Posted on 09/14/2014 10:43:02 PM PDT by This Just In
Good Evening,
So I've been considering this whole smartphone business. No, not the kind of business in which I design, produce, or sell smartphones. I'm referring to the whole smartphone culture. Or subculture, call it what you wish.
Yeah, I have a cellphone, but is it smart? No. Although I don't own a smartphone I know a little about it. After all, a lot of friends and family have smartphone. They ask you if YOU have a smartphone. And if you don't, some of them peer over their shoulders and shun you. Also, there are all those ads reminding you that you need one of those things. You know of what I speak. Those ads which try to convey the message, "You're just not hip if you don't own one of these." I've ignored em for years. I've never been into conformity or bowing to peer pressure. This is not to suggest that anyone who uses a smartphone has, but you know what I'm saying.
So I started to look into this. Why, you may ask? For this simple reason: The 'contract free' prepaid cell phones out there are not that reliable. I should know, I've been using em for years. So I'm figuring that an upgrade will surely enable me to enjoy a more reliable connection.
As I started surfing the net the first thing I discovered is that in order to first purchase a smartphone and contractual agreement you must first hand over every single piece of personal information you possess as well as your first born child. For goodness sakes, it's not as if I'm signing up to be a secret agent or something. What's wrong with a credit card?!
The second thing I discover on this quest is that most ppl on the net can't write worth a hill of beans. Which is why I'm here........writing to you. In order to save myself from the pain and misery of wading through site after site of poorly written "information" concerning my questions, I've decided to bypass all of that and rely on those tech savvy Freepers who'll be able to answer my questions, post sarcastic remarks, hurl insults, and truly provide an entertaining as well as highly educational thread.
So, without further ado, here are some of my questions:
What is "unlocked" and "SIM Free"?
Yes, yes, I know. These are simple little terms which I should know, and according to some of those sites I mentioned, I do know, but would someone explain this a bit clearer?
I'm not looking for the Ferrari of smartphones. The iPhone 5c is perfect. I have no interest in the fingerprint ID feature. As a matter of fact, I hate that feature, but hey. What ever floats ur boat. So my second questions is:
Does anyone have, or has used an iPhone 5c? If so, pros? Cons? Suggestions?
The final question, and I realize this depends on your location and where you travel.
Verizon or AT&T?
Frankly, I strongly dislike Verizon....for a multitude of reason, but they have the best coverage within the US.
What say you?
Good info
I have a dumb phone, no apologies. I want to say, “hello, goodbye” and take a message.
OK I do like the camera too.
I got straight talk phone from walmart with AT&T. moved way out in the boonies and have great coverage and works everywhere I go.
Hubby got the smarter phone so he could go online, but can’t figure out the phone and doesn’t go online at all and hates his workings otherwise.
I like a dumb phone!
Are you specifically looking for an iphone?
The new Moto G is supposed to be a pretty good phone. $179, total cost, no contracts or obligation. If you get the GSM model, you can buy a prepaid sim card anywhere in the world and use the phone.
Now it's expensive($119 a month all taxes included), but for everything it does I like it. I have unlimited calls, texts, and 10GBS of data which is way more than I need.
It's basically a mobile computer.
As for the finger print part. If you ever served in the U.S. military or been arrested, then the FBI already has your finger prints. LOL! So I wouldn't worry too much about that.
If I were you, then I would just get Apple's latest greatest phone. This is because it should last you probably at least 5 years (you may have to get a new battery) with probably 0 problems.
Anyhow, here is a link and good luck on your research.
Thanks very much. Thank goodness my husband is still employed, as in this economy you can’t take any job for granted.
Verizon IPhone 6’s are available for pre-order now for $199 (2yr contract). You can purchase in stores this Friday if you’re willing to fight possible crowds.
IPhone 5s prices are now $99 (2yr contract)...not sure about 5c...probably the same.
Verizon data plans will throw in one extra GB for free for each phone purchase, added to the plan you sign up for. Extra gig offer is valid to the end of the month.
Smartphones are ripoffs for sure, but they’re a good little tool.
Yeah, the smartphone has been dubbed
“the device killer”.
GPS, data organizer, camera, iPod, email, dictionary, internet, weather, radio....
all in one device, and it does it fairly well to boot.
I have used Tracfone (pre-paid) since about 2008. I have never had a problem. There are a few areas where it will lose/drop a call, but so would most providers.
I used the Tracfone flipfone for years. Recently, I considered upgrading, but held off until my current ‘year of service’ needed to be renewed.
I happened to run across a QVC promotion — Tracfone. It is a semi-smart phone, but I was more interested in the screen size characters and readibility than the Internet connection. It cost less than what my ‘year of service’ renewal would have been, and I got 1500 hours of online service, a year of service, and lifetime triple minutes for $78.
I can connect it to the internet via my home router. If no router is available, it connects to 3G.
I am still learning how to use it, but am content. It is definitely a phone for someone new to smartfones, as it is limited in its functionality. I still prefer using my laptop and desktop for internet. Next upgrade will probably be full-andriod type.
Also...others have mentioned the many functions of a smartphone...
We’ve terminated 3 telephone landlines into our house...the “home phone”, my office phone and my office dedicated fax line. Home phone number was just eliminated period. Office number was ported over to my smartphone. Fax line was ported over to an online fax service for $8/month vs $40 for the fax line. (Faxes arrive as pdf’s in email. Outgoing faxes are scanned and emailed thru the online fax server.).
The money saved by eliminating those lines went a long way in offsetting the added cost of the data plans.
Swordmaker do you think that iPhone 5s will support Apple Pay in the future? I really like the size and weight of the iPhone 5s and hope I don’t have to upgrade to 6 any time soon.
I purchased an iPhone 5c for my daughter from WalMart for use with Straighttalk. I believe the phone was $650.00. You can return it within the first 30 days no questions asked if you do not like the service. My daughter tells me she has no issues with the service at all.
$650.00 for the phone and one year of service (12 x $50.00) $600.00 is around $1200/ first year. $600 a year from then on.
Verizon will give you a phone no charge but it is impossible to determine what you final price will be until you ink a contract. But a comparable Verizon/Straighttalk plan will be over $100/month I’m told. I believe they want you to sigh a three year contract.
So after the first year the Straighttalk phone costs half as much as the Verizon deal.
I think Apple pay requires NFC, a hardware feature, not present in pre iPhone 6 models.
I think the 5s when paired with an apple watch will support Apple Pay. I may just wait and try that.
I've been considering that question since last night. . . and I've come to the conclusion that it cannot for two reasons.
Without these, the system cannot work.
The fingerprint doesn't go to Apple. It never leaves your iPhone and as a matter of fact, it's not even stored as an image in the iPhone. The image is converted to a hash. Each time your finger or fingers touch the sensor the hash is re-computed and compared against the hash. If there is a match witching a certain range, you get in, if no, you don't. But there is no way the fingerprint is sent anywhere.
The Verizon “deal” doesn’t really sound like a deal to me. I’ll be checking out Walmart as well as BestBuy soon. I’ll compare the two. Thanks for the input.
Hey, Yo-Yo
Thank you for the story. I guess you can blame your wife for the new addiction. :^)
I’m assuming you have some kind of a contractual agreement plan. If so, and if I may ask, what do you pay per month?
Thanks. I’ll look into that.
Thanks, dangerdoc. Yes, I’m specifically considering the iPhone 5c.
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