For a long time I’ve been on the fence trying to decide whether or not I should get a smartphone. Depending on the day, my feelings run hot and cold and I’m embarrassed to admit how much literature I’ve collected from different providers. I’ve studied, underlined, and made copious notes in the margins of these pamphlets, and then sent them off to the recycling center. I know smartphones are useful, and I like fiddling around with gadgets as much as anyone, but it’s hard for me to justify the expense for these reasons.
Need: I don’t have to commute or travel on a regular basis and I have internet access from my home and office. If I were away from the office on a more regular basis, a smartphone would answer the need for easy internet access. But I don’t travel regularly, so the need for a phone isn’t critical.
Service Availability: I live and work in a rural mountainous area and cell service is not dependable. About a year ago I purchased a pay-as-you-go phone and couldn’t receive a reliable signal. It was a disappointment so I returned the phone. I didn’t feel right paying so much for a service that isn’t universally available all the time. I know many aren’t concerned by this, but for me it didn’t seem like money well spent.
Cost: With no clear need and spotty service, the idea of spending a lot of money for a phone and data plan, and then be locked in to a two year commitment, didn’t seem like a worthwhile expense. Without an immediate need, that would make for an expensive paper weight.
I like the concept of uninterrupted access to the communications network, and see the benefits. If any two of the cited issues change, –strong need, great signal availability and more reasonable prices, I’d jump onto the smartphone bandwagon in a heartbeat.
Here’s another thought. A friend of mine recently told me of a daughter’s smartphone saga. The daughter is an interior designer with two small children and a high pressure job in New York. On a flight to South Carolina she lost her phone and it took a week for the replacement to arrive. Not only was she not concerned about the interruption of service, she so enjoyed the peace and quiet that release from this electronic tether brought her, she wished it had taken two weeks for the replacement device to arrive.
What do you think?
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