Smartphones - efficient use

Simple living, extreme early retirement, becoming and being wealthy, wisdom, praxis, personal growth,...
stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Smartphones - efficient use

Post by stoneage »

Alright,

Having just broken my second smartphone screen in 6 months, I come to realize I probably should reconsider my use of it.

My work involves moving a lot on construction sites, and I need : proper e-mail connection and GPS.
I could get around GPS with a set of maps, but this isn't as convenient as GPS.
And I definitely need e-mail connection twice a day at the very least.
Of course, my work involves moving a lot and occasionally dropping the phone, not matter how careful I seem to be.

1st question : Should I consider the use of a bumper case on my phones ? I find them ugly and stupid, as they tend to correct what should be designed as non breakable (I never managed to break the plastic screen as the one on the galaxy s2, but I phone 4s survived only 18months in my hands), or should I consider a Daftphone, that would be much more resistant, and have better battery life ?

2nd question : What is your take on smartphone use ? Did you get rid of it completely ? Is there any BYFL in this category ?

tonyedgecombe
Posts: 450
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:11 pm
Location: Oxford, UK Walkscore: 3

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by tonyedgecombe »

You can get devices specific to your environment: http://www.catphones.com/en-gb/phones/s40-smartphone

Not sure what the ERE option would be other than buying one second hand.

stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by stoneage »

didn't know about cat phones. A nice rugged phone would do the job, and they don't seem to be charging that much of a premium with those features.
At least it is rugged by design.

I hardly understand why no one seems to be making plastic screen phones, or why everybody design phones with glass screens that extend corner to corner (or even with the edge of glass screen exposed in the case of iphone 4). This is looks to me as planned obsolescence (and faulty design).

vexed87
Posts: 1521
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:02 am
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by vexed87 »

I got sick of breaking my phone screen too. Especially at £50 a pop for a new screen/digitiser, I have given up replacing the screen. It's currently still smashed but still usable. When my smartphone dies, I'm going to replace it with a dumb phone with mp3 capabilities as that's the only real benefit of smartphone for me.

If I were you I would consider a dumb phone for when you are out and about and a ipad mini sized tablet when you need more 'advanced' communications.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by wood »

I've had the same iPhone 4 since 2012 and its still working perfectly. I don't use apps nowadays apart from the usual: phone, text, camera, wake up alarm and occasional map use. I think iPhones are pretty solid if handled carefully. I never lost mine on the ground. For your use I would avoid iPhones though.

My next phone will be a 2nd hand smartphone that has excellent customer reviews and is known for durability and decent camera. Max $100 and expecting it to last for atleast 3 years.

What is a daftphone?

fips
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 9:54 pm
Contact:

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by fips »

I got an iPhone 4s in 2011 and upgraded to iPhone 6s half a year ago (employee benefits, otherwise it would have been an Android phone).
I preferred smartphones to increase my productivity. What they really do to me is keep me from staying focused and using my own head (though I do have a semi-organized calendar and to-do list wherever I go). Now I am thinking of ways to limit my cellphone usage (turning on flight mode, uninstalling apps etc.). I am still weighing the benefits of smartphones against the disadvantages from distraction and (self-imposed) complexity.

I do take my phone everywhere and never had a shattered display. I had a glow-in-the-dark bumper for my iPhone 4s (convenient at times) and now use a more unobtrusive and thin transparent case that you can get on Amazon for a few Dollars for any model. I also have a very thin glass/foil screen that is barely noticeable.

stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by stoneage »

consider it bad luck, or sudden clumsiness.

I've used smart phones in years with no problem. In 6 months:
- 1 Iphone back (replaced) (glass on the back : slick but stupid)
- 1 Iphone screen (not replaced)
- 1 lumia 435 screen.
The Iphone 4s was a secondhand one given to me so no big deal.
The lumia was <60 €, so no big deal again, but still, at that rate...

So here's my decision :
I went "somewhat slick covering bumper + tempered glass protective screen" route for the next one this morning.
+ bought a new lumia for around 100 €

daftphone is my bad frenglish approximation for dumbphone. They are pretty efficient in energy usage, and you can keep one for weeks on one charge.
If the new one breaks within 1 year, I'll consider that and paper maps.

slsdly
Posts: 380
Joined: Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:04 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by slsdly »

I haven't used mine much since leaving a previous employer who paid for the phone/service (I worked on them for a living). Frankly I think my life is far, far better without cellular service and question the sanity of anyone who voluntarily carries one all the time. It does frustrate others socially sometimes ("What do you mean I can't change plans last minute?!?!").

The only times I really keep it on my person are when I'm in transit outside my city -- then it is useful for etickets, time, and coordinating with others (WiFi).

BRUTE
Posts: 3797
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by BRUTE »

brute can't stand the silly idea of telephones or numbers, but unfortunately is sometimes required to use one or provide a number that humans then actually call. (brute would like to apologize to all the humans that have received calls meant for him when he has given fake numbers).

the one thing smartphones are good for is that they combine a lot of little tools that brute almost never uses, but then does use once a month or so. like taking a picture of something to sell -> no need for a camera. taking a picture of a bus map -> no need to find a bus map or memorize all the stops. calling a taxi -> no need to walk around at 2am for hours trying to find one. looking at the maps app -> no need to bring/find a map on the go. and sometimes, banks and other institutions just definitely, absolutely need to call brute on a physical phone.

brute usually buys outdated new. phones seem to lose performance quickly and he hasn't had good experience with buying used ones. but he's too cheap to buy new models, and he also thinks they look terrible (looking at you, all-glass samsung and iphone models!)

jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15907
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by jacob »

In answer to the 2nd question. I've never owned a smart phone. I did own a dumb phone for a couple of years, but single I used it to make less than a handful of calls per year, it didn't make much sense and I got rid of it again. Last time I had to make a phone call was at least two years ago. Things like tech support, credit card activation, international calls (facetime/skype), ... all work better online than having a poorly transmitted voice-only in one ear.

I don't own a telegraph either.

DW has two (TWO!) smartphones. An iPhone from work and a personal Android from FreedomPop. She also drives around between offices a lot and uses them constantly. Her personal phone is de facto her personal computer. While map tracking is super convenient for navigation, a regular GPS could do the same thing w/o telling facebook, google, the NSA, ... etc about your whereabouts. In many cases, if email only needs to be checked 2-3 times a day, it could be done in the morning, during lunch, and at the end of the day. That might be more efficient too unless the work deals with putting out fires and requires instant responses.

stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by stoneage »

I actually cancel my today's order and I'll wait for my thoughts to settle.

I figured It can wait a few days, since the cracked screen is still (kind of) working.

GPS is the "yet another thing" I don't want to care about (meaning : charging, updating, waiting to sync, and undocking everytime you are in town). I actually spent years without one, but it is sometimes very convenient (once a month maybe, max...but much more often on trips !).

jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15907
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by jacob »

Have you checked if the screen can be replaced/fixed?

In the three cracked screen instances I'm aware of, they could all be fixed. Subsequently, the person bought a rubber case and they haven't cracked any screens since then. If phones were designed to be [near] unbreakable that rubber case would be built-in. There's no way around it. Consider how miltary grade laptops look.

Dragline
Posts: 4436
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 1:50 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by Dragline »

I've found very simple phone rubber phone case to be effective ("Incipio" is the brand I use).

Also, if you use the Samsung brand phones, they have versions called "Active" that replace the glass and metal with rubber and plastic and are generally more durable.

Tyler9000
Posts: 1758
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:45 pm

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by Tyler9000 »

stoneage wrote:
1st question : Should I consider the use of a bumper case on my phones ? I find them ugly and stupid, as they tend to correct what should be designed as non breakable (I never managed to break the plastic screen as the one on the galaxy s2, but I phone 4s survived only 18months in my hands), or should I consider a Daftphone, that would be much more resistant, and have better battery life ?

2nd question : What is your take on smartphone use ? Did you get rid of it completely ? Is there any BYFL in this category ?
Smartphones are never designed to be non-breakable because that would be a waste of money and resources. The technology itself becomes obsolete in under 5 years or so, so over-engineering the hardware to be BIFL is pointless.

Plastic vs glass has tradeoffs. Plastic is generally less likely to shatter but more likely to scratch. The hard coats that prevent scratching are expensive and can have clarity/quality issues. Glass is less likely to scratch but more likely to shatter and has the best visual quality.

Knowing that, cases can absolutely be helpful. I admit many are hideous and not every case will equally protect against drops, but there are some good ones out there. I particularly like the "Candyshell" cases by Speck Products.

(Full disclosure -- I know the people at Speck well. It's a good product and a good company.)
Last edited by Tyler9000 on Thu Apr 21, 2016 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SilverElephant
Posts: 130
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:40 pm

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by SilverElephant »

I bought a used-but-like-new Samsung Galaxy S4 mini from a friend-of-a-friend for € 135 a year ago. It works perfectly. Its uses include and are limited to: offline GPS navigation (the "OSMand" app uses OpenStreetMap maps, you can download the whole world to your smartphone and navigate offline), booking train tickets (I take the train a lot and it's very convenient to look up delays and book tickets on the go; I'll drop this usecase once I don't have to drive around so much) and communicating with my parents, who don't use the interwebs.

A dumbphone could not handle the GPS and train tickets, the very limited set of apps I use is so lean that my phone will be able to run them for a few years to come, meaning I (hopefully) won't have to upgrade for another 2-3 years, at which point I'll probably aim for a € 100 phone again.

I honestly wish I could do with a dumbphone.

User avatar
jennypenny
Posts: 6851
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by jennypenny »

@T9000-Both of my boys own the speck toughskin cases for their iPhones. They love them. Wish they made them for the newest versions.

stoneage
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:24 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by stoneage »

Plastic vs glass has tradeoffs. Plastic is generally less likely to shatter but more likely to scratch. The hard coats that prevent scratching are expensive and can have clarity/quality issues. Glass is less likely to scratch but more likely to shatter and has the best visual quality.
True.
But phones tend to drop far more often that TV, monitors, or GPS, and all of those appliances have plastic screens and can be made touch sensitive. Glass screen is a trend started by Apple to offer that perfect classy look, a very rational decision made to make the phone look appealing on the keynotes, in the commercials or at the unboxing, so it sells and seems "worth it". The trouble was that every single smartphone followed the leader, making it hard to find a plastic screen even on low end devices.

After a few costly shatters, the phones end with a plastic screen protecting the glass, and with a plastic bumper covering materials less prone to shock absorbtion than plastic.

Hence, my rant : make it plastic in the first place, we'll save a few bucks and a few phones in the process. Of course I am being dishonnest there, but right now I don't want to admit I was the one who let the phone fall on the floor and broke it. ;)
The technology itself becomes obsolete in under 5 years or so
Somehow, I hardly think we'll ever need 7 or 8G for anything useful or even remotely entertaining enough on a phone.
Technology will eventually mature, like computers. We're just not fully there yet.

Lucky C
Posts: 755
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2016 6:09 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by Lucky C »

I have a Samsung Galaxy III with free service from FreedomPop. It is great from an ERE perspective since in theory you only have to budget about $50/year for new phones every few years. In practice, unfortunately I have had major issues with my previous phones, nothing my fault like dropping them, but I'm now on my third phone with FreedomPop in as many years. Still a great deal money-wise compared to pay plans, but still feels wasteful. Hopefully this phone lasts another couple of years at least.

I recommend FreedomPop for people who don't have to use their phone professionally or often. They have gotten better over the years but service can still be an issue and customer service stinks. You don't get much call time / data / texting with their plans, but I don't need it.

enigmaT120
Posts: 1240
Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:14 pm
Location: Falls City, OR

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by enigmaT120 »

I was looking into FreedomPop after Jacob mentioned them, but their web site doesn't seem very open. Your only options are to buy something. The guy who has the long tech post on MMM doesn't seem to say much about them except that they are explicit data miners. Do you have to put up with ads like texts or on the web? I'm using a little Tracphone and may as well toss it as rarely as I use it. A smart phone would be handy sometimes though.

Lucky C
Posts: 755
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2016 6:09 am

Re: Smartphones - efficient use

Post by Lucky C »

I haven't had to deal with ads with the FreedomPop phone. They have made money from me when I purchase their phones that are pricey for older refurbished models, but that's no big deal because you break even quickly compared to any other service as long as you have the phone more than a few months. They have also made a couple bucks a month off me from voicemail service but I have since canceled that. They charge $2/mo for voicemail and have other fees for anything more than the barebones service. So it's a good option if you hardly ever use your phone, but Tracfone is a good option too.

Post Reply