thinking about switchingetting to a non-smartphone

[hoosierdoc]

I have an att iPhone 5 with a grandfathered unlimited data plan. strongly considering dropping it and going with a non smarsmartphone to get my focus and pproductivity back. am I crazy for dumping the unlimited data?

stupid galaxy note typing on treadmill led to title issue

 

[Leo]

The only question you need to ask is; if not having access to the data will cost you more time than you waste with no productive frivalities?

There are reasonably intellegent students who cannot perfom tasks that are important because they are addicted to the social media/entertainment available on their smart phones. My smart phone has the notification tone switched off. Way too many distractions. I don't even have twitter, myspace or facebook. 90% of the notifications were for things that are not important or things that could have waited until later when they would be more efficently handled all at once. The time I spend in waiting rooms, rides (when I am not driving ) and restuarants is usually enough time to catch up on the things I don't consider time wasting. The truly important areas in my life are handled with via telephone or in person.

My wife is back to a flip phone, I may heading that way myself.

 

[MCgrease08]

I don't think you're crazy for dropping unlimited data. Ditching the smartphone altogether might be a bit extreme.

I also have unlimited data, but I use Wi-Fi at home most of the time, so I'm sure I don't need to pay what I do for unlimited. I am also considering scaling back.

The only time I really like having unlimited is when I'm roaming.

 

[scatwater]

Its a tool and has its uses. I leave my at home or in the car sometimes. I see for other people at work its become a real problem. I have a Galaxy 3 and its my first smart phone and I enjoy all of the features that go with it. I do not like the cost that comes with it. People act like they cant live without a cell phone. How did we in this country survive prior to the year 2000 or so? (when did cell phones become common?) I would not think your crazy at all. You know what you need to do for you and your situation. Besides all a smartphone does is allow the Government to keep tabs on you.

 

[Leo]

How did we in this country survive prior to the year 2000 or so? (when did cell phones become common?)

I had a motorola bag phone in my car in 1993. Almost anyone that had mobile phones then were salesmen or field supervisors. The mobile phones that you could carry in a brief case started to be seen around that time also. (brick phones) I was issued a "pocket" sized cell phone in 1996. (1/2 sized brick) Even then I never anticipated that they would have such widespread use. They used to be VERY expensive, so you never saw little kids kids talking on one at the bus stop.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I have an att iPhone 5 with a grandfathered unlimited data plan. strongly considering dropping it and going with a non smarsmartphone to get my focus and pproductivity back. am I crazy for dumping the unlimited data?

stupid galaxy note typing on treadmill led to title issue

That's probably not a bad idea. It is too easy to pull out a phone and lose track of time and disengage from the important things.

One day, my wife made a rhetorical comment about "what would we do without internet service?" I told her, we'd probably lose a bunch of weight and get back into hobbies we've let go unattended.

Can you even buy a non-smart phone anymore?

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Well, soon my phone will be the only internet I have so I would be unlikely to switch. If you don't need the internet access then there's really no reason that you need a "smart" phone.

 

[CHCRandy]

I still use a dumb phone, 10 year old Nokia....

 

[hoosierdoc]

Tried to stop at the AT&T store but it was slammed and did not have time to wait. I think I'll buy a $40 phone or whatever they have cheap, move the Sim card over, and continue to pay for the data for one month. That way I don't interrupt the data plan, and can see if I like not having a smart phone.

i am excited about not havin a thousand contacts in my address book, google imported my contact list one time and it's absurd now.

 

[scatwater]

"google imported my contact list one time and it's absurd now"

I hated that and I have no clear way or the time to clear that mess up...

 

[rabidsquirrel]

I've never understood how it is possible to carry a smartphone everyday without breaking it. I have a one year old "ruggedized" flipper that is currently held together with epoxy.

That being said, my wife and I have a Motorola Droid that sits around the house as a backup. Both her and I rarely ever use it, unless we lose a flip phone.

 

[chezuki]

Tried to stop at the AT&T store but it was slammed and did not have time to wait. I think I'll buy a $40 phone or whatever they have cheap, move the Sim card over, and continue to pay for the data for one month. That way I don't interrupt the data plan, and can see if I like not having a smart phone.

i am excited about not havin a thousand contacts in my address book, google imported my contact list one time and it's absurd now.

I dropped unlimited data last month in favor of a plan that gives me twice as much data as I ever used (verified by bills) for $30 less per month.

I found out by streaming Netflix that "unlimited" wasn't exactly unlimited anyway. If you go over 3gb on 3G or 5gb on LTE they throttle your speed down to turtle speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle rendering your "smartphone" worthless for anything other than basic emails.

Don't you have access to wifi at the hospital? I imagine you do at home for sure. These days I am on wifi at home and work, so the only real data I used is streaming music in the car.

 

[Yup!]

I have turned all my notifications off and check in with fb Twitter etc when I need to. It works.

if you do drop to a dumb phone your smart phone will still function via wi-fi if you want it to, minus the phone part.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I have an ipod touch I can use, or the iphone as an ipod as suggested. That still gets back to the problem though of too much access to time wasters and attention suckers. I think I have been throttled as it has been sluggish as of late.

We have Wifi at the hospital but our home one is spotty so I usually leave wifi off. And why not with $30/mo unlimited data?

 

[chezuki]

Self-control man!

Turn on parental controls and limit your web/social media time if you have to.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Self-control man!

I'm intrigued by your suggestion and would like to hear more about that...

Have you not seen my "I'm stopping INGO" and "no more diet coke" threads?

 

[Leadeye]

Really have no use for anything other than a basic phone. People tell me that soon you will have to have a smart phone as nothing else will be available.

 

[chezuki]

I'm intrigued by your suggestion and would like to hear more about that...

Have you not seen my "I'm stopping INGO" and "no more diet coke" threads?

 

[wtfd661]

I have never had a "smart phone" nor will I, I am using the same basic phone for the last 5 years and its still going strong. If I need the internet I have access through work and at home.

 

[singlesix]

My personal cell is a old fashioned dumb phone. I bought an unlocked phone at walmart for 40 bucks and went to the AT&T store and they put in the required sim card.