Why do I need a smartphone?

[mitzimad]

no one has mentioned ordering from your seat in wetherspoons

 

[Riverbankannie]

Hold it up to notices and signs in foreign countries to translate information.

 

[thebriars]

My wife does everything on her phone including banking but I'd never do it in case you lose the phone/stolen. Can't do anything then.

Here's a good example of why one needs to be fully conversant with the technology. Modern phones are pretty secure, and certainly so for banking. Lose your phone and its a pain, but it would be rare to lose anything from your bank account. Much of the data on the phone can be backed up securely to the cloud, so its easy to recover it on a replacement phone.

 

[thebriars]

Programming ones hearing aids.

 

[suavecarve]

Maps.me for when you go into a town centre and are looking for a toilet (search facility on there) or santander free and no internet required if you have downloaded the map.
What3words if you care to read a few other threads
Shopping - Youre looking at something you havent seen before and want that impulse purchase but check it out on amazon or ebay for price before buying and reviews.
Music - I am told you can download music onto your phone then bluetooth it to your speakers in the van. If this is possible I will take a look at it (has to be free though)

I pay £15 a month for 32gb of data roaming but can only use 19 GB abroad which is plenty. Wife pays a tenner and gets 8gb. Both of us have Huawei phones that were £119 to buy outright and had them 18 months now no issues.

Someone mentioned charging overnight. Our last Samsungs were always charged overnight but the battery kept breaking and we were told by a spanish salesman not to do it as it buggers up the battery. Havent done it to these phones and it still lasts 2-3 days with average use and not searching for wifi.

I think the answer is that if you get one you wont go back to not having one.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Spriddler]

And music / video streaming
And tracking your steps / heartbeats with a Fitbit

….. ordering from your seat in wetherspoons

Hold it up to notices and signs in foreign countries to translate information.

Maps.me for when you go into a town centre and are looking for a toilet
What3words if you care to read a few other threads
Shopping - You're looking at something you havent seen before and want that impulse purchase but check it out on amazon or ebay for price before buying and reviews.
Music - I am told you can download music onto your phone then bluetooth it to your speakers in the van.

...store any loyalty cards, check prices ... store debit / credit cards, …. check your dogs microchip. ...check level for van, check where your chosen satellite is, use it as a personal tracker ….

LOL.
Dear, oh dear.
Mercifully I have absolutely no need or desire whatsoever to do any of those things.
Little wonder that folk get hyper-stressed when they can't get a signal.
I just don't know how I manage.

 

[gus-lopez]

Here's a good example of why one needs to be fully conversant with the technology. Modern phones are pretty secure, and certainly so for banking. Lose your phone and its a pain, but it would be rare to lose anything from your bank account. Much of the data on the phone can be backed up securely to the cloud, so its easy to recover it on a replacement phone.

True but not a lot of use when you are told 'pop in to your branch' by hsbc/Lloyds/Barclays etc & you live in spain .

 

[Riverbankannie]

LOL.
Dear, oh dear.
Mercifully I have absolutely no need or desire whatsoever to do any of those things.
Little wonder that folk get hyper-stressed when they can't get a signal.
I just don't know how I manage.

If i cannot get a signal it doesn’t bother me but I’ve often come across an information board in an interesting place and it’s nice to be able to understand it. My language skills are often not up to the job.

 

[G-RMPS]

Maybe a water depth gauge would be a useful app

Men have one in their pocket

 

[Riverbankannie]

I remember when one of our friends bought a Japanese car that had electric windows (front only of course). My husband was horrified and obsessed on the things that could go wrong for ages ?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Spriddler]

I remember when one of our friends bought a Japanese car that had electric windows (front only of course). My husband was horrified and obsessed on the things that could go wrong for ages ?

Yep, and the early ones didn't have stop sensors so when it was closing it would continue to rise and trap whatever was in the way .e.g. a hand...head....burger and fries...…..

 

[Spriddler]

Maybe a water depth gauge would be a useful app

Men have one in their pocket

which is also useful for checking the depth of snow.

 

[Reallyretired]

Here's a good example of why one needs to be fully conversant with the technology. Modern phones are pretty secure, and certainly so for banking. Lose your phone and its a pain, but it would be rare to lose anything from your bank account. Much of the data on the phone can be backed up securely to the cloud, so its easy to recover it on a replacement phone.

So right, recently had a new phone Samsung S10 as my S8 had a cracked screen. Evetything set up in a couple of minutes on the new phone from the old one even fingerprint recognition.

 

[thebriars]

True but not a lot of use when you are told 'pop in to your branch' by hsbc/Lloyds/Barclays etc & you live in spain .

There wont be a local branch within a few years.

 

[Lenny HB]

Also useful when you are in one of those shops where the shelf price is far higher than the online price & they won't budge on price. Just pull out your phone and order online for collection.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Nanniemate]

the best thing on my phone is the off button...

 

[ABZSteve]

I have 2 tin cans and some very very very very very very very very very very very long string☎

How long is the piece of string?

 

[nicholsong]

How long is the piece of string?

The (wave)length depends on the frequency.

 

[Jewellbags]

How do you play 8 ball pool on a 20 quid tesco pay as you go when sat on the loo ?

 

[peterc10]

Now this is an odd thing, when her indoors and I are away, there are times we need the loo, yup have to go and go NOW . I have a loo app on my phone, this finds to local loo with directions. Have saved me from total embarrassment and of course, her indoors as well.

Well when you gotta go then you have to dash

What is the name of this app please?

Just asking for a friend you understand ...............................................

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[thebriars]

LOL.
Dear, oh dear.
Mercifully I have absolutely no need or desire whatsoever to do any of those things.
Little wonder that folk get hyper-stressed when they can't get a signal.
I just don't know how I manage.

Is there anything you actually do?

 

[Spriddler]

Is there anything you actually do?

Lots.
Life is what happens to you whilst others are online.

 

[suavecarve]

What is the name of this app please?

Just asking for a friend you understand ...............................................

Sneezed2hard available on google play

 

[busbuddy]

I am told that I am still living in the dark ages, as I have not bought a smartphone. At present I am using a “bog” standard Tesco £20 phone as a PAYG.

ive had a mobile from the very beginning of mobiles and i still have my briefcase motorola...i progressed to a nokia 'matrix' and have had a 6230i from new
i have always said "i will buy a smartphone when i need one" and now after decades of derision from friends/family about my lack of whatsapp/instagram/facebook and any other pointless app...i am about to go to a smartphone as the house phone/broadband/laptop will all be got rid of shortly
i think smartphones are great bits of kit IF you need one but they are not the life necessity that people make out

 

[TheBig1]

How do you play 8 ball pool on a 20 quid tesco pay as you go when sat on the loo ?

well you can only "pot 2 balls" in that situation unless you have a very close friend in there with you

Hitler, so the song goes could only pot 1

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[138go]

I love my iPhone! I use my camera all the time. I then use WhatApp to share photos with friends and family. Best of all, I shop with the Sainsbury’s App and collect offers and points without collecting bits of paper. I also scan my shopping myself and avoid the queues.

 

[tonyidle]

Lots.
Life is what happens to you whilst others are online.

No-one NEEDS a smartphone but like most modern devices it ain't half convenient. The kids use it as means in itself. Mature people such as ourselves use it as a means to an end. I've never found myself obsessed with social media - I take a look at what the offspring are doing when my wife tells me to. I don't carry it everywhere. But I wouldn't be without it.

 

[ChrisL]

What is the name of this app please?

Just asking for a friend you understand ...............................................

There are several apps for public toilets, I have "Where is public toilet" which has a worldwide database. But there are some with a similar name which are country specific so read the description carefully.

 

[Spriddler]

No-one NEEDS a smartphone …….. I take a look at what the offspring are doing …….

Sounds to me like a very good reason not to have one.

 

[colyboy]

Thanks for all your replies. Me thinks I will stay with my Doro Tesco phone ,my iPad and my dongle thingy?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}