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??? I paid $99 for my brand new iPhone 4. Considering I sold my iPhone 3Gs (which I also bought for $99 new) for $175 on eBay in order to upgrade, I think I did alright. The monthly service fees for an iPhone are the same as any other smart phone. Some of us no longer us a land line in our homes, so that's another $30-40 that is offset on the monthly cell phone fees.
??? I paid $99 for my brand new iPhone 4. Considering I sold my iPhone 3Gs (which I also bought for $99 new) for $175 on eBay in order to upgrade, I think I did alright. The monthly service fees for an iPhone are the same as any other smart phone. Some of us no longer us a land line in our homes, so that's another $30-40 that is offset on the monthly cell phone fees.
i don't think forgoing landline should be used to justify the expense of a monthly data plan. i'm not saying there's anything wrong with getting a smartphone, but this has been mentioned a few times in this thread. the data plan doesn't replace your landline...that's what your voice plan replaced. the data plan is still an added cost. now, if you gave up internet in your home because of the data plan (which maybe some day we will)...then i'd buy that savings.
but right now, for most people a data plan is quite the luxury item. doesn't mean you shouldn't get it if you can afford to and want it. but i think it's a stretch to justify it by giving up your house phone that you didn't need anyways no matter what cell phone you have.
I could probably count on one hand the people that I know now who really have a land line on purpose. Even if you need a fax line that can be accomplished w/ e-fax. I have one for my DSL and never use the phone part of it!
i don't think forgoing landline should be used to justify the expense of a monthly data plan. i'm not saying there's anything wrong with getting a smartphone, but this has been mentioned a few times in this thread. the data plan doesn't replace your landline...that's what your voice plan replaced. the data plan is still an added cost. now, if you gave up internet in your home because of the data plan (which maybe some day we will)...then i'd buy that savings.
but right now, for most people a data plan is quite the luxury item. doesn't mean you shouldn't get it if you can afford to and want it. but i think it's a stretch to justify it by giving up your house phone that you didn't need anyways no matter what cell phone you have.
You can root your phone and turn it into a wifi hot spots with many of the new phones so potentially it can replace your internet at home. It could also replace a wireless data card if you had one or were thinking about getting one.
You can root your phone and turn it into a wifi hot spots with many of the new phones so potentially it can replace your internet at home. It could also replace a wireless data card if you had one or were thinking about getting one.
you can, but at current speeds, very few people are doing this. it can certainly replace the data card, which i think it will start to now as people with data cards wise up and realize they can get a phone and use it as a hotspot (without even rooting the phone) and pay lower monthly payments. but with speeds in the home where they are, i think we're a ways away from that happening with mobile devices. by a ways away...i mean probably a few years or more. lol
you can, but at current speeds, very few people are doing this. it can certainly replace the data card, which i think it will start to now as people with data cards wise up and realize they can get a phone and use it as a hotspot (without even rooting the phone) and pay lower monthly payments. but with speeds in the home where they are, i think we're a ways away from that happening with mobile devices. by a ways away...i mean probably a few years or more. lol
I have an OLD Alltel account which I am keeping because it allows me to have unlimited download on my internet access when I use the phone as a modem. The new Verizon accounts (and all other cell phone carriers who use air cards) only allow a limited amount of download (2gb - 10gb depending on how much you want to pay).
This might not be a big deal to some people, but I download a lot of big files and I would meet or exceed the 2gb max in just a few days.
Brady, the answering machine/cordless phone story is actually pretty funny. We did have an integrated unit until about six months ago when I walked across the floor in wool socks to answer a call. Static electricity took the phone out, in addition to giving me a shock I'll remember for quite awhile and scaring the daylights out of my son. We had a princess phone stashed in a drawer in case of a power outage, so we plugged it in and kept going. Now, all of us have adjusted to the change, and shopping for a new unit has ceased to be a priority.
Although our lifestyle might look like a throw-back to an earlier era, we're hardly Luddites. I think smartphones have great utility, even if I don't carry one myself. My spouse absolutely loves the flexibility it provides in both his work and private life, and although we bought the phone, his employer fully-reimburses the monthly expense.
We have deliberately chosen not to outfit our children with cell phones and laptops, because we strongly believe that those devices should be shared resources and kept in public areas of our home where their use can be monitored. I acknowledge that we are very much in the minority regarding this issue.
Last edited by formercalifornian; 04-22-2011 at 12:04 PM..
eh. the real cost is the monthly data plan, not the phone. think about it. virtually everyone has a phone these days. many people also have an mp3 player. so to pay $99 or $199 or whatever the current price is depending on the model...you're getting an mp3 player and phone in one. the real expense though is the $30/month you'll now pay for data plan.
That $30 data plan doesn't get you much. Watch a few videos and you'll probably go over the limit and get charged extra.
I have an OLD Alltel account which I am keeping because it allows me to have unlimited download on my internet access when I use the phone as a modem. The new Verizon accounts (and all other cell phone carriers who use air cards) only allow a limited amount of download (2gb - 10gb depending on how much you want to pay).
This might not be a big deal to some people, but I download a lot of big files and I would meet or exceed the 2gb max in just a few days.
20yrsinBranson
you're right. there are reasons to keep those older devices, because of legacy plans. i see that if i turn my phone into a hotspot right now for $20/month....i'm capped at 2gb. but think about how voice started, and text....eventually, it got less restrictive, not more. we'll get there with data too.
like i said...it'll be a few years before this becomes a replacement option for most people.
That $30 data plan doesn't get you much. Watch a few videos and you'll probably go over the limit and get charged extra.
I believe Sprint is the only one with uncapped data. I think tmobile may still have uncapped for a lil while longer before they change.
As for the tethering, I havn't rooted mine but a buddy did. We were able to play call of duty on the xbox and watch netflix. It the signal strenghth is strong enough for that it should be strong enough for anything else you may wanna do
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