Curiosity about smartphone ownership

[Kobold Stew]

Zero.

 

[ccs]

1 cell, 2 smart.

I had a single dumb phone for ages ('98?-early 2012) when the poor thing just outright died. If ever there was a piece of tech that earned its retirement.... RiP durable little buddy.

Then I got a Galaxy Note 3.
Wich I used right up to damned near its complete end (I almost couldn't charge it, apps & sites were failing to work on it, & support is ending at the end of this year).
So in March 2020 I gave in & upgraded to a 5g Note 10.
I expect to wear this one out as well.

So 3 phones in 22 years.
Phone #4 in about 2028.

 

[Zardnaar]

1 cell, 2 smart.

I had a single dumb phone for ages ('98?-early 2012) when the poor thing just outright died. If ever there was a piece of tech that earned its retirement.... RiP durable little buddy.

Then I got a Galaxy Note 3.
Wich I used right up to damned near its complete end (I almost couldn't charge it, apps & sites were failing to work on it, & support is ending at the end of this year).
So in March 2020 I gave in & upgraded to a 5g Note 10.
I expect to wear this one out as well.

So 3 phones in 22 years.
Phone #4 in about 2028.

First one an alcatel or Nokia?

 

[payn]

Mine is an Iphone 6 hand me down. So I didn't even buy one

 

[Zardnaar]

Mine is an Iphone 6 hand me down. So I didn't even buy one

Reminds me of a joke.

Q. How do you know someones got an iPhone?

A. They tell you.

 

[cbwjm]

I've recently bought a new phone to replace my old galaxy S6 which had a battery issue after 4 years. It's only the 4th smartphone I've had after starting with the galaxy s back in 2010 so I average around 1 phone every 2.5 years.

 

[Richards]

I've never been able to justify the cost so I've never gotten one. My "dumb" phone does both things I require of a phone: it makes calls...and it receives them. (I don't even do texting.) In that regard, I imagine it's kind of like alcohol for me: if I ever tried it I might very well like it, but since I don't know what I'm missing I'm perfectly content not to fork out the wads of cash every month. (I guess that makes me the polar opposite of a Planescape Sensite.)

Johnathan

 

[ccs]

First one an alcatel or Nokia?

Nokia of some sort in 98/99. The thing was virtually indestructible.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I personally preferred my old dumb phones.

I got the first smartphone for business reasons. Hated it, largely because my fingers tend not to work well with touch screens. Don’t know why, but I sometimes couldn’t answer my phone because of it. Screens have gotten better, so I have fewer issues, but it’s still not as dependable as physical buttons.

The thing is, once people knew I had a smartphone, they would ask me to use features dumb phones didn’t have. So my use of smartphones is largely driven by the needs of others.

Hell, I was in a restaurant the other day where they were no longer using physical menus- their menus were either online or required a QR code. (And I don’t have a QR app.)

 

[Mad_Jack]

Model-wise, I think I'm on my second actual "smart"phone... I used to have the $40 Tracfone (whichever model that happened to be) but last time my phone got messed up on me I upgraded to the $60 model.
Honestly, though, I don't actually use the internet connection for anything, basically ever. I make phone calls, occasionally get texts from people, and use it as an alarm clock.