Cheap smart phone advice

[northernladuk]

It blows my mind that you don't have a smart phone in this day and age. I don't think I know a single person that doesn't. I thought Nokia's and stuff that old just weren't compatible with telephony protocols and stuff anymore, particularly higher G's and lack of support of 2G and the like they were built for.

As sad as it is that life has been taken over by phones, particularly kids, there is still a very strong argument that phones can be life enhancing if you take care to strip the rubbish out. Why don't you just ditch the 20 year old phone for a cheap smartphone full time. You don't have to use the features and it can be just a dumb phone if you want it to be. I've a feeling once you do you'll find all the useful apps that save you time and effort will creep in to your daily routine. I don't think it's clever to be avoiding the tech, I think you are missing out. It's like people that don't drive who generally say I don't need to drive, my life is just as good without it, which is usually just ignorance talking and when they learn to drive it opens a whole world up to them. Sometimes, i just don't think it's clever to state you don't do what the entire world does and then try justify it.

I'd say take the plunge, get a new cheap version and alter your life to suit it, not avoid it.

My vote would be a Samsung A53/55 or whatever the current entry level smartphone they have. Me and my other half switched away from high end models to these budget ones and they still last 3+ years without a problem for our usage.

[woody1]

I hear you but most days the only time I don't have access to the internet (via laptop) is when I'm out walking the dog. I mostly just carry a phone for emergencies eg. when my wife is out riding in case she has an accident, or long car journeys in the event of a breakdown.

While we're on holiday is the only time we don't have internet access and that is a bit inconvenient.

[northernladuk]

I hear you but most days the only time I don't have access to the internet (via laptop) is when I'm out walking the dog. I mostly just carry a phone for emergencies eg. when my wife is out riding in case she has an accident, or long car journeys in the event of a breakdown.

While we're on holiday is the only time we don't have internet access and that is a bit inconvenient.

That might suit you but I bet it drives everyone else around you nuts when they need to whatsapp you or send you something to look at and all the other aspects where a smartphone can help. You don't want to do it but everyone else does.

[edison]

Even my 88 year old step mum and 75 year old mother in law have a smartphone, use whatsapp and other apps etc.

I only know one person who doesn't have a smartphone and that's because he is very paranoid about leaving any kind of digital footprint.

I honestly don't know how you can live modern life without one.

[DoctorStrangelove]

You are aware that dumb phones are still made?

Much has been made of this recently on the Beeb.

I assume that more modern ones use something a bit more advanced than 2G.

My 2G dumb phone works perfectly when I stand on one leg on the garden wall.

[hobnob]

I've got a giffgaff standard sim, in a broadband router, that I was intending to put in the smart phone when I go on holiday. It has knock outs for micro and nano, so that's not a problem but presumably I will need to get a nano->standard adapter to put it back in the router when I get home?

If you're careful, you can put the nano SIM back into the hole you made in the larger card. It's a pretty snug fit (unlike the "sprues" you get in Airfix models etc), and it will be resting in a tray/slot when you put it into the new device, i.e. it will be held still at that point.

[woody1]

I honestly don't know how you can live modern life without one.

It would be hard to manage without the internet. Lots of things these days just can't be done any other way. We use the internet a LOT. We hardly ever go shopping these days. Can't even remember the last time we went to a supermarket.

But I haven't come across anything that we can't do with a laptop and a dumb phone. And I much prefer a decent sized screen, proper keyboard and mouse. Just wouldn't want to lug a laptop on holiday with us.

That's why I'm thinking a tablet might be better for us.

[woody1]

In the end I decided to go with the smartphone, and following the recs for Motorola, have ordered one of these:

Moto E30 with 6.5" screen, 2Gb RAM, 32Gb storage

£44.15 brand new on eBay

[agentzero]

Something not mentioned here already is Android phones are not often supported for a long time by the manufacturer. They are also easier to exploit due to manufacturers not committing to patches, it is very much a gamble although some manufacturers are better in this regard than others. For the record I use a more expensive flagship Android phone but stripped of the google advertising machine.

My dad uses an iphone X (10) and it's still supported by Apple and receives security updates. Apple seem to support devices up to 7 or 8 years old.

For a phone you are going to use for basic tasks, an older iphone is a good idea. If you are entrusting a device with your emails stored on it, secure web browsing and an eco system that does, in fairness, offer a lot better protection and privacy than Android then I would recommend looking at something like that.

For someone not looking to use loads of apps, who just wants basic multi factor authentication, email access, web access but in a secure hands-off fashion then an iphone is the one to look at for longevity. As an example the iphone SE 3rd edition from 2022 will be supported until 2029 to 2030 at the least for Security patches. You don't need to upgrade the operating system itself to receive these patches, which is one of the advantage of Apple's patching lifecycle over the real world implementation of any Android device you can can buy.

[hairymouse]

or long car journeys in the event of a breakdown.

I'd be worried that your breakdown service now requires you to use an app. I think mine has switched over, if you call the number they just direct you to the app.