smart phone (state, retiree, husband, conversations)

[Serious Conversation]

Absolutely - all the functions a smartphone can do are great for retirees and working people alike.

[evening sun]

Originally Posted by snapdragon1

Do you have a smartphone?

Are they worth it when you are retired?

No not really, I used it quite a bit when I first got it, but that was when we lived in San Francisco, so I would use the free wifi in many places. Now we have moved to the Sierra Foothills, & I can go weeks without turning it on. I use my laptop at home, it is much easier to read & use.

I probably won't get another one once this thing dies.

[SunGrins]

My hearing aids are tied to my iPhone by Bluetooth for music and audiobooks as well as phone calls. I never had use for an iPhone until I had the hearing aids. Now I've branched out to more uses.

[elousv]

Yes I have one, but you would have to make your own assessment as to if it is worth it. Our plan is $125/mo.

Use:
Maps quite a bit.
Email quite a bit.
Internet once in a while.
DW and I text in Costco to find each other.
Offline maps with GPS. This makes it worth it to me in the backwoods with no data coverage and I don't have to buy yet another device.
Flashlight that is pretty bright.
Handy camera to capture the moment.
Level app.
Sky map.
Emergency situations or close to it. Used it yesterday to contact home that I would be late and to not call rescue. Used it to call roadside assistance before.
Useful when traveling.
Music stream to stereo.
Handy to have when waiting for just about anything.
Shuts down "knowitalls" with a quick google check.
Barcode scanner.
Access to voicemails to home phone.
Calculator.
Calendar.

Problems:
Actual phone calls pretty much poor. Best cell call has been below analog quality from 1950s.
Dealing with making sure battery is charged.
Perpetual software updates, most of which are garbage.
Moronic user interface.
Awkward size.
Not very rugged.

[dunno what to put here]

My 78 (nearly 79) year old grandmother has a smartphone.. an iPhone to be precise. She uses YouTube, Facebook and Skype. She's quite the high-tech granny. She has an electricity and gas metre and she uses the online app to top it up as well.

IIRC she has a pay-as-you-go plan rather than a contract.

[HappyDogToday]

I am about at the point where my laptop is obsolete. What with my Kindle Fire and Android phone, I am only using it for word processing.

[beer belly]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

i actually call people when i want to tell them something .

I am still somewhat the same way, except texting gives the ability of a private conversation when someone is right there

[rmm0484]

Originally Posted by snapdragon1

Still on the fence.We have trach phone,so can make calls but can also understand the being on line bit,yet seems like a lot of money now home much of the time and retired.Yet nearly everyone has a smart phone,so maybe it is a case of not knowing what we are missing.

Almost all people here seem to enjoy it.

I am retired, and have a trac phone smart phone, which works just fine for me. I did not want to get sucked in to expensive plans, or to spend a lot of time looking at the phone, as so many others do, to the detriment of not paying attention to their surroundings. I find it convenient to check my e-mail, to interface with the car, and to receive the occasional text message.

[PeachSalsa]

My 81 year old father talked to me this past week about him getting a smart phone. He's getting tired of the flip phone and wants more options! :-D

[jim9251]

Nope. Had one and grew tired of the $100 plus bill. I have a flip phone Tracfone. I use it for GASP making phone calls. Bill averages $20 a month. I don't need to check social media every 5 seconds.