I don’t own an iPhone.

I use….a droid.

I know- What kind of loser am I?

When I am at a store famous for texting 20% off coupons, I have had clerks mock me because it takes me longer to pull up the coupon from my phone. They snicker because it’s slightly more difficult to scan the barcode. Once a clerk whispered to her co worker that I must really need that 20% off….

Here’s another secret….my Mother……she uses a flip phone.

Can you imagine?

My Mother is the recipient of all sorts of digs. People assume she’s stupid, or poor, because she hasn’t succumb to the smart phone generation. They don’t understand how she doesn’t want her apps and her email at the ready. Is she a Neanderthal? A luddite? Even I have thrown the occasional dig at her because I want to be able to text her pictures forward her articles, tickets and such and I am unable to do that. I have accused her of being stuck in another era…

When my daughter first got a phone, there was no such animal as a smartphone. It was easy back in the day to get your kid a phone, because you went to the store and bought the cheapest one they had. Then- smart phone. A whole new way to make kids feel bad about themselves, and compare themselves to others.

What does a kid without an iphone do now? How do they feel on a daily basis? One of my daughter’s best friends did not have a smart phone while he was in middle school. He just didn’t care that he got taunted every day. But then he got to High School, and even he bought into the smart phone culture. By the end of September Freshman year, he was the proud owner of an iPhone.

So what is your stand on smart phones?

Do you or anyone you know not own a cell phone? About fifteen years ago, my Husband did not have a cell phone. His boss actually stated that he needed to get one so he could be reached throughout the day…remember, my Husband is a CFO/accountant type…it’s not like he’s saving lives…

Do you own a smartphone?

iPhone?

Droid?

Do you feel inferior if you don’t have the latest and greatest cellular device?

Have you ever inadvertently made someone else feel bad because they are behind the cellular times?

Smart phones are not cheap, nor are the plans. But do we live in a world that now almost demands the ownership of a cell phone? Some venues in NYC have switched to virtual tickets only. Some NYC subways are currently testing the use of scanning your cell phone in order to pay your subway fare. While I don’t “need” my cell on a daily basis, it sure helps…

Is the reliance on smart phones and their assorted technology elitist?

Are we making people pay for something that they shouldn’t “need” to get on with their lives?

 

 

 

 

 

109 thoughts on “What Kind of Phone You Have?”

  1. I remember the introduction of the iPhone more than ten years ago, and how I actually pondered getting one. The feeling passed and I never looked back, My droid makes calls and texts, receives calls and texts and gives me internet when I need it. Smart enough for me.

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  2. I have an Android. It’s not the latest or greatest, but it does what I need. I don’t care what phones people have, but I will never get an iPhone. Apple products and I have never gotten along. I don’t like that so much computing has gone to smartphones, as a regular computer makes so many tasks so much easier. And yes, it is elitist for tickets for anything to only be available via smartphone– especially if it’s for a public service like transportation. Not everyone can afford the latest iPhone. Not everyone wants the latest iPhone. We shouldn’t judge people for something so pointless as their phone’s operating system.

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    1. I completely agree. I like a smart phone for its convenience, but I will not go the iPhone route either (though I do have an iPad because I like it for reading and my calendar…but people make fun of iPads now…so yeah…) I don’t like the fact that the city almost expects people to have a smart phone….I think it’s elitist, but can we stop it?

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  4. I have never had an “i” anything. Much like Microsoft, Apple is not a company that resonates with me as being particularly special or worthy of my money so I stick with Android and have everything nicely synced to all my other Google accounts and apps.
    Although I’m not an app person either, but I do have to have a few on my phone for work.
    Phones mean calling and texting for me, that’s about it. I’m savvy enough to do more on the phone, but I don’t want to or need to really and I think apps (free or $) just drain my battery life. There is absolutely nothing so pressing that I can’t wait until I get home where I’d rather use my Chromebook anyway.

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    1. I have very few apps on my phone…calendar, weather, nook (ereader) fandango, maps,and I don’t think too many more. I do own an iPad because I like the ease of being able to search things without using my computer

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      1. Phone technology is much like the conversation of cable/internet. I refuse to let mega corporations dictate my entertainment or connectivity choices. I get a usable, accessible device and let the rest go or wait. And I make my devices work until they drop. You won’t every find me in a line waiting to scoop up the newest phone release from either Apple or android 😉

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      3. I think you see and experience a lot more living where you do and so are almost made to feel obligated to buy. Of course we aren’t all hicks around here, but being 45 minutes outside of Seattle nestled in the old farming lands means we have less of the “big city” influence 😉

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      4. Of course, living in an urban area does lend itself to certain things others don’t experience. But one morning my daughter and I were going to volunteer at a soup kitchen. It was 7am and as we walked the streets to the church, we saw a line of maybe 100 people because somebody (I honestly don’t know who) was introducing a new sneaker that day. I couldn’t help but thin’ of choices that we make….and yes, I’m being a little snide here

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      9. Interesting. I have a student who is writing an expository of 1200 words on the sneaker community. I asked him, “Will you have enough material?” He looked at me as if I were batty, and said snidely, “I think, so.”

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  5. I don’t have any apple products. The kids like them, we have a few refurbished ones but me? LG phone. Had other brands too. I just don’t care or have or want to spend the $ on iproducts.

    My 12yo has an old android phone. Does the trick for her.

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  7. I am indifference to all techie gadgets, make no judgements about what other people use, and have an iPhone because years ago when my clam phone died the bottom of the line iPhone was the least expensive smart phone at Best Buy that day. Thus I have an Apple phone. Judge me not

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  8. Love my iPhone. In my opinion a smartphone is no longer a convenience, but rather a necessity. Raising two teenage girls the piece of mind of being able to remain in contact and even check a location now and then is invaluable. I do remember getting my first flip phone… I thought I was a pretty big deal that day 🙂

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    1. I agree that smart phones have become a necessity, and I gladly pay for my daughters for that peace of mind…..But should they be? What if people can’t afford the new tech, or monthly fees? Are we creating a greater divide?

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  9. Mine must be considered an android, and I pay only $20 a month for service. Although I can access the Internet, I mainly use it as a phone (and don’t always take it with me!). It works fine for my needs. I think many people spend WAY too much time looking at phones (children and adults alike). They’re great to have with you in case of an emergency or so that someone can reach you, but do you really need to check your email when you could be talking to the people who are standing/sitting right there with you?

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    1. We have become slaves to them. I like the convenience, I like being able to have it if I’m lost, or late, or whatever, but really….at what point is enough enough?

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  10. iPhone. I have had both and I like iPhone better. I just got a new one actually but it is iPhone 8, I don’t need the latest. Before this one I had a 5. Times are changing so this is how people access information and I have no games, I do have a blood pressure app.
    You don’t have to have a smart phone and of course but there are benefits. There are benefits to not having one also I am certain.
    But eventually we did give up the horse and buggy for something else.

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  11. I’m an Android fan and all the phones in my family are as well. I have extreme mixed emotions about smartphones, especially when you add in teenagers. They are awesome when you have decent, responsible teens that don’t abuse the privilege. It is amazing to be able to share things with them easily and the ease of communication and connection is such a relief to a parent when they actually use them for that. Schools often require students to use them, even though our district is also providing Chromebooks.

    The problem comes in when you have a teen that isn’t responsible and abuses the access that a smartphone provides. We found out the hard way that it is nearly impossible to block access to a lot of things without practically breaking the phone, especially when they need to also use it for school stuff. In a lot of cases, if you allow access to one thing, it opens access to others. It is also harder to see what they are doing on a phone vs. a computer, so monitoring their activity is nearly impossible. Having a teen like that can make having a smartphone a nightmare.

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    1. I completely get that. I was fortunate enough to have a teen who understood the responsibility that comes with having access to technology. But yeah…what do you do…..there’s no easy answer/solution

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      1. OC taught us a whole lot about the limitations of protections for kids in technology. Both MC and BG have been a breeze in comparison. Talk about experiencing the extremes when it comes to parenting.

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  12. I have an iPhone but I could care less what kind of phone anyone has. use what you like. as far as that whispering clerk goes, I would have retorted “I heard that. Who’s paying for this? Me or you? Me? Then shut your face.” but I’m kinda rude.

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  13. I have an android. I love it and wouldn’t trade it for an i-phone for love or money. My boss loves apple products and often tries to convince me to switch (never gonna happen). I think it is somewhat elitist and perhaps that’s a big part of the reason I resist. My phone is a smart phone, a hand-me-down from my son who was addicted to buying the newest thing in technology for years. Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but this phone still works well and if it ain’t broke why fix it – or trade it in? I do like the photography capabilities of newer models, but other than that there is little to convince me to “upgrade”. Interesting post – lots of food for thought.

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  14. iPhone all the way because to me it is the easiest to use. I see a picture and touch it and it takes me to where I want to go. Our whole family now has iPhones and it makes it so easy to share things. Hubby was the lone holdout with a Droid but whenever something went wrong (i.e., he hit a button and “something changed”) I couldn’t help him retrieve it because I didn’t understand it. Now when an update changes things at least I can help him figure it out. We don’t get the latest version though. I let them work the bugs out first. We are usually two or three numbers behind.

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  15. I to have finally succumbed to the smartphone generation (reluctantly and kicking and screaming I might add!) Up until May this year my trusty Nokia and I had fun together, liaised with many a lady before we consummated in some dingy motel bedroom………….happy days, just think it was able to make a call and send a text! I think I nearly cried when I handed it to the shop man for recycling!

    (Oh and an Android)

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  17. Was actually part of a conversation yesterday about this very subject. I have an Android because way back when I got my first smartphone, I couldn’t afford Apple. Now I don’t want to relearn. At my conference yesterday, several of the speakers, as part of their presentations, had text/website information to use. I also found out the the upcoming Census will be mainly digital. As I sit here typing on my smartphone and thinking about all the things we do digitally, I can’t help thinking about all those in California without power. No groceries, gas, phones, heat, cooling, etc… Definitely something to think about. Makes me grateful to be hanging on to my 1960’s encyclopedias. No electricity required.

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  18. I’m passed the age of having to have a phone at all times because of kids. My husband and I don’t use a phone for a lot of things, although we use the Internet incessantly. I refuse to pay a telco monthly rates for no reason. It was years and years ago that one of our (grown) kids said that if I refused to get a smart phone I’d probably like an iPod Touch. So, for $2-300 I basically have an iPhone without the phone. As long as I am within wifi range (which is virtually everywhere) I can iMessage (text) to anyone with an iPhone, email, read the news, take pictures, etc. It’s like a phone-sized iPad with no fees whatsoever. I’m on it right now. And, no, it’s not that I’m not tech-savvy. I’m a retired CS prof. If I wanted to I could use my iPod Touch to show coupon bar codes. No problem. No phone!

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  19. We switched to cell phones and ditched our land line decades ago, because it was actually more cost effective. I would have kept a flip phone, but co-workers “needed” to communicate with me by text. So I got a phone with a slide out keyboard. I resisted the smart phone for a very long time, knowing I would spend too much time with it (and I do, but not when I’m with other people – that’s just terrible). The fact was that I do some serious road trips and finding wi-fi for my laptop to find a hotel for the night or some other such task was very inconvenient. So, welcome iPhone. My friend still has a flip phone. Others have android. I couldn’t care less, if it works for them.

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  20. Whelp, I guess we can’t be friends anymore lol JUST KIDDING! Yes, I’ve owned a cell phone since cell phones became a thing and I’ve grown over the years. I got an iPhone (and other Apple products) once I became a professor because…everyone around me had one and I felt bad. True story. Anywho, I love my iPhone and wouldn’t trade it for the world now. I have noticed some things are a lot quicker compared to my hubby’s Droid. And yes, my daughters have iPhones and have had them for a really long time, but I don’t make others feel bad about the choices they’ve made. I mean, now I realize…it’s just a phone.

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    1. That’s just it…they’re phones. I get the convenience. But….I was at my local market yesterday. They’ve reduced the number of cashiers and have installed kiosks where you can pay for groceries using an app. Is it fair that people get rewarded for having smartphones? What if you can’t afford one?

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  21. I have an iPhone. I do everything on it, including writing my blog posts. I’m not sure how I ever lived without one. But, I’d NEVER shame someone for their lack of one. I remember when we were broke and my son came home crying after being taunted because he didn’t have the right kind of shoes. Broke my heart. I think when one has been poor one tries very hard to be kind to others.

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      1. I have a fairly new laptop, but it frustrates the heck out of me. Slow to power up. Always needing updates. Granted, I probably would make fewer mistakes in proofreading and editing if I were using the keyboard, but the speed of an iPhone appeals to me.

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  22. I have an iPhone. I am not tech savvy, and I find them easier to use than Androids. I love that I can walk into an Apple store when I have questions about how to do something, and I can get an answer right away. I like that I can take classes at the Apple store to learn about various features on the phone. I’ve taken those classes and they are usually filled with people over the age of 50 🙂 One time I looked at a Samsung phone in a Verizon store. I asked the clerk to show me how to do a simple thing in photos on the Samsung- and he was clueless! I use my phone to make and receive calls, and to text and share photos. But the reason I update my iPhone every so often is that I love the camera. I enjoy taking photos, and I don’t want to lug around a big camera. (I’m not that good a photographer lol.) So it’s partly a toy for me that way.

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  23. I’m an Apple fan. I have an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. I love that they synch so my pictures are on whatever device I’m using. I have several apps, including 2 for audiobooks, the grocery store where I can download deals to my account, maps which I couldn’t live without, Twitter, Facebook …. yep I love the convenience.

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    1. I love the convenience too. But is it fair to make things reliant on cell phones fir those who really can’t afford them? Should they be a necessity like electric, rent and food?

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      1. I agree that it shouldn’t be a necessity, but you mentioned concert tickets that are only available on the app. I’m guessing people who can afford the concert can also afford a smartphone.

        When my son was in an advanced 7th grade math class, the school hired a mathematician instead of a teacher who used a program that required a $200 purchase plus a computer that had a CD Rom, yes this was a long time ago. He was the only one in the class that didn’t have that and I wasn’t spending the money for him to learn math at home when the ‘teacher’ wasn’t doing her job. We ended up moving him to a different class which was fine with him.

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      2. Well, as my friend who teaches in an inner city school says…it’s disheartening to see kids come in wearing mega expensive sneakers, carrying the latest iPhone, but tell her they can’t afford paper or pens so she needs to supply them….

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      3. I taught in Chicago at a school where over 90% of our students qualified for free breakfast and lunch. Some of them had expensive items but not many and usually they were gifts. I never begrudged them having nice things. I’m sure there are exceptions.

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      5. Something they could take pride in owning and cherish as a gift. I can’t think of any examples, but I wanted my students to feel good about themselves and if a pair of gym shoes or a new backpack gave them that, then why should I care. My students were K-8, not high school.

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      7. Sorry….I meant to backspace and hit reply by accident. Here’s the thing…nice things are fine. But is nice a brand new 1000$ iPhone, or a 100 droid. Is nice 400$ sneakers, or 100$ sneakers? I think there are varying degrees. I think there’s a problem if a kid feels he “needs” something that expensive….we’ve set up the wrong values

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      9. That’s my issue. Are you online to get the most expensive newest thing or are you getting a slightly extravagant extra….to me there’s a huge difference

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  24. We have Androids. I’m too much of a miser to go for the expensive phones. We have a relative who stands in line to get the latest iPhone. Her calls don’t go through any quicker than ours. We don’t use data except when we’re traveling. At home our phones connect through WiFi, and we are very pleased with our service. I love our phone company — Republic Wireless. We pay $15 a month per phone for unlimited text and calls and buy data for traveling only when we need it.

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      1. Republic Wireless uses the Sprint towers, so you’d want to make sure Sprint is in the area you will use. I really like the attitude of the company. Their focus is to give you the best service at the lowest price.

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      3. We’re lucky our service is good. My son lived in a place that had very poor service, and he couldn’t use Republic. He had the best carrier for the area, but he often had to go out on the porch to have a sustained conversation.

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      4. That’s the thing…you need good service for where you live. My parents use a service that’s great in their area, but not so good when they’re here

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  25. I was an early adopter of cellphones and smartphones, but I’ve never owned an iPhone. I have an Android, and I’ve had no issues with functionality or slowness compared to other people’s phones. I live in Tokyo, too, where it seems like almost everyone has an iPhone. I know a few older people who still carry flip phones and I see flip phones more often than I’d expect. Tokyo is pretty hard to navigate. I don’t know how people do it without a smartphone. The payment system for the trains here is the most convenient I’ve seen anywhere. You can either scan a card or scan your phone. The cards are hard plastic with your name both printed and electronically stored on them (so, if you lose it, you can get it back).

    Despite always having had phones, I understand the desire to opt-out of the insanity.

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      1. Know I know I don’t need to have one and I’m not all the time getting the newest one. I still i the 7+ I think it is and they are already on the 11. Mine still works fine for me so I don’t plan to update until I absolutely have to.

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  31. Just like with the TV post, I’m going to say who GAF?
    I have a Samsung S9 and I love it in ways I cannot describe! It’s easy to use and takes beautiful photos.
    I don’t want to be an Apple fangirl. I don’t like the OS I don’t like the drama.
    I don’t care what Apple user judges me for having an Android phone. I don’t care enough to judge them for having an iPhone. I’m over here taking great pics and talking/texting/emailing/snapchatting with people I love.
    Live and let phone, you know?

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  32. I’m an iPhone girl as is one of my kids. But the other one calls us “sheeple” because apple phones are so much easier than androids and – guess who’s the android phone owner? Yup, you guessed it…that one! I think people with droids are more tech savvy than iPhone users because of the simplicity that Apple provides. And I like simplicity…
    I can’t imagine people who judge others for what type of phone they have…I have never heard of such a thing. Now to think that people are judging me for my cell phone? What’s the world coming to? LOL

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  33. Himself loathes all things Apple & has an Android. I must say I’m impressed with it – especially the camera quality – at the price. I have an iPhone 7. I bought it recently. I wasn’t going to spend the money needed to get even close to the latest model. I LOVED flip phones and only moved to an iPhone as I couldn’t get one anymore. Knowing I had to move to smartphones, I decided to go “i” as I’d friends who’d done so & were (a) happy with their choices and (b) would provide me with free advice & support 😀 I’m really too old to be learning a new system now, unless it’s really necessary.

    But yes, there’s no doubt that it’s changed expectations. My employers assumed I’d want to set up my business email on my personal phone so I’d be able to work … even when I wasn’t being paid to do so. I think that’s the most insidious part of smartphones, as I know I’m very much in the majority in experiencing that expectation.

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  35. I’ve only succumbed to trading in my flip phone for an andoird “smartphone” last month because my flip phone would no longer get service. I only used it for emergencies anyway; I love my home answering machine and landline. They work fine and don’t stress me out (except for the spam robo callers). For years, I’ve warded off friends’ chuckles and comments that I was antiquated. Yet, I thought it odd that some would also say, “I wish I could get rid of this thing.” Truly, if I could still make a call on the flip, I’d still have it. It’s wrong that as a society we are being forced into using devices to operate our lives on a daily basis.

    You may be interested in my recent posts about my experience with a smartphone (https://wrightingmylife.com). But, wherever you’ve ended up on the smartphone debacle, perhaps you will support and participate in The National Day of Unplugging which is held annually on the first Friday in March. This year it begins at sundown on Friday, March 6th and runs through Saturday, March 7th at sundown. Oh, and by the way, go easy on your Mom. They are often wiser than given credit for. 🙂

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