apps are still only available for the iPhone but android has plenty as well. I use the camera function a lot, it does panoramic pics if the lottie which get uploaded instantly to my home computer via iCloud without me doing anything!
I got my phone second hand which is a good idea if you want to try one out and see how much you use it. I wouldn't be without mine now. I bought my phone sim free from a friend who got a free upgrade, and use Giffgaff sims which costs me £10 a month for 1g internet use, unlimited texts and 500 mins phone: you can get different 'goody bags' of data/texts/minutes for varying amounts to suit you, I've been with them got three years now and have no complaints.
Samsung seems the way to go. We have one each on the Tesco mobile network. A tenner a month each and they double up the allowances with an offer because of having two of their phones. There is also a cap so you cannot go overboard spending a fortune on data services. I can tether my tablet to the phone and go online if I need to without looking for a hotspot.
I couldn't say that you should get a smartphone as that is down to you but I wouldn't be without mine - I am however a techy type who works in IT so it stands to reason.
Your have three or four basic types of smartphone.
iPhone, Android phones (there are many but Samsung leads the market), Windows phones and Blackberry. They all do the same basic set of things as they are essentially mini portable PCs.
Android is now by far the biggest in terms of market share mainly as there is a huge range of phones to choose from - cheap and cheerful or top of the range. There is a massive range of apps and any app available on the iPhone has a direct counterpart on Android.
The iPhone is limited in models and expensive compared to some Android phones but loved by many (not me!!) - massive range of apps, solid support etc.
Windows and Blackberry are struggling a bit and lack the depth and quality of apps available - however if you like Windows 8 then a Windows phone may be for you.
What all these phones have in common is apps - that is what they are all about and everyone finds a different set of apps that they like and use daily. I use mine (Android - HTC one) for taking and uploading pics, live bus timetables, translation, calendar, email, barcode scanning, games and puzzles, ebooks, GPS tracking, maps and directions, finding restaurants, general internet use, social media, the occasional phone call, VOIP, news feeds, music, video and many more esp related to work.
As to a specific model I would say go for a cheapish Android phone, Motorola Moto G or Samsung Galaxy Ace but if you are flush with cash go for the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 or even the an iPhone!
What is this barcode scanning? I have used the self service till in M & S?? !!
I forgot to tell you what apps are handy. For me as a musician, a guitar tuner, voice recorder for getting snippets of tunes a video of performances of folk musicians and dancers and a music cloud. Or if I am in the caravan a compass so I can park with the maximum of sunshine in the awning, a television ariel pointer, gps and a hotspot finder and sky go to plug into the telly. Sometimes I might even give somebody a ring.
You forgot the "Two cocoa tins and an bit of string App"
We find that useful when I go to the allotment. We dangle the string up the road, round the corner and into the allotment. OH then twangs it at 12 noon to remind me to come home for lunch :toothy10:
I have a Galaxy Ace (Samsung) and sad to say it is rubbish. I had an old iPhone (given to me ) previously and I do miss it. But the more powerful Samsungs are better. My son has a Nexus and loves it.
Remember you will need to change your mobile plan! Although you can rely on wifi at home or at hotspots (free wifi points), if you want to be able to connect anywhere you also need data in the plan.
Many thanks for all your info. I have gone for it and ordered one from Amazon.
I will keep you posted on how I get on.
Almost every phone has someone who likes it and someone who thinks it is rubbish. Very difficult to choose.
We have poor reception for most so unfortunately rather stuck with vodafone. They are awful and I would dearly love to ditch them. They are already charging me for data even though I have not been using it.
I have bt internet so should be able to link into fon in lots of places. I would love to ditch them too but we are very near the telephone exchange so get very good speeds.
I can already get text messages about bus times, but unfortunately out here in the sticks it is not live, so if a bus is late there is not way of knowing when it might turn up.
I was trying to use a walkie talkie the other day to summon up a cake without much success so told a customer I would use the old fashioned method. So I went to the door and called up the stairs. We will have to install a piece of string and some cocoa tins it will be more dignified. There is always banging on the radiator. As in knock three times....
I would like an expensive one, but actually rather too worried I will loose it. I once managed to loose my phone at the lottie, and managed to spot the light in the dark when it rang, good thing it was face up.
Always make sure you are near a hotspot when you go online otherwise all the apps will automatically update theirselves and you get charged for data. I have managed to switch off the automatic updates somehow and just update when I am home with the house wifi. Also get a 32 mini sd card otherwise your phone memory will be full before you know it.