Sure, the iPhone is kinda cool and it’s nice Apple finally dropped the price to something not completely absurd, but am I alone in just being completely uninterested in cell phones and portable devices in general?
These days I consider myself middle-of-the-road when it comes to technological adoption — I don’t really get too geeked for tech toys anymore, but if they’re going to actually be useful, I’ll eventually pick one up when the price is decent. But with cell phones, I still pretty much hate ’em for anything other than outgoing calls. That’s why very few people have my cell number. It’s rarely turned on and I don’t want people to get the impression that I’m actually reachable.
And while the iPhone and similar devices give a nice interface and plenty of other functionality beyond just the phone, I still don’t really have much interest in anything else taking up valuable pocket space. A couple of years ago I had to carry a Treo with me for a few weeks and it was miserable. It was like having a brick that could receive phone calls with buttons so tiny that not even my small fingers could deal with.
So, while I have a cell, I use a prepaid plan that ends up costing me about $8/month. And I still have never sent a text. Does anyone else have a cell only for the rarest of usage?
Next time: Ryan complains about “beepers” and “mini-cassette answering machines.”
Posted in Everyday Life, Technology
COD June 11, 2008, 2:50 pm
I did recently upgrade my Virgin Mobile phone to one with a full keyboard for texting and email. but I’m still only spending about $15 a month. I send Tweets from the phone when I am out and about, and I check email when I am stuck at a horse show all day.
Paul June 11, 2008, 3:06 pm
I’m really happy that the iPhone itself is more affordable but the data and SMS plans went up in price (relative to the previous model), so it’s kind of a wash.
I hate my cell phone. I do. It has a button on the side that occasionally gets activated, at which point I’ll hear, “SAY A NAME OR SHORTCUT!” coming out of my pocket. As a bonus if that same button is smooshed down longer, it acts as a redial – that’s a blast too.
My big problems with the iPhone are that, first, it’s just too expensive each month and second, I don’t want my iPod tied to a cell phone provider. That just seems stupid.
Dave June 11, 2008, 5:20 pm
I would get a mew 3g Iphone if the plans were comparable to what I have on sprint.. Unlimited Text, unlimited data, mobile to mobile, unlimited nights and weekends and loads of anytime minutes..