Ditching the smart phone and back to a dumb phone? (2013, taxes)

[BORN IN BROOKLYN 1986]

How many of you out there have switched back from a smart phone to a dumb phone ( Flip phones and or

phones that lack sophisticated internet capabilities ) to avoid costs? I can vividly remember what it was like to use

a dumb phone prior to the smart phone era. Once I upgraded to a smart phone in 2008 I never thought I

would look back. However the time is come to make some necessary cut backs and i am eyeing my cell phone bill

to start. I do not subscribe to social networking of any kind,however part of me still feels the need to have my

own personal data plan for usage consisting of :

*Mobile Banking.

*Google Maps ( yes i am a native ,but still at times google maps x navigation x gps comes in handy ).

*Convenient On the go browsing at anytime,anywhere ( YES the city is being outfitted with more and more free

wifi spots but still the service almsot always sucks due to the amount of people connected to that one hot spot

( ex : starbucks etc )


my current tmobile 4gb data plan is a "mere" ( in comparison to others paying substantially more than i on other networks) $ 30.00, however with costs ever rising in this city we have to make cuts where necessary to conserve.

my current plan is:

750 shared minutes between 2 phones ( my self and parent ( we got the lien when i was under age ) ) = 59.99

unlimited text on my line : 10.00

4 gb internet plan : 30.00

Total base price before taxes :99.99

Tmobile really has me in a bind as i upgraded / signed a new two year contract september 2012 prior to the

company going contract-less in 2013. In addition my minute plan is no longer offered and is a grandfathered

plan. Currently Tmobile only offers unlimited everything plan starting at 50.00 monthly for one line. I cant even

lower my data plan because it is supposedly tied to the contract i signed back in september, according to a rep i

spoke to.

[mc33433]

Maybe you should put this in the personal finance forum. Zero to do with NYC...

[anon1]

Originally Posted by BORN IN BROOKLYN 1986

How many of you out there have switched back from a smart phone to a dumb phone ( Flip phones and or

phones that lack sophisticated internet capabilities ) to avoid costs? I can vividly remember what it was like to use

a dumb phone prior to the smart phone era. Once I upgraded to a smart phone in 2008 I never thought I

would look back. However the time is come to make some necessary cut backs and i am eyeing my cell phone bill

to start. I do not subscribe to social networking of any kind,however part of me still feels the need to have my

own personal data plan for usage consisting of :

*Mobile Banking.

*Google Maps ( yes i am a native ,but still at times google maps x navigation x gps comes in handy ).

*Convenient On the go browsing at anytime,anywhere ( YES the city is being outfitted with more and more free

wifi spots but still the service almsot always sucks due to the amount of people connected to that one hot spot

( ex : starbucks etc )


my current tmobile 4gb data plan is a "mere" ( in comparison to others paying substantially more than i on other networks) $ 30.00, however with costs ever rising in this city we have to make cuts where necessary to conserve.

my current plan is:

750 shared minutes between 2 phones ( my self and parent ( we got the lien when i was under age ) ) = 59.99

unlimited text on my line : 10.00

4 gb internet plan : 30.00

Total base price before taxes :99.99

Tmobile really has me in a bind as i upgraded / signed a new two year contract september 2012 prior to the

company going contract-less in 2013. In addition my minute plan is no longer offered and is a grandfathered

plan. Currently Tmobile only offers unlimited everything plan starting at 50.00 monthly for one line. I cant even

lower my data plan because it is supposedly tied to the contract i signed back in september, according to a rep i

spoke to.

I know metro pcs has a bad rep but I gotta tell you man I have a smart phone that gets all the free apps and paid apps that the iphone, droid, galaxy and any other smart phone get, combined with unlimited minutes, texting and 4G for $45.00 a month... I switched from T-Mobile where I was paying twice that for a fraction of what I'm getting now and if I could compare level of quality where T-Mobile would be a 7, I'd give metro pcs a 6... The drop-off is minimal and for the cost you really can't beat it man. Now if you're getting a single plan, my unlimited everything plan would have been $50 instead of $45 but even then, it's a steal compared to the other "supposed" deals out there...

Also FWIW, T-Mobile bought out metro-pcs (very shrewd move on their part) so chances are, that the reception will only improve with time.

[BORN IN BROOKLYN 1986]

Originally Posted by mc33433

Maybe you should put this in the personal finance forum. Zero to do with NYC...

Living here in NYC, fast Paced ,ever expanding / developing and vast NYC having a smartphone with usefull apps

and reliable personal data connection ( in comparison to using free public wifi ) can be clutch. It is also costly if

you add up all of the money spent on a data plan per year. Therefore I am simply asking NYC residents to chime

in on their own personal experiences of living here in NYC without a dataplan / dumbphone.

[mc33433]

Originally Posted by BORN IN BROOKLYN 1986

Living here in NYC, fast Paced ,ever expanding / developing and vast NYC having a smartphone with usefull apps

and reliable personal data connection ( in comparison to using free public wifi ) can be clutch. It is also costly if

you add up all of the money spent on a data plan per year. Therefore I am simply asking NYC residents to chime

in on their own personal experiences of living here in NYC without a dataplan / dumbphone.

Okay, then. As a person living in NYC I am happy with my dataplan.

[Atsushi]

I have a simple basic flip phone with no data plan. I also have an iPad and subscribe to AT&T $25 a month plan (2.5GB). This works for me. I could save a little more if I cut back 3G usage to 250MB ($15 a month). Smart phone is too small for my old eyes, and I hate typing on a small smart phone with my thumb. I don't know why more people do what I do.

[Harlem resident]

I also have a "dumb" phone and I do not plan to change any time soon. I use it as a kind of portable phone booth. Seldom answer it, unless it happens to be in my hand as it rings.

I mean ... Why should I be more available ? That's all I need.
And people do seem to track me down anyway.

Regarding the "NYC" thing - people do seem to suggest that we, of all people, need the "smart" phones. Yet, somehow, I live on and prosper ! So I would say that this not true. Although it could depend on your specific professional involvements; your industry.

[MikeNigh]

Why is your post double spaced?

data plan is most important for maps and searching on the spot. For instance we went to a place expecting to have a certain brand of something and they were out. So we searched and called up the nearby alternatives till we found it.

[bigjretrac]

T-Mobile has a $30/month prepaid plan (100 min, 5G data, unlimited texting). Virgin Mobile has a $35/month prepaid plan (300 min, 2.5G data, unlimited texting). Somebody told me that VM discounts your bill by $5 if you do automatic payments, so that may bring you down to $30/month.

I've not used either of these carriers recently, so I can't speak to their coverage, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

Edit: Your post was rather hard to read-- I just realized you're locked into a contract, so I guess this whole discussion is moot? Also, the TMO plan I told you about is only available online or at WalMart.

[BORN IN BROOKLYN 1986]

Originally Posted by bigjretrac

T-Mobile has a $30/month prepaid plan (100 min, 5G data, unlimited texting). Virgin Mobile has a $35/month prepaid plan (300 min, 2.5G data, unlimited texting). Somebody told me that VM discounts your bill by $5 if you do automatic payments, so that may bring you down to $30/month.

I've not used either of these carriers recently, so I can't speak to their coverage, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

Edit: Your post was rather hard to read-- I just realized you're locked into a contract, so I guess this whole discussion is moot? Also, the TMO plan I told you about is only available online or at WalMart.

I guess in a nutshell im looking to hear feedback from those who manage byhaving a

simple cell phone as opposed to having a smart phone with data connectivity. These days the city is pushing for

more and more internet connectivity in which a an expensive smart phone and data plan is needed. Hence,


* You Need to know wheres the next citi bike rack location with empty space? Sure there is an app for that , but good luck using a public wifi hotspot basically you would need your own personal data plan.


* You are in Tribeca and want to know what the eating options are in the area? Sure there is an app for that , but good luck using a public wifi hotspot basically you would need your own personal data plan.


* You are lost and cant get from point A to B? Google maps x navigation is there for you , again Sure there is an app for that , but good luck using a public wifi hotspot basically you would need your own personal data plan.


The above scenarios are a few among many that I am sure many of us have encountered however had an

expensive smart phone and data plan handy to rectify. i am slightly fearful that by cutting my data plan i would

be making my life alot harder than need be in the NYC of today increasing its dependibility on people having a

smart phone and a data plan.