Smartphones Pros and Cons

[miss fortune]

I was one of the later people I know to get a smart phone (I saw no point in it) but since I was working in that industry I eventually got a smart phone and now I can't see ever turning back.

Smart phones are pretty much as useful as you make them really... If you take two phones that belong to two different people with different interests (who know something about how to use the phones!) they won't look a thing alike... speaking of androids anyway. Boyfriend and I both have androids and he primarily uses his for quick calculations and playing games and therefore the whole setup involves an entire calculator screen and several screens completely devoted to gaming and chatting. My phone is my thought collector and rememberer, so I have my scheduling app integrated in to the point where my phone reminds me several ways when I have something coming up... I also have chrome to phone (yay for sending web pages back and forth between my phone and my computer!) and google drive, which allows me to work on a document simultaneously between my phone and my computer, depending upon which is available. Quite useful with working on writing things. The ability to instantly look anything up tends to settle arguments before they begin as well! I also use it to listen to nerdy podcasts, like Stuff You Should Know on my way to work so that I can gain even MORE useful knowledge to inflict upon others And I love the kindle app

In other words, it's what you make of it

 

[cafe]

What provider did you choose?

We switched to Ting, which runs on Sprint's network. You can bring your own phone or buy a new, used, or refurbished phone from them, which you pay for up front. We bought refurbs ($70 or less/phone). You only pay for what you use , there are no contracts, and you can have as many phones as you want on your account (which was a big selling point for our family of six).

The data is only 3G. It can take a couple of weeks to get a phone replaced, so we keep a spare in case one breaks. We've also had trouble doing stuff with their website online, like activating the phones and paying the bill. They do not have 24 hour customer service, but the service has been mostly competent. So far, they do everything we need them to do and we're happy with the price.

 

[netzealot]

Smartphones are essentially a pocket computer, and just as computers were the epitome of tools, so too smartphones are the epitome of the epitome of tools.

What's their use? Oh, I don't know...

- Unified point of communications for everything... it's a phone, answering machine, text, email, and even video calls.
- Access point for the largest wealth of information ever known to man (also called the internet)
- Current events
- Camera + picture storage
- Contacts and address list/black book
- Clock/alarm clock
- Portable video player
- MP3 player
- Portable e-book library
- Games
- Real-time GPS, map, compass, and direction
- Real-time weather and weather forecast
- Flashlight
- Calendar
- Task list
- Calculator

All of this is fit into a slim, lightweight, portable device which can be organized in a GUI which is both trim, beautiful, and updates in real time. You can get durable rugged or waterproof cases which protect the device wherever you take it.

Think about it... it's like the ultimate device. Not even 10 years ago, even one of these functions would be game-changing, like an MP3 player that you can download new songs to from anywhere? Epic. And yet, that's only one of many, many features of a smartphone. A modern smartphone has more processing power than what was used to launch the first rockets into space.

You can also load a custom ROM onto it to take advantage of streamlined programming performance and customization, and custom skins if you're into customizing the looks.

 

[Lexicon]

Smartphones are essentially a pocket computer, and just as computers were the epitome of tools, so too smartphones are the epitome of the epitome of tools.

What's their use? Oh, I don't know...

- Unified point of communications for everything... it's a phone, answering machine, text, email, and even video calls.
- Access point for the largest wealth of information ever known to man (also called the internet)
- Current events
- Camera + picture storage
- Contacts and address list/black book
- Clock/alarm clock
- Portable video player
- MP3 player
- Portable e-book library
- Games
- Real-time GPS, map, compass, and direction
- Real-time weather and weather forecast
- Flashlight
- Calendar
- Task list
- Calculator

All of this is fit into a slim, lightweight, portable device which can be organized in a GUI which is both trim, beautiful, and updates in real time. You can get durable rugged or waterproof cases which protect the device wherever you take it.

Think about it... it's like the ultimate device. Not even 10 years ago, even one of these functions would be game-changing, like an MP3 player that you can download new songs to from anywhere? Epic. And yet, that's only one of many, many features of a smartphone. A modern smartphone has more processing power than what was used to launch the first rockets into space.

You can also load a custom ROM onto it to take advantage of streamlined programming performance and customization, and custom skins if you're into customizing the looks.

Theoretically, all you need are a few external enhancements to make it into a Swiss Army cell phone.

..I prefer keeping all my stuff separate, however.
/stubborn

 

[WALMART]

pros: everything

cons: wat

 

[highlander]

They're bigger. That's a disadvantage.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Cons total loss of privacy.

 

[INTP]

If you get the slides used in lectures before the lecture, its good to have them on in your phone, so that you can go back or look next slide when ever you want

 

[INTP]

They're bigger. That's a disadvantage.

Bigger screen can be a good thing in many situations

 

[highlander]

Bigger screen can be a good thing in many situations

Of course but it's just more to carry around. The Motorola Startak was the smallest phone I've ever owned and they came out with that in the 90s.

 

[Coriolis]

Cons total loss of privacy.

Do you have a smartphone? If so, how do you address this?

 

[INTP]

Of course but it's just more to carry around. The Motorola Startak was the smallest phone I've ever owned and they came out with that in the 90s.

I used to have some quite small flip phone, even tho my current phone is wider and taller. its so slim that it feels like nothing in my pocket, old one felt like i had little more in my pocket

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Do you have a smartphone? If so, how do you address this?

Yes I do have one, necessary for work and all that.

I don't address it. One would need to be better with software than I am, or be hooked in enough to know where the directions to kill the tracking capabilities of smart phones are.

You should be able to build a phone like you can build a laptop or desktop, and choose the software you want on it.

 

[Mole]

What do you think of the Medion smart phone?

 

[netzealot]

What do you think of the Medion smart phone?

Unlike cellphones of the 90s and early turn-of-the-century, a smart phone is more than the sum of its parts... that is to say, it's all about the software. Before you even look at manufacturers, you need to decide on a mobile operating system.

Your main choices are Apple iOS and Google Android. There is, of course, also Windows Mobile but the largest share of the market belong to those two mobile OS systems. If you so chose iOS, then you're looking at an iPhone, if you choose Android you have some choices... the main competitors are Samsung, Google Nexus, HTC, Motorola, LG, or Sony.

I have never heard of Medion but I probably wouldn't consider it. Without mainstream support, then you are going to find very little in terms of accessories and applications.