Cell phones.....mini-rant.....

[Steve Carlton]

[JackDidley]

Today I replaced my dumb flip phone with a smart flip phone. Verizon was $33/month. This Trac phone is $120/year. Only 1.5 gigs of data but I doubt, I'll use it anyway.

[snbush67]

I'm totally with you! Phones are to make phone calls!.....

Just kidding, I forgot it's 2017, I use my Siri that resides on my watch for calls.

I just say Siri, I need some pizza, and she gets me some pizza.

Bada bing bada boom.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

You just click and hold the home button then say "Call (the phone number desired)". Keypad, we don't need no stinking keypad.

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Saved me the typing

This assumes you already have the number in the "contacts" list, does it not?

Or will the phone take random numbers as you call them out?

One of the problems with using these phones is lack of instruction on how to take advantage of their features.

My phone didn't even come with a user guide.

And you cannot just wing it......no way. When the phone rings for example...you have to "swipe" the icon...simply pressing it doesn't work. But no where are you told that. Can you imagine how infuriating it can be not to be able to answer a ringing phone by simply pressing a button?

[wdfifteen]

I didn't like my smart phone at first. I felt just like you. It wasn't until I stopped treating it like a phone that I learned to like it. I hardly ever use the key pad now. And I don't carry a notebook any more.

Siri, call 555-xxx-xxx
Siri, remind me to call Bob at 9:00 tomorrow
Sire, take a note

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Baz

One of the problems with using these phones is lack of instruction on how to take advantage of their features.

My phone didn't even come with a user guide.

That's the way things are today. Totally frustrating. Kids learn how things work by just pushing buttons to see what happens. I handed my Nikon 610 to my grandson and told him I would show him how to use it. He just started pushing buttons. Screwed up all my settings.

Originally Posted by Baz

And you cannot just wing it......no way. When the phone rings for example...you have to "swipe" the icon...simply pressing it doesn't work. But no where are you told that. Can you imagine how infuriating it can be not to be able to answer a ringing phone by simply pressing a button?

You can probably go on line for a tutorial. Someone has likely put up a youtube video, so you don't even have to read. I don't like that swipe to answer feature on my iphone. There's probably some way to customize it so I can press something, but I have better things to do than futzing with my phone.

[RKDinOKC]

The contact only needs to be in your address book if you ask siri to call Bob, or Sally. Siri can call numbers you speak like Call 555-1212.

Can also have siri read text messages and emails to me and tell siri to answer and send whatever I say, no keyboad needed.

Work from home and also like that I can answer incoming calls with my iPhone OR ANY other Apple Devices on my iCloud account, like desktop, laptop, iPad, etc. Same with text messages as well.

Also have a Email account setup so that I can receive, answer/send emails on any of the devices and it updates the client on the other devices. Example: if I read an email on my phone, then look at the mails on my computer later, it shows the message as having been read.
Also if I start editing or creating an email message on my phone and decide I want to enter a lot more text or add an attachment and want to use my desktop (keyboad), I can just tell it to transfer the work to my desktop and it puts me editing the same message in the client on my desktop instead of phone.

Am assuming it won't be long before I can talk to Siri to do anything I need from documents, messages, and emails, up to and including TV and Lights from whatever device I happen to be close to.

[Bob Kontak]

Wonder how many peeps were taken to jail for whatever reason and they only had their own phone number memorized.

Tough to make a come-bail-me-out call.

[RKDinOKC]

As far as I know the directory information numbers still work and will transfer the calls. Have not been put in a predicament to make my one phone call to test it, and hope I don't need to either.

Recently gave my brother my old iPhone. Walked in and he was yelling at the operator at directory information trying to find he closest Best Buy. She kept just transferring him to dialing the number and they weren't open yet. Showed him how to use Siri. He spent an hour trying to figure it out an just couldn't. The next day he told my other brother (that has an iphone as well) the trouble he was having. The other brother whipped out his iphone, said "Closest Best Buy" and showed him the screen with the closest Best Buy, contact information, hours, and a map.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by snbush67

I just say Siri, I need some pizza, and she gets me some pizza.

Bada bing bada boom.

Annnnd, you get cheap azz pizza from the closest local chain pizza store.

Even using google maps I sometimes can't find my favorite restaurant in my town.

And GPS? No problem routing you through street closures or the ghetto to get to your destination.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by id10t

Which is when my wife insisted on sending me texts I upgraded to an iPhone - it was the best I could hold in my hand that didn't get in teh way of being a phone.

I've had a few android tables, and a couple of android sub-laptops (converted one to real Linux) and I'm OK with it there... still leery of it on my phone.

The above mention Nokia does text... my (now) wife loves to text... I didn't think my 3310 would do it... I still remember standing out in front of Trader Joe's playing with the buttons on my phone (8 years ago) and sending my first text.

[flyenby]

Casio g flip phone ....buy them on eBay, a great waterproof ,shock proof phone

[Aurel]

Originally Posted by Baz

I'll preface my comments with the acknowledgment that many people enjoy the wide assortment of capabilities cell phones bring when one is mobile and in need (or want) of information and resources.

I totally get all of that.

But there are some who just want to be able to make a phone call.

We don't need a camera....we don't need maps.....we don't need texts or email or "notifications".....we don't need to store photos or documents.....and we don't need to surf the web.

All we want is to make or receive a phone call.

That's it.

In my primitive thinking.....in a perfect world, a cell phone should start off giving you a number pad as soon as you turn it on......and I shouldn't have to start pressing a bunch of other stuff to get to that number pad.

That number pad should already be there....just waiting for me to start hitting those numbers....anything else...is EXCESS BAGGAGE!

Mini-rant over......

I can sell you one of my old flip phones form 15 years ago. Still works and will pretty much do what you describe...

[jyl]

All hail the Motorola Star-Tac. Best phone I had, until the BlackBerry 957. Then the iPhone came along and . . .

[Chocaholic]

There is a one word solution for you Baz: Jitterbug.

[island911]

Originally Posted by Aurel

I can sell you one of my old flip phones form 15 years ago. Still works and will pretty much do what you describe...

I don't expect any carriers will allow those. They don't have GPRS, which means that they can't be easily tracking you. ...for 911 emergency purposes doncha know.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Yep, if you want a simple phone... buy one! There are many like out there like you Baz and the cell phone manufactures are going "retro" for that crowd.

Nokia is reintroducing the 3310, I think it was my first phone (and lasted about 5 years). I almost picked one up... but then I would have to give up my 6 inch quad core smart phone... my precious

https://www.nokia.com/en_int/phones/nokia-3310

Those old Nokias were the best. I held on to mine as long as I could back in the day, and my mom also had one for a very long time. I had a few various phones, flip and otherwise, over the years, and never had a problem with those Nokias, great reception and audio and battery life. I think the new ones are based on them, but not exactly the same. I'm sure they are improved some, hopefully not improved until they aren't as good if you know what I mean.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

The above mention Nokia does text... my (now) wife loves to text... I didn't think my 3310 would do it... I still remember standing out in front of Trader Joe's playing with the buttons on my phone (8 years ago) and sending my first text.

I thought the old Nokia T9 predictive text input was awesome and fast considering you only had the number keys.

[Baz]

Well I appreciate all the input guys and while I wait for my 2nd Kyocera replacement flip to arrive I went back to the LG so at least I'd have something to use.

I tweaked a few things that will make it more user friendly like increasing size of the font and increasing amount of time before screen blanks out. Haven't found the voice activated feature yet (like Siri) and not sure it has one but that's next on the list along with inputting more contact info.

We'll see what happens.....thanks again for indulging my mini-rant....

[Por_sha911]

If any of you folks have an old Motorola V9 or V8 for ATT sitting in a drawer somewhere I'd be interested in buying it. Don't need sim, charger, etc. Just the phone.