[sunwolf]

My old phone finally died this weekend. It was nothing special and an inch thick (ugh). I hope to find something better this time around. I went to the local store just to see what kind of dismal options I had for a new phone.

First of all there were only 3 phones that weren't "smart phones". (I include anything with a big touch screen in this designation.)

Of those 3 options, 2 had music player buttons up the front. This excludes them on principle, since I already have a real music player & amp in my other pocket I don't need a crappy music player on my phone. The last option was huge and had monster buttons for blind people or something. I'm not blind and I don't want a ginormous cell phone but it was the best choice there! It was the only thing not bloated with tons of crap I don't need or want. :rolleyes:

I really hate all these popular cell phones, which should actually be called "all-in-one" devices since 95% of their features nowadays have nothing to do with phoning. To my mind a cell phone should be small, durable, able to send/receive phone calls, and I guess probably text messages as well since they have become so engrained in society now. :rolleyes:

But these "smart" devices reek of amateurism. A cell phone camera won't appease anyone who knows anything about photography and has a real camera any more than a cell phone music player will appease any Head-Fi member. Similarly a 3" mobile browser won't appease many people who use the internet productively (I guess there could be some exceptions, but they're not well implemented). Taking pics of your dipshit friends, listening to Justin Bieber and updating Facebook/Twitter is about the extent of the usefulness of these devices and the mentality of the audience they are created for.

To anyone intelligent who appreciates the paradigm of separating tasks and hates bloated software or hardware, these "smart" "phones" are about the representation of everything we hate. Rather than performing one task well, they perform every task poorly. They are the final commercialization of technology for amateurish audiences of brainless teenagers and adults with about the same mentality. They are not only bloated in size, unnecessary features, short battery lives, low durability, but they also tie you in with complex plans, locks all over the phone, and they cost a lot!

The final nail in the coffin is all the headaches surrounding locked phones, crappy proprietary cables & software required to interface with the phone, and all these ridiculous "data plans". I wouldn't use one of these things if I got it for free. It is alternatively funny and sad that there are tens of millions of fad-following brainless dolts out there who are constantly chasing after the newest and greatest and most stylish phones.

So, Head-Fi, I dearly hope there is a Cellphone-Fi somewhere or at least some products designed for the higher intelligence or more tasteful members of society, as there usually is in every market. Please enlighten me.

 

[calipilot227]

The "smartphone:" Jack of all trades, master of none. 

 

[DaBomb77766]

I must say, I'd disagree with you here...while it may be "bloated" and have more features than a normal cellphone has, an iPhone is far more versatile than a normal cellphone.  The apps it has can be quite useful, and it can play games and such too.  Of course, if you have no need for unit converter apps, VR apps, astronomy apps and the like, then it is no more than a bloated piece of crap.
 
I wouldn't call the features "unnecessary" though.  Some people, like me, find them quite useful, and entertaining at times.  You have to keep in mind that compromises have to be made with such tiny little devices.  While it may not provide the best possible web browsing experience, you have to realize that carrying a laptop in your pocket is more than a little impractical.  Sometimes you have to make the best of what you have.  Smartphones were never designed to replace desktop/laptop computers, they were meant to compliment them.  Of course you can do pretty much everything nicer with, say, a dedicated camera or an actual laptop.  But as far as a PDA goes, you're not gonna get much better than a smartphone - they're basically just a PDA with a phone.  And the fact that they can play music is nice too, seeing as how it means that you don't absolutely need to carry a separate DAP and amp around with you, and can instead just plug your amp into your iPhone's LOD.
 
"Jack of all trades but master of none" is a good description, but it's shockingly narrow minded to actually believe that this actually makes them worthless.
 
That said, if you have no need for any of the features a smartphone has to offer other than the phone part, or simply cannot afford the rather expensive data plans, you would be well justified in buying a normal cellphone.  But that doesn't mean you should bash on something you've never even used before.

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

"Jack of all trades but master of none" is a good description, but it's shockingly narrow minded to actually believe that this actually makes them worthless.
 

But if you own a good camera, music player, etc. and don't want to pay $30 a month for a data plan, a smartphone is pretty worthless. Some people just want a phone so that they can make phone calls (gee, what a concept). I didn't know it was so "shockingly narrow minded" to want a greater selection of non-smartphones.
 

 

[DaBomb77766]

Quote:

But if you own a good camera, music player, etc. and don't want to pay $30 a month for a data plan, a smartphone is pretty worthless. Some people just want a phone so that they can make phone calls (gee, what a concept). I didn't know it was so "shockingly narrow minded" to want a greater selection of non-smartphones.
 

As I said, there's nothing wrong with wanting a normal cellphone.  The demand for them is still pretty high, as not everybody wants a smartphone.  But still, if you want something that can do pretty much anything in one small device, you can't beat a smartphone.  Again, it would be rather impractical to carry around a DAP, DSLR camera, laptop and ebook reader if you can have a smartphone that can do all of that, albiet not as well - sometimes you just have to make compromises for convenience.
 
I mean, anybody who knows the first thing about photography knows that a point-and-shoot camera can't take pictures worth a crap.  But sometimes you simply cannot carry a DSLR around with a compliment of various lenses for different purposes.
 
I said that it's shockingly narrow-minded to call a smartphone worthless.  My point still stands.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I suppose you could track down an original RAZR somewhere. I loved the form factor. It also forces you to memorize phone numbers since they're a pain to enter and you have to dig through several menus to find them.

Though I disagree with you about smartphones. I've had an iPhone since introduction (now using a 4) and have found it immensely useful. Right now, even, because I'm having a beer and checking Head-Fi.

As for the camera, it's OK. I use a DSLR for serious photography, but the camera is hugely useful for other things. I routinely snap pictures of parts I need to find at the store, quickly copying a list or instructions someone has, maps, and where I park my car in big parking lots so I can find it again. No, it's not for artistic works (though you probably could with careful use) but as a practical means of conveying and storing information, it's a lifesaver.

The music player is quite good. I enjoy using it with my old IEMs. It's not quite my home rig, but on public transportation, it's wonderful.

Apps are terrific, too. Some favorites include weather, maps, GPS/compass, and the HP 12C emulator. Having my favorite calculator with me always makes me happy. I use it as a flashlight, the browser is workable, I get my email, and it makes phone calls, too.

And lots else. I use it about 4-5 hours a day and it is the most useful thing I own.

Buy what makes you happy, but the reason I carry a smartphone is because I actually use it. So do millions of other people.

 

[viewtifuljon]

You could import a John's Phone...but that may be too far in the opposite direction for your taste.

 

[sunwolf]

You could import a John's Phone...but that may be too far in the opposite direction for your taste.

Interesting, never heard of this one before! I would buy one but 80 euros seems too steep.

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

But if you own a good camera, music player, etc. and don't want to pay $30 a month for a data plan, a smartphone is pretty worthless. Some people just want a phone so that they can make phone calls (gee, what a concept). I didn't know it was so "shockingly narrow minded" to want a greater selection of non-smartphones.
 

I own a good camera and a good music player, both dedicated devices, and still own a smartphone (HTC Aria). I don't expect it to take great pictures, play music well, or browse the internet well, but I am able to use the camera and data-plan/internet combo while shopping to scan bar-codes and do comparison shopping on the fly, and while the music player isn't fantastic, it does present itself pretty passably for quickly demo-ing a track that I want my friend to listen to or he wants me to listen to if both of us are too lazy to pull our music players out of our room or backpack. Personally though, I'd be perfectly satisfied with a cellphone that makes calls and ends at that, but one thing I have to have these days is a text messaging plan and a dedicated keyboard. The reason for this is because I work in an oilfield that has terrible cellphone reception and I always need to keep in touch with other field engineers and the main office. If the signal drops during a call, I have to wait till the phone picks up the signal again and then try my luck again, but at least with texting, I can write my message quickly and need a very quick moment of connectivity to quickly send off the message.
 

 

[wind016]

I smell someone is jealous of not being able to afford an Iphone

  I'm not going to bring a PDA, a cell phone, a camera, GPS, a tablet, mp3 player and what not all outside and then have to flip through each of them.

 

[Nagasaki_Kid]

motorola f3, cnn calls it the zombie apocalypse phone. 

 

[mark2410]

so he doesnt want an all in one device, *** people if he doesnt want one he doesnt want one.

i cant really suggest any in particular but i always liked SonyEricsson ones

 

[john mcguirk]

I don't care what you get, but you seem to have some serious anger issues with "modern society" and our ease of communication channeled through your frustration with smartphones. You should get that checked out.

 

[viewtifuljon]

Quote:

Quote:

You could import a John's Phone...but that may be too far in the opposite direction for your taste.

Interesting, never heard of this one before! I would buy one but 80 euros seems too steep.

Yeah, the price threw me off too...I don't know what I'll do when my Nokia goes kaput.

 

[sunwolf]

Bluechip VX1 looks attractive. Do they work in north america?