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Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

pam-moore.com

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Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#91

Post by gambiting »

krageon wrote: post #71
koolba wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not a Luddite by any stretch and I’ve had smart phones since they were quite dumb, but your reasons don’t ring for me: > I can communicate with my fiancee even when she's in another country (international sms = fail). It facilitates instant communications. Email across the planet has been around since day one. > I can have a fiancee who's in another country. I can assure you this was possible pre-smart phone. > W…

> Email across the planet has been around since day one. It has been present around the globe for ages, if you could find an internet cafe on holiday. Reading email on your phone also needs a smartphone. > Mass transit has had posted schedules for many years. It is nice to see an updated one with up to the minute tracking but it wasn’t that inconvenient either. You must be one of the blessed multitudes that live in a…

>>Reading email on your phone also needs a smartphone.

Nokia 6310 could both read and send emails, and I'm sure the functionality arrived slightly earlier too.

>>second point

I mean, if I'm in some 3rd world country without a reliable public transport system, then I'm not sure how internet access or a smartphone for that matter helps at all. In my experience in those places the bus/train just turns up when it does, no website would help you here.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#92

Post by dancek »

systemtest wrote: post #72
koolba wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not a Luddite by any stretch and I’ve had smart phones since they were quite dumb, but your reasons don’t ring for me: > I can communicate with my fiancee even when she's in another country (international sms = fail). It facilitates instant communications. Email across the planet has been around since day one. > I can have a fiancee who's in another country. I can assure you this was possible pre-smart phone. > W…

If my train has a delay or doesn't run at all, I need to know a detour quickly. Sometimes you need to decide within the minute to take another line. Otherwise I have to wait 30 minutes for the next train, if that one even runs. And I need to inform the person that I'm meeting with that I will arrive later (if I didn't have slack in my transit time).

Smartphones make it easier to optimize your transit lines on the fly, sure (yet I'll note the practice existed before smartphones). But there are different philosophies to traveling: some leave at the last possible minutes and ponder the optimal route choice while running to the bus stop. Others aim to be fifteen minutes early, stroll leisurely, watch the scenery and get lost in their thoughts. I suspect someone who likes a dumbphone to be the latter type.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#93

Post by poisonarena »

koolba wrote: post #19
squiggleblaz wrote: post #10

Life with a smart phone is so much better than life before a smart phone. It's hard to realise how recently they came around. I've probably only had the internet on my phone for five years (I've had a smart phone for longer, but I couldn't get the data to work and data was expensive enough at the time I didn't care). I can communicate with my fiancee even when she's in another country (international sms = fail). I ca…

I’m not a Luddite by any stretch and I’ve had smart phones since they were quite dumb, but your reasons don’t ring for me: > I can communicate with my fiancee even when she's in another country (international sms = fail). It facilitates instant communications. Email across the planet has been around since day one. > I can have a fiancee who's in another country. I can assure you this was possible pre-smart phone. > W…

My 23 year old girlfriend lives in Japan, she is not reading hackernews. If I told her that we can't talk on whatsapp or LINE anymore because I want to get a flip phone because 'the good old day', and we need to switch to email, I don't think she would be very enthusiastic about the next 2.5 months I am away.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#94

Post by gambiting »

onion2k wrote: post #57
prolikewh0a wrote: post #17

I obliterated one of my smartphones last year after dropping it on concrete while getting off the bus. I freaked out, had no clue what to do since I was low income and couldn't afford anything for quite awhile. For a few days it was like I was an addict, constantly feeling my back pocket vibrating, constantly reaching to check my phone. After a few more days, I felt very liberated. I felt very free. I started enjoyin…

My first question to anyone who says they can live without a smartphone: what do you use for two factor auth?

My bank issues a physical token generator, where I have to insert my card, type in my pin, and then it displays the code on a little screen.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#95

Post by jordigh »

maccard wrote: post #87
jordigh wrote: post #59

I don't have a phone. At all. Whenever government things or banks ask me for a phone number, I just say none. Persistent computer forms that won't take no for an answer are fed the phone number of the company that is asking for a phone. Most people find this utterly unthinkable and seem to project their anxiety of not having a phone on to me. What about emergencies? How do you do this? How do you do that? What if thi…

Do you have any family? My parents live in a different country, a phone is a particularly good way of keeping in touch. Ever been ill? How do you get in touch with your GP? Ever had an accident, or witnessed an accident? Ever been a victim of bank fraud, or had to contact the police? I can understand dodging a smartphone, but a phone (cell or landline) of some sort is pretty much a requirement these days.

I email my family and schedule videochat.

I don't have a GP. If I'm ill, I just go to a walk-in clinic. I can also schedule appointments online. When I was too sick to go out at all and due to a particular situation I didn't have web access either, I asked a neighbour to make a phone call for me. I live in a city where I can rely on the help of others.

For some official business, I use the landline at work to talk to banks or government. Most of the time I can use the web, though.

It is not a requirement for me to have a personal phone.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#96

Post by onion2k »

YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #82
onion2k wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My first question to anyone who says they can live without a smartphone: what do you use for two factor auth?

Is two factor authentication something you can't live without, then?

I wouldn't be able to do my job or access my bank without it, so I'd say yes, I can't live without it.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#97

Post by bitunwise »

Long-time lurker of HN. Finally made an account just to chime in on this.

Most people who disagree with people using "dumbphones" or not having a phone at all seem to say it is entirely an issue with the person's self control. Do we completely blame people for getting addicted to caffeine or cigarettes? No, at least I would not think so. We all understand that those two things are addictive in nature. Why would a smartphone with all the fancy UX, apps, and ease-of-access be different? If a smartphone is geared to be exploit one's attention span and is just as addictive then why put all the blame on people's lack of self control? Sometimes it is easier to go cold turkey much like people do with quitting caffeine and cigarettes.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#98

Post by watwut »

posting2fast wrote: post #89
squiggleblaz wrote: post #10

Life with a smart phone is so much better than life before a smart phone. It's hard to realise how recently they came around. I've probably only had the internet on my phone for five years (I've had a smart phone for longer, but I couldn't get the data to work and data was expensive enough at the time I didn't care). I can communicate with my fiancee even when she's in another country (international sms = fail). I ca…

> If you're not valuing your priorities with a phone, you won't value them without it. It might make a difference for a few weeks, but then you'll work out how to waste your time without your phone and you'll be back to square one. Or, as someone below puts it > I'm mystified by the number of people who think that they've solved the fundamental problem by getting rid of their phone: being that unable to control one's…

I have noticed this multiple times - shaming people for recognizing they are not perfect and taking active logical steps to overcome effects of non-perfection. Re-framing the original minor and pretty normal problem as some kind of sinister all encompassing personal fault that makes you lesser.

As if everyone was expected to pretend they are super perfect in totally everything and admission of some completely normal fault that needs to be worked around or fixed deserved punishment and shame.

Sometimes people get compulsive habit and if buying flip phone or whatever helps them, it is legit to talk about it.

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#99

Post by maccard »

Maakuth wrote: post #50
dchuk wrote: post #39

I feel like if I could have one device that lets me take really nice pictures (like portrait mode on iphone) and only do texting and phone calls and maps, I would be a pretty happy person. Maybe airline apps for boarding passes and stuff. I can survive without email/slack/all the other bullshit. Life goes on, if it's an emergency I'm sure someone will get a hold of me somehow. But I want to take pictures of my wife a…

Social media apps are easy to uninstall, and that's what I've done. For the occasional Facebook event / messenger use case I need (some people insist on communicating through these), I use mbasic.facebook.com, which I think is the mobile web FB for the developing world. It's very fast, very barebones, but has all the features you really need.

Facebook Twitter and linkedin came pre installed on my Samsung phone, and can't be removed (or even hidden as far as i can see)

Re: Why I’m Using a Flip Phone

#100

Post by ajuc »

I'm using Nokia 108. It's small and light, the battery lasts 2 weeks (1 week if I listen to radio often), it's a phone. I don't worry if it falls and breaks (and it doesn't break easily, I washed it with my jeans once and it still works, just had to buy a new battery).

If I need internet access I have a tablet in my backpack, it's much more convenient to browse on a bigger screen and without worrying battery will drain and I won't be able to answer calls. The hurdle of taking the tablet out is enough to discourage constant checking for notifications, but when I need gps or have to wait for 30 minutes in a queue somewhere it's there.

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