When did having a smartphone become compulsory?

Yes I agree to that, I have always had Samsungs and am quite loyal to the brand. I certainly didnt pay a grand for it.

So pleased I have a Smartphone which makes life so much easier for me as follows.

Listen to BBC Sounds whilst out walking through my hearing aids
Hairdresser reminds me of my next appointment
So does doctor
Sorted my covid vac on phone today
Play games when I am waiting anywhere
Can track my grandson when he is out of the house
Use it as a Sat Nav
Find the nearest toilet
Take photographs and videos
Set an alarm
Watch tennis in Monaco this week
Even make a phone call !
Etc…….

What’s not to like ?

MerylStreep, regarding the link to the 3G phone you provided earlier (Wed 12-Apr-23 18:14:06), please be aware that 3G is to be switched off by individual network providers over the next couple of years (also 2G). The phone will not be any use whatsoever.

I recently acquired a push button PAYG Nokia 105 4G for someone who struggles with technology but needed a phone specifically to be contacted if he was out and to get text messages for 2 factor authentication when he was setting up apps on his iPad. It cost £15 + £10 top up. (I was asked to find something under £30 then set it up - I met his brief.)

As someone who is comfortable with technology, I found the primitive Nokia difficult to use (I had the original of this in the mid 90's). Keying the numbers and names, locking and unlocking the phone, the lack of visibility of what I was doing, inability to change basic settings actually made it less useable than I expected. I'll be interested to see how my friend copes, especially as he is getting on reasonably well with an iPad.

Technology can do better, especially for those it has passed by. Passwords replaced by biometrics, voice instructions replacing painfully slow keyboard use, banks providing a secure service for their vulnerable customers and so on. But if there is no real demand for the technology by society, it's just not going to happen soon enough.

MerylStreep

Apple are the safest phone you can buy. Plus, even though someone might have a different model you still know your way around it.
Plus, their support is brilliant. That’s what you’re paying for.

That’s what my friend told me. He was surprised that I had an Apple iPad but a Samsung Galaxy phone but I only bought that as I was desperate to get something to replace my ancient Nokia. Apple were very helpful when my iPad died on me although I was pretty fed up that I would have had to pay nearly £300 for them to see if it was repairable. But once I told them that I’d bought a new one they were great. The guy in the shop where I initially took my iPad to be looked at told me that he’s always having to help people remove things from their non Apple phones that they didn’t ask for.

I bought a secondhand iPhoneXR from Amazon - think I paid about £200. I am not u dear any contract. I am with Tesco Mobile and a credit of £20 lasts me about 3 months

Under

Windee

Don't forget all the supermarkets who lure you to 'download their app' for more savings - no thank you!

I have apps for most of the local shops on my phone and only last week that gave me savings of nearly €10.

I also thought and hoped it would also enable them to target advertising and offers to my regular purchases but the technology doesn't seem to have got that far yet. Having said that, I don't get offers for nappies, sanitary products or pet food, none of which I need, so maybe it is working without my noticing.

Wouldn't be without my smart phone. Ticket machines are so often out of order - much easier to just get them on the phone, out of the rain.

The Apple SE is a good phone and not as expensive as the higher end of the range. I also have an SE Apple Watch which I love.

My Sainsbury's SmartShop app does give me offers on regular purchases. I use it to scan as I go round the shop. It works very well and fast. I can use it to pay quickly at the end on a self-service till, and get Nectar points without getting out a Nectar card. It's very convenient and I haven't noticed a downside.

ApplePay is also very convenient and quicker than using a debit card. I keep loyalty cards, like for Boots or M&S, in the Wallet app on my phone.

I buy second-hand iPhones and pay about £8 a month to Three.

IPhones are said to be more secure against viruses than other phones. They are also easy and intuitive to use, and the Apple customer support is amazing.

I find my smartphone very useful for:

- Online shopping
- Online banking
- Listening to podcasts and watching videos
- Listening to radio stations or watching TV, including on demand
- Reading the news (BBC website or newspapers)
- Up to date weather forecasts
- Reading e-books including library books
- Renewing library books
- Taking and storing photos
- Satnav and compass
- Using WhatsApp for group chats and group phone calls
- Calendar (diary) app which reminds me of upcoming appointments
- Making GP appointments
- Recipe app which stores recipes, imports them into meal plans for the week and generates shopping lists
- There is even an app that makes it easy to print address labels for Christmas cards
- Not to mention texts and phone calls!

Whether we like it or not, Smartphones and many of the cultural changes associated with them are here to stay. They don't need to be wildly expensive, either. I have a Samsung Galaxy, SIM free, which cost me £140, and which has more capabilities than I need. Other makes are available, some of which are less than £100. Second hand ones are also worth a look. The advance of technology is relentless and unavoidable, and I guess that the best we can do is to focus on those aspects that can improve the quality of our lives and give us better access to what we need. I think it's also important to be clear about what we don't need, and to leave that alone. I certainly couldn't function efficiently these days without my Smartphone, as so much of what I do is facilitated by it.

MayBee70

I don’t have a smart phone ( can’t even use the phone I do have) but use my iPad for everything. It broke down last week and I couldn’t function….contacting people, buying things, paying bills, reading the news. But I’ve realised I need to get a good phone and learn how to use it. But they’re @ £1000 and I assume I’ll have to pay a monthly fee too?

No need to spend £1000 - I recently bought a new iPhone SE from an Apple store (I like the smaller size of the SE) for £450.

Anyone who can post on Gransnet can easily use a smart phone!

Finances permitting, I think older people shouldn't shun new technology - it's almost a badge of honour with some.

Riverwalk

MayBee70

I don’t have a smart phone ( can’t even use the phone I do have) but use my iPad for everything. It broke down last week and I couldn’t function….contacting people, buying things, paying bills, reading the news. But I’ve realised I need to get a good phone and learn how to use it. But they’re @ £1000 and I assume I’ll have to pay a monthly fee too?

No need to spend £1000 - I recently bought a new iPhone SE from an Apple store (I like the smaller size of the SE) for £450.

Anyone who can post on Gransnet can easily use a smart phone!

Finances permitting, I think older people shouldn't shun new technology - it's almost a badge of honour with some.

This! If you're posting on GN, you're clearly using some form of technology, so using a smartphone shouldn't be much of a stretch.

It’s not compulsory - yet, but soon if you don’t have one, you will have to find help to do day to day activities. You don’t need a fancy IPhone, cheaper android phones are an alternative, plenty of S/H phones available, mine is 7 yrs old and still updates to current OS.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I bought a second hand iPhone from the local iOutlet shop (£359 but plenty of cheaper ones available, guaranteed 12 months) and have a £6 pm sim only deal (soon to increase but still under £7). It doesn’t have to cost the earth.

MayBee70

I don’t have a smart phone ( can’t even use the phone I do have) but use my iPad for everything. It broke down last week and I couldn’t function….contacting people, buying things, paying bills, reading the news. But I’ve realised I need to get a good phone and learn how to use it. But they’re @ £1000 and I assume I’ll have to pay a monthly fee too?

You don’t have to pay that much Maybee don’t buy the latest one out and buy reconditioned Mine have never cost over £200 and last for years I ve never had one die on me yet and I pay £8.50 a month to my provider Sim only and I get FAR more data than I ever use So not as bad as you are thinking If you can find your way round iPad go for a reconditioned not the latest iPhone and you ll find it easy peasy

I buy online from CEX and be sure to look at the battery power in the write up about it

I did a lot of IT community teaching with adults (generally pensioners) who realised they'd soon find life difficult if they didn't use a computer. That was around 2000 - 2015. Next, it will be awkward without using a smartphone. Once 80% or more of the population have them, they're 'mainstream'.

Now, we can shop, book holidays, research, follow our interests, browse entertainment, watch the news - and, vitally, communicate (I just love email) with these tools.

If it's just for occasional use, though, you can always use a family member's phone. Ask around and somebody will have an 'old' one to spare. We don't need a brand new one - or the latest model.

Just use it for what you find convenient. I prefer my laptop's larger screen, using the phone for texts, WhatsApp, Zoom and quick calls - oh, and for reading the meters!

Siope

My iPhone cost me £200 second hand, and I pay £7 a month for unlimited calls and texts and a reasonable data allowance, SIM only.

But you don’t need to use your phone for internet banking if you don’t want to.

I too recommend a second hand I phone. Buy it from a shop where you'll get a guarantee and some help/advice setting up. One reason for getting a decent phone is the quality of pictures it takes, ie easily equivalent to a good basic camera, if that's of interest.

Cost well under £200 and I have a contract for Sim only with 02 - but its best to go with a provider that has good service in your area.

I don't pay for things with my phone that's a step too far for me - do banking my computer and use cards - but some of the apps are wonderful. Some features that one doesn't think of - for example someone finding you needing help can access your essential medical details without a password:

google maps in he phone act as a satnav:

WhatsApp is a cheap way of communicating with friends and family, and you can have video calls. I have a voice recorder which can be very useful to record important discussions or have a record of what's been said - for example at the doctors when they explain something!

Yes its a bit of a techie leap but honestly I'm not very techie.

The other night I arrived at an outer-suburb station heading home - the train was just pulling out and I missed it. So I was on an empty platform and the destination display was blank.

No problem, as with a few taps on my phone I could see that the next train was seven minutes away. Had the next train been 30 minutes away I could have summoned an Uber using the App on my trusty phone. Smart phones are just so very useful!

Don't forget on WhatsApp you can send your location on Google maps. This is invaluable if you are travelling to friends or family as they can check every now and then to see where you are. They will know when you are at the corner of their road and can come out to meet you as you arrive. It's fabulous!
Find the person in WhatsApp.
Click the paperclip symbol.
Click location.
Share live location.
Choose 1h or 8hrs.

I have a Samsung Galaxy J3 which is an Android I bought in 2018. Now I want to upgrade as the camera is poor and it doesn't have a compass which I would love. Why? because I want to download Sky Safari. This follows the stars in the sky and you can identify what you're looking at on a clear night. I really want a compass!

My J3 has a 5 inch screen which is fine for me. I would be happy to get a much newer model but the screen size has gone up so they are all 6 inches or even 6.5 inches or more!

So have you gone down that route and do you find the 6.5 inch phones are now too large? (the screen is measured diagonally top to bottom).

You can get monthly deals from Tesco Mobile. No need to spend anything like £100 let alone £1000. Technology can only make life easier if you actually have it.

Casdon

I think you’re loyal to one or the other volver. I’ve got an iPhone and an iPad and they do exactly what you describe your androids doing, what’s on one is on the other, it’s so easy. I’d never have an android, I don’t like the operating system compared with Apple, which is intuitive. I also like the fact that the security is inbuilt and updates automatically, you don’t have to pay extra. But it’s each to their own. The only downside of Apple is the cost of laptops I think.

I've never, in 30 years, had to worry about a virus on any Apple product. I buy second hand lap tops too, but they are more expensive, but given how much I use it worth it.
I also like the sound quality on my Apple lap top as I listen to a lot of music on it. You can get really good media output these days on PC's, but they are in the upper cost range.