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Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

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Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#121

Post by brookst »

tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #76

The challenge isn't buying it, the challenge is being able to do phone things with it. Nowadays, you can no longer exist in society without a phone. Most things will work but it takes one critical service that doesn't have a viable workaround, and you're forced to buy (and possibly carry) a "mainstream" phone just for that. Banking, government, authentication, postal service and public transit apps are just some of t…

It’s always been the case. In previous eras people were “forced” to use mastercard / visa, Windows, AT&T, Western Union, East India Company, Templar bnking, etc.

I am not remotely defending the situation, past or present, just saying it’s a recurring theme.

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#122

Post by SoftTalker »

rjrjrjrj wrote: post #114
bdangubic wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does this permeate the HN all the time. You can 100% function without a fucking smartphone. My Dad doesn’t have one, he has zero-to-no trouble going to the bank and paying his bills and just about every other imaginable thing. If there was something he could not do and there were repercussions for it he’d be calling an attorney to rectify the situation. It is crazy to keep reading this over and over on HN, so wei…

Technically, sure you probably can spend a large amount of time, energy, and money to find alternative non-smartphone ways of navigating through modern life. Practically, you need a smartphone. Engaging an attorney != practical

That's the thing. The larger amount of time, energy, and money we spent on doing banking in the 1990s was real. The web, and then mobile apps, made a lot of that more convenient. But it's not impossible to live the old way. You can still write paper checks, go to the bank to make a deposit and get cash, etc. It used to be normal, everyone did it, now it seems extremely inconvenient for most people.

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#123

Post by tensor »

snypher wrote: post #83
fg137 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you never hang out with friends and pay them via a QR code, sure.

I know I live in Oregon or whatever but a lot of people use cash.

"I live in a place that hasn't seen progress and still uses physical cash." Isn't really useful to those of us who live in places that don't even use cash. Also, I don't really want to go back to using physical cash thanks.

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#124

Post by brookst »

bdangubic wrote: post #95
amunozo wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. You cannot even book appointments in a lot of banks today, a thing you could do in the 90s. Like that, a lot of services are unavailable without a smartphone and its non-smartphone equivalent is not available anymore.

Why does this permeate the HN all the time. You can 100% function without a fucking smartphone. My Dad doesn’t have one, he has zero-to-no trouble going to the bank and paying his bills and just about every other imaginable thing. If there was something he could not do and there were repercussions for it he’d be calling an attorney to rectify the situation. It is crazy to keep reading this over and over on HN, so wei…

Because the real complaint isn’t “it's impossible to live without a smartphone”, it is “I want all of the conveniences of a smartphone without having one, and I want every business to cater to the small minority who don’t want to use a smartphone”.

It’s like complaining that it’s difficult to travel to another continent if you don’t want to fly. I want to go from LA to Paris in 12 hours without getting on a plane!

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#126

Post by troyvit »

epolanski wrote: post #108
amunozo wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. You cannot even book appointments in a lot of banks today, a thing you could do in the 90s. Like that, a lot of services are unavailable without a smartphone and its non-smartphone equivalent is not available anymore.

This. 1. My bank doesn't allow to go in person without an in-app taken appointment. 2. My nephew can't play football in his team, because the team has an app to book/signal your availability. No other way. 3. Half of restaurants in my area do not have non-QR code menus, they just don't. 4. McDonald's will make me pay the scam pricing you get without the app. 5. My doctor gives documentation only and exclusively in di…

> 3. Half of restaurants in my area do not have non-QR code menus, they just don't.

Not knocking this list, the shit is real. But I just had a lovely imaginary conversation with a server asking them what they would recommend and then trying something brand new.

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#127

Post by dheera »

bdangubic wrote: post #99
tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #76

The challenge isn't buying it, the challenge is being able to do phone things with it. Nowadays, you can no longer exist in society without a phone. Most things will work but it takes one critical service that doesn't have a viable workaround, and you're forced to buy (and possibly carry) a "mainstream" phone just for that. Banking, government, authentication, postal service and public transit apps are just some of t…

> Nowadays, you can no longer exist in society without a phone. millions of people would like a word… > Most things will work but it takes one critical service that doesn't have a viable workaround, and you're forced to buy (and possibly carry) a "mainstream" phone just for that. Absolutely not, if there is “critical service” that requires an iPhone or Android you call an attorney. > Banking, government, authenticati…

Browser is great until it tells you that you need to use a mobile device.

This happens all the time on multiple KYC platforms in the US.

My laptop is an equally mobile device, they just don't recognize that.

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#128

Post by everyone »

SoftTalker wrote: post #86
tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #76

The challenge isn't buying it, the challenge is being able to do phone things with it. Nowadays, you can no longer exist in society without a phone. Most things will work but it takes one critical service that doesn't have a viable workaround, and you're forced to buy (and possibly carry) a "mainstream" phone just for that. Banking, government, authentication, postal service and public transit apps are just some of t…

You can exist, but life will be as inconvenient as it was in the 1990s (though importantly, it didn't seem inconvenient at the time, it was just the way things were).

I dont have a personal smartphone (I do have a pile of them in my office for testing software I make) but I dont use one myself. Its fine, I can do my banking and whatever. I live in Ireland.

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#129

Post by [deleted] »

bdangubic wrote: post #95
amunozo wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. You cannot even book appointments in a lot of banks today, a thing you could do in the 90s. Like that, a lot of services are unavailable without a smartphone and its non-smartphone equivalent is not available anymore.

Why does this permeate the HN all the time. You can 100% function without a fucking smartphone. My Dad doesn’t have one, he has zero-to-no trouble going to the bank and paying his bills and just about every other imaginable thing. If there was something he could not do and there were repercussions for it he’d be calling an attorney to rectify the situation. It is crazy to keep reading this over and over on HN, so wei…

[deleted]

Re: Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone

#130

Post by sigmoid10 »

realusername wrote: post #17
sigmoid10 wrote: post #5

I really want to try one of these one day: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/promoted/ But I haven't dared yet because I kind of expect it will not be able to replace my current phone.

Ubuntu Touch was amazing, way ahead of Android and iOS when it came out, the touch gestures were so much better than what was available. But then it's just maintained by very few people nowadays and half abandoned. You can buy a used Pixel 3a if you want to toy around with it, they cost nothing.

That's so sad. I even clicked around on their page to find out how I could contribute as a developer, but their gitlab repo seems abandoned since way before the latest release and all "how to get involved" articles eventually point to 404 pages.
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