BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart

Subject: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 03:27 PM

So, my wife circled an ad in the AARP Bulletin, with instructions that I should read it. It's an ad for a "Jitterbug" phone that costs about $20 a month for service and is supposed to be easy for seniors to use. I guess she figures that her flip-phone is on its way out.

My stepson and I have Samsung Galaxy J3 phones that cost us $130 apiece, unlocked. I could get my wife one for $130, and it wouldn't cost us anything extra on our AT&T plan.

Does anyone know of a smartphone that's good for the uninitiated, that will work on our AT&T plan?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 05:50 PM

If you buy a phone from a non-affiliated company then it won't come with all of the bloatware that companies typically add on. I have an LG-G4 that came with both LG and AT&T apps that are not possible to remove, and some you can't even disable. If I'd bought the phone directly from LG or from a non-affiliated seller that has unlocked phones. And then look at all of the plans possible, not just with the big guys - MVNO - mobile virtual network operators. My son has been using TING for a few months and reports that it works well.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 07:57 PM

Jaysus. Just get a bloody iPhone.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: mg
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 08:08 PM

i got a jitterbug and found it to be absolutely awful to use. I totally do not recommend it. You could end up going all over the place just trying to make a call. Not worth a penny. I would try to persuade her to use what you have..maybe you can disable some stuff..

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 08:49 PM

The motorola budget priced phones of the last 3 or 4 years are consistently gaining 'best in class' reviews, and are shipped [in the UK] with minimal bloatware.

My sim-free Motorola G3 [3rd Gen] has proven very reliable and simple to use.
My only complaint is the camera is not as intuitive as my old Nokia Windows 8 phone.

Amazon do regular lightning deals on the G4 and G5,
with plus versions that have extra ram and storage...

Worth googling because each new version adds and drops features,
so some folks may prefer the G4 to the G5, and vice versa...

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 09:07 PM

Joe, I'd guess your US market and my UK one are quite different (including by the looks of things, prices - or at least Argos are asking £149.95 for an unlocked Samsung Galaxy J3) and I'm not really understanding your meaning of "Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart".

UK wise, I think the Wileyfox Swift 2 I got early this year on Amazon for around £130 might be a good option if you want something capable (at least compared to my old, now used by mum Samsung Ace 2 and doing all I can imagine I'd need, except maybe otg would be nice to have just in case... but I'm not that much of a user) and pretty "bloat free" but I guess without the bells and whistles that might persuade those more dedicated to this tech than I might seek...

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Mr Red
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 04:55 AM

Jaysus. Just get a bloody iPhone.

Simple eh? Like the phone eh? Now - let me see. What was the question?

I would say unlocked, and old design. I favour handwriting recognition so you can text with a fingernail or take notes, browse etc. Camera and audio recorder are usually there but useful. I find email on a phone a pain - text forces you to be succinct. I suppose NFC - touch pay apps use it - would be a help but my Samsung Galaxy S3 mini has that and it is 4 years old now. But I don't trust the security aspect. It is safe until you lose the damn thing, then the worry looms larger than the convenience. Constant concern over losing it can be hassle too. The only sensitive data I have on my phones are phone numbers.

Your wife would find out how to use things if there was a real advantage and not too fiddly - but third party apps would cover specific needs. You get to choose, and in stages.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Vashta Nerada
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 11:56 AM

Fry's has a smart phone I've never heard of on sale - unlocked - BLU Grand M. The rest of the world pays a lot less for phones, even smart phones, than we do in the US.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Iains
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 03:45 PM

It all depends on what you use a phone for. I phone, I text, I photograph. The phone spends most of it's life tethered to a laptop to provide internet access. Opening e-mails, surfing and many other apps are a pain and I find to be slow if using the phone only. When tethered life is a breeze.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: mg
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 06:38 PM

i have seen signs when traveling that no samsung phones can be taken on a plane. not sure if that was temporary..it was not just the ones that catch fire...but if she flies much that could be a consideration.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Joe_F
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 06:38 PM

I have a Jitterbug (from GreatCall). It is not a smartphone, but it does exactly what I want. It costs $19.64 a month.

I am so twitchy & scatterbrained that touchscreen interfaces are a continual (not to say continuous) source of furious frustration for me. Using them, I make about one mistake a minute, and then spend a minute figuring out how to recover. The Jitterbug has real keys, like a real telephone. It does not have conniptions because in pressing a key I have brushed some mysteriously significant region with my pinky.

Another sign that GreatCall has the right attitude is that the Jitterbug has a small hole thru which one can attach a lanyard. Portable electronic devices are small, dense, and expensive, easy to drop or to steal. Most of them provide no way to attach them to me.

I should perhaps add that for me a cellphone is for emergencies; it is a convenient substitute for public pay phones, which have almost disappeared. I do not use it to chew the rag. It is true that I sometimes envy people who can access the Internet with their phones, but for me that will have to wait for a more friendly interface.

If you are in my situation, I heartily recommend the Jitterbug.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 30 Sep 17 - 10:12 PM

You might look at Consumer Cellular. That company has a "relationship" with AARP, for what that's worth. I've never used them and don't know what phones are available. My ex, who is more tech-proficient than I am, is happy with his even though I gather they have limited tech capabilities. He likes the "pay for what you use" plans and must get decent reception in his area of NH's White Mountains.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 01:36 AM

Nokia recently revived their classic 3310. They've further updated it so that it now works on 3G rather than 2G.

No idea about availability in the US or compatibility with AT & T, but worth checking out.

LFF

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: DaveRo
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 02:38 AM

After failing with its Windows phone Microsoft eventually sold the Nokia brand and its new owner has produced a number of 'feature phones', which mainly means they have keyboards. Some have cameras.

The 105 is the cheapest, I think - about £20 in the UK. No 3g - but you don't need 3G for phonecalls. In the US you'd need to check whether you can use the right variety of GSM.

All_these_Nokia_phones are available somewhere in the world.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: BobL
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 04:06 AM

Are Doro phones available in the US? They may fit the bill.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Acorn4
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 04:28 AM

I've still got a dumb phone and manage to live quite a full life!

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Mr Red
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 04:33 AM

I like to have a lanyard attachment too, which is why my Nokia Symbian is the phone I "use" - the Samsung is a remote for cameras. They don't make viruses for Symbian.

And I shudder when I see phones in their own wallet stuffed with credit cards. Even more of a security risk than the phone itself.

One thing I see a lot of in the UK is paying for parking, done via text. I usually try to find free parking.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: DaveRo
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 05:15 AM

Mr Red wrote: They don't make viruses for Symbian

They used to. I remember the Curse_of_Silence. I don't know if these new Nokia phones actually use Symbian, though.

I have a box of Nokia phones, all of which still work. I bought a new battery recently for my 6100 - which dates from about 2003 - which I still use.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 08:30 AM

Unusually, I'm with Iains. I have a wifi-only iPad and an iPhone with tons of data in the contract, and I can now take my contract all over Europe at no extra cost. All wifi outside the home at so-called hotspots and in hotels is utter crap, so my phone lives on 4G and my iPad is tethered to it unless I'm in the house. Brilliant. The smartest smartphones are the latest ones and they are the easiest to use, I reckon. My phone and iPad are connected to the Cloud when I'm in the house on wifi and all my photos are stored safely there for just an extra 79p a month and I don't have to do a thing. And the cameras on the latest iPhones are staggeringly good, lacking only optical zoom.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 01:05 PM

If my wife circle an ad for a "less smart" phone it would mean that she wanted me to get myself something that I did not spend so much time on!
Have you properly considered her motivation?

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 02:17 PM

Doro was recommended to me too, in the UK(8030?)

This article about them mentioned at&t connection
http://uk.pcmag.com/doro-824-smarteasy-consumer-cellular/76932/review/doro-824-smarteasy-consumer-cellular

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: JHW
Date: 03 Oct 17 - 05:05 AM

Still seems too complicated

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Oct 17 - 05:47 AM

In our local Coop supermarket yesterday I noticed - on sale:

Smart Clothes Pegs. LOL

they had rubber inserts to stop them pinging out of wet hands, maybe rubber in the grips. But smart pegs? or clever design - at least they weren't designer. sparrrrrre us please!

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: leeneia
Date: 03 Oct 17 - 11:35 AM

I read your first post, Joe. If your wife was attracted to the picture of the simple Jitterbug, that means she isn't interested in a smartphone.

People seem to either hate or love the Jitterbug. I don't know what to think about it.

The DH and I function on a small flip-phone which we bought at an AT&T store for $20. With some coaching about the enter button, the use of the "ring" and that CLR means backspace, I was ready to phone and text people.

I should mention that our landline is our main phone, and the flip phone is mostly for travelling. We could use it to access the Internet, but we don't bother.

Why don't you visit an AT&T store? You might be able to add your wife to the plan for no monthly fees and a $20 phone.

I hate iphones and smartphones. My hands are always cold, and the phones don't seem to detect my touch. The phones also do crazy things like completely lose the map I'm using because I gently turned it to follow our route.

Or one minute I"m looking for a gas station, the next minute it's calling Beirut.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 17 - 03:05 AM

Hi, Leeneia -
I don't need to visit the AT&T store. I'm already paying the same for my wife's flipphone as I'd pay for a smartphone. My stepson and I have had our unlocked Samsung Galaxy J3 phones for almost a year, and we're very satisfied. And since they're unlocked and run on AT&T-styles networks, I can get a cheap SIM chip and get phone service in whatever country I'm visiting.
I think my wife will like a $129 Samsung Galaxy J3 if I put only bare-bones apps on the home screen, and hide the other apps.
Oh, gee. I just discovered that the Galaxy has an "easy mode" that makes the phone into just what I'm looking for.
Problem solved.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: leeneia
Date: 05 Oct 17 - 01:11 AM

Oh, I thought you were on AT&T itself.

Subject: RE: BS: Smartphone for the Not-So-Smart
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 17 - 03:05 AM

I am on AT&T, leeneia, but phones at the AT&T store are not unlocked and ultimately cost much more than some unlocked phones that are of very good quality. My wife says the "easy mode" on my Samsung Galaxy J3 makes it look like an "old lady's phone* - which, she says, is just what she needs.
Problem solved. Next time BestBuy has the phone on sale for $129, I'll buy one.

-Joe-