Do you now NEED a smartphone?

[TexTuba]

No one NEEDS one. However, they can make things a helluva lot easier and accessible on-the-go.

[Wyvern]

Surely the answer is depends on your lifestyle and profession. For me a smartphone is an essential tool for my business. For others it may not be needed, or even wanted.

[The Big Ben]

No. Absolutely not. Don't have one. Don't want one.

Except: Try to find a pay phone if you need one.

[Guest User]

I do. I work in a large office and have to make regular runs in a company vehicle. Everything we do is via texting, or, more officially, via email. We actually use the phone function of our issued iPhones very little. We have a great data package and we are allowed to use the phones as if they were our own. I would say that my phone usage started to plummet back when the company issued us all Samsungs about five years back. With the iPhone 6 (no "+" unfortunately) I have found a real tool that I use all day for work, and all evening for me. I live on the GPS in the company vehicle because I get lost easily. I use iMessages constantly in the office and around town on my runs out of the office.

I also have use of my company car in an almost unlimited capacity, too. It is a nice 2013 Ford Fusion. I use it as if it were mine, save for long personal trips. I have to log all use that is personal in one book and all use that is company-centered in another. This sort of sucks for me, but my personal Kia is still very new seeming since I only have to use it on occasion. My daughter uses it more than I do.

I live a much better life than my paycheck would indicate because I have no phone bill and my Kia is paid off and has super low miles. My company phone and car are things that - unfortunately - I have become rather dependent on. I would say that I currently NEED my smart phone because of work. In another job, maybe not. But I like my job and love my iPhone. It is much like an old desktop computer from the 1980s in functionality for me, and much better in many ways.

[Worth]

It has become the social norm in the developed world, yet with progress comes the side effects of such. To demonstrate, I heard this definition a couple of days ago on the radio.... "Selfie stick" when the Internet has made you so socially awkward that you can't ask a stranger to take a picture for you

[bisontuba]

I think a question is: If you own a large screen phone--iPhone 6 plus or the large Samsung screen phone, or whatever, how many ALSO own and use a tablet? Or does the large screen phone provide you with enough screen in lieu of a tablet?
Mark

[bisontuba]

I think a question is: If you own a large screen phone--iPhone 6 plus or the large Samsung screen phone, or whatever, how many ALSO own and use a tablet? Or does the large screen phone provide you with enough screen in lieu of a tablet?
Mark

...for what...?? looking at dorn...??

Maybe for you....not for me....

[bort]

I used to have a big phone, plus a small tablet. So basically a 6" Nokia phone and 7" Kindle Fire HDX. Totally different devices, and neither replaces the other. A 6" screen *does* seem that much smaller, and the tablet does "real stuff" faster and easier than the phone.

FWIW, I think those huge phones are silly. Having owned one, I agree that it makes things *really* easy to do. However, it does *not* fit into your pants very comfortably.

Sidebar: it *does* fit in your back pocket... just don't sit on it, because then it will bend and then break... which is what happened to mine.

[Guest User]

I got a iPad, too. It is mine, and while I got the work phone to use like it is mine I do a lot of reading on the iPad in bed at night. It is smaller than my laptop and easier to read than my phone. Plus its mine.

Bort, I have to wear a blazer or sport coat at work, so my phone lives in the inside breast pocket. Perfect. It is a pain when carrying it in jeans, though. I have never bent mine, but there is always tomorrow.

[bort]

Well that's true, coat pockets help a LOT!

[Chadtuba]

Bort, I have to wear a blazer or sport coat at work, so my phone lives in the inside breast pocket. Perfect. It is a pain when carrying it in jeans, though. I have never bent mine, but there is always tomorrow.

This is a big criteria for the phones I buy. If it cannot fit in my shirt or blazer/suit pocket then it is simply too big for my uses. I did finally break down and bought (cheap off of eBay) an Otterbox case, but mostly because it was one of the few cases that has a good belt clip. This now takes care of the jeans problem.

[MartyNeilan]

I only thought it was a CC tuba that wasn't needed.

[darth2ba]

As much as I would like to have lived in the pre-cell phone/smartphone era, I obviously can't. I would love nothing more than to have a basic cell phone (no texting) for traveling, a home phone (when I get to a point in my life/career to own a house), and a laptop to use at home. Hopefully someday...

However, I have a iPhone5c, and it is convenient for the following:
- PayPal online (I've never had an issue with PayPal, they've always been secure and reliable)
- Maps app (I do quite a bit of traveling here and there, and it's extremely convenient to have when in unfamiliar cities)
- Gmail (I can reply to emails in a timely fashion)
- Texting (Short/sweet/to-the-point texts are most ideal...it's another way to keep in touch with friends/family...though a phone call is much preferred)

Other than those apps and texting, I really don't use it for much else. I'm on a Facebook hiatus right now, and am highly considering getting rid of it completely (but, that's a whole other topic).

Like other Tubenetters' answers, I'd have to say no, I do not need a smartphone. It is a convenience.

[bisontuba]

Hi-
I think I am ready to do a '180' & am getting ready to go to the most basic ( cheap) cell phone possible and just use my iPad and laptop for Internet stuff....tired of big cell phone company bills....
Mark

[Wyvern]

One of the main advantages of having smartphone is that of having all information and photos required available to access anytime. I try not to type too long messages on phone, always preferring to use larger iPad or computer where possible - but even an iPad you can't carry everywhere.

A smartphone enables you to check address, booking or price online while out and about

[Bob Kolada]

Mark, you can buy international Samsung tablets that have cellular voice enabled. The downside is that they are only quad band hspa with European only LTE bands; they'll only really be effective on AT&T. I considered a Mega since I'd had a Note 2 but wound up an Ascend Mate 2. 6.1" screen, 3900mah battery, factory unlocked.

For those smartphone holdouts- even if you don't want to pay for a data plan (which can be had very reasonably if you look around), a smartphone without service is still a useful tool. GPS, metronome and tuner apps, better camera than feature phones,...

The Lumia (formerly Nokia, now Microsoft) phones can be had super cheap. 635's go for about fifty bucks full price, but I'd recommend the AT&T sold 640 for about eighty. You don't have to have service; they work great as wifi only PDA's.

[Donn]

For those smartphone holdouts- even if you don't want to pay for a data plan (which can be had very reasonably if you look around), a smartphone without service is still a useful tool. GPS, metronome and tuner apps, better camera than feature phones,...

Tuner I've got, but I haven't seen any evidence of useful GPS capability without data. (I have phone service pre-paid, no data. Works OK for me - reasonable deal for a tuner with a high quality rechargeable battery, that can also do phone calls if I ever need to call anyone - but don't know how well it would work for anyone who likes to talk on the phone a lot. And I'm not positive the microphone is as good as you'd get in a purpose-built tuner, though it seems to do OK.)

[Rick F]

The GPS function in a smart phone works independent of data svc or cell connection, but you'll need a GPS app like TomTom or similar. But those apps are HUGE and a bit costly.

[Bob Kolada]

Nokia HERE works just fine without a connection and comes on the phones. There are a few free to cheap Android GPS apps that do the same; Skobbler is a good one.