As little as 6 months ago, I was part of what seems to be the severe minority of people who do not have a smartphone. To show how behind the smartphone curve i was, my little sister has had 2 Blackberry's and 3 iPhones before I transitioned to the iPhone from the classic flip phone. I always felt as though my phone was for texts and calls, therefore my cell phone was entirely sufficient. Then, in early April I became eligible for the beloved upgrade, which I cashed in for the 3GS. In hindsight I wish I could have waited for the iPhone 4, but the upgrade to the iPhone has been more than enough to make me happy.
Excluding the games that everyone enjoys, the iPhone has reaped rewards that I had no concept of before I had a smartphone. Not only can I check and update my fantasy football team right from my phone, but i can literally instantly find almost any piece of information with a quick search on my phone. I never could have imagined how superior having the iPhone is to a traditional phone, where now I feel that people with the old flip phone are out of date. According to an article about smartphone satisfaction, users rated the iPhone the highest out of all smartphones. The one complaint that was common among the iPhone is the short battery life, which doesn't actually affect the functionality of the phone itself but is just an annoying hassle. If you haven't made the switch to a smartphone, I severely recommend it as a recent transfer, just be ready to check your email more than you ever thought possible.
I think most people can live without a smartphone as long as they have never had one. It is not a necessity to life, but it becomes one once you have one. I have had smartphones since they were the size of a miniature brick. Back then, I use to just check my email and keep my calendar. Now my iPhone4 is replacing my laptop. I rarely carry my laptop now as i primarily use my iPhone to do everything, from looking up phone numbers to checking my email.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the battery, I do not think it is a flaw in the phone. I think it is that people are constantly on them. When you use a phone as much as iPhone users do, the battery is not going to last long at all.
Blake, I too was a believer that my cell phone was simply to make/receive calls and texts. However, I made the upgrade to a Blackberry Pearl about 4 years ago, simply because I heard it was a good phone as far as service and clarity of a call were concerned. This was a huge upgrade, as I had never even owned a phone that had a camera before, and I quickly learned it had WAY more function that I needed. However, by the time I traded it in for my current iPhone I had learned most of the functions, but rarely used it to access the internet. Since getting an iPhone, I do use the internet a lot more on my phone, but not nearly as much as some iPhone users. 3G is not fast enough, so I rarely use my phone unless it is connected to WiFi, which is typically when I am home and I prefer to use my computer which has a much larger screen. However, it is nice to have the internet, email, and any of thousands of apps at my fingertips. Oh, and I also believe that the battery life is not great and the charger cord is not long enough, if I am going to have to charge my phone every night, Apple should at least make the cord long enough that I can talk on it while it charging.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that people can live and function without a smart phone when they don't use one. They can use their laptop, or just wait until they get to the office. But once one gets a smart phone, then everything changes. Things get easier, they can get things done faster, and like you mentioned about fantasy, they can do a lot of things besides work and communications. The battery does drain fast, but if you are in your car, or in a meeting, away from a computer, you will most likely be next to an outlet. I use my Iphone a lot and am on it most of the day. The battery drains every day, but I can at least get through a whole day without charging it. It is not that big of a hassle to me to charge it every night while I'm sleeping.
ReplyDelete