Why You Can Stick With Your “Dumb” Phone
Posted: March 25th, 2011 | Author: marcato15 | Filed under: Debatable, General | 4 Comments »
This is the second post in a series on Smart vs Dumb phones. Yesterday was the first post, “Get Smart – Why your next phone should be Smart“. Today’s is a guest post from Micah Tanis on why you can stick with a “Dumb” phone (or without a data plan).”
Subtitled: How you can survive without an iPhone
If you are like me and have not taken the plunge into the world of iPhones, Android’s or BlackBerries, you’ll be happy to know it is possible to survive in this big, bad world without such extravagancies.
First, a little history of my own cell phone usage: I did not have my own cell phone until I had graduated college (yes, you read that correctly – and I’m only 27). My parents had a two-phone plan where they shared a phone with the brothers at college (so in some ways I did have access to a cell phone). We switched to a 5-phone plan after I graduated college. As our family’s phone usage grew and we were strategically placing numbers on our “Circle of Friends” we discovered a new way to spend our money – Texting! Â Look out world! My own plunge into texting came through the interest of a cute blonde named Ranae. She had texting, and I knew I wanted to be chatting with her as much as humanly possible, so I convinced my parents to add texting to our plan.
Necessities: Cell Phone Plan & Texting
If you are content with a simple phone call to a friend or family and don’t want to mess with texting, then you are entitled to keep it that way. I will warn you, once you decide to add texting, you’ll probably never go back. I am in no way implying that texting is bad, but once you discover the ease of use and the multitude of times that you can shoot someone a note before forgetting it – you’ll be hooked.
In the early days of texting, carriers would suggest several plans of 50/100/500 texts per month. Most carriers today just offer an Unlimited Text Plan because it’s so easy to go over whatever limit you think you’ll be at. Here are two graphs from my last 3 months of texting and calling.
One of the biggest questions used to be: “How can you survive without a cell phone?” Â It is pretty hard to accomplish a normal person’s errands without at least a cell phone these days. It used to be normal not to contact someone for hours or days, but we have become so accustomed to the instant connection between family and friends that it would be harsh to stop that altogether. Â A trip to the grocery store never used to involve a phone call to ask if we forgot anything, and if Johnny forgot to tell you that he didn’t have soccer practice today he would be waiting for a couple hours for you to arrive (happened way too many times to me).
Alternatives to owning a SmartPhone.
ChaCha
ChaCha is like having a smart friend you can call or text for answers on your cell phone anytime for free! ChaCha works with virtually every provider and allows people with any mobile phone device – from basic flip phones to advanced smart phones – to ask any question in conversational English and receive an accurate answer as a text message in just a few minutes.
What’s your question?
Simply text your question to 242242 (spells ‘ChaCha’) or call 1-800-2ChaCha (800-224-2242) from your mobile phone to ask any question. What are you waiting for? Ask away!
Bing 411
Facebook and Twitter
iPod Touch
Conclusion
Good article…I’m sure if I had never taken the smartphone plunge a few years back that I would not necessarily feel the need to have one. But since I got one its become like crack, going back to a dumb phone just seems unconscionable…whether thats good or bad I can’t be sure…
haha, “…and your parents, anxious to see you off and married, quickly added unlimited texting to your plan.” 😉
@David – you know it!
Interesting post. I just added a few more contacts to my phone, keeping me from the data plan plunge. Thanks, Bro!