Back to a flip phone

[tindog13]

I'm thinking of breaking the tech wall and downgrading my phone, going back to a simple flip phone, like the Motorola V3t... I love the idea of the smart phone and superphones, but the phone manufacturers seem to have put the "phone" aspect of these devices in the background. I love apps and media and all that, but shouldn't the "phone" functions come first? By now, shouldn't they just be the best damned phones in the history of technology? And shouldn't they work the way we need to use them, all safety considerations included, like total hands-free voice dialing and answering? I know my old, old V3t could do that easily, never had to touch the phone to make or answer or abandon a call, but every upgrade I've made to date has been a downgrade in that area. I'm on the T-Mobile G1 now, and its consideration of its phone functions are abysmal. I'm researching to upgrade, but I'm not seeing a lot of attention being paid to the "phone" aspects of the new phones. Besides the fact that all the new use technology is far ahead of the battery tech. Anyone else feeling this way?

 

[jamor]

Not really it's not just phones.

Why do Plasmas TVs still buzz?

Why do LCD TVs still have poor viewing angles?

Why don't LED TVs have as deep a black as a Plasma?

Why aren't cars all electric?

Why doesn't everyone have 100 MBPs?

There are a million things I could point out about technology. It was only 100 years ago people were driving around in a horse and buggy. We are spoiled and that is why we always seemingly feel "behind".

Take this moment and relish it!!

 

[Hrethgir]

My wife didn't want a smartphone when we switched from AT&T to Verizon, all she wanted was a smallish flip phone with a decent camera. So she got an LG Accolade, and I got my DX. Calling seems to be pretty good on it, but honestly, making phone calls is one of the things I do the least with my phones, LOL! I think I used all of 22 minutes last month. But when I do use it, it works fine; good sound-cancelling, speakerphone, and call quality. No more dropped calls once i got off of AT&Ts crapped-up system.

 

[Hrethgir]

Not really it's not just phones.

Why do Plasmas TVs still buzz?

Why do LCDs TVs still have poor viewing angles?

Why aren't cars all electric?

Why doesn't everyone have 100 MBPs?

There are a million things I could point out about technology. It was only 100 years ago people were driving around in a horse and buggy. We are spoiled and that is why we always seemingly feel "behind".

Didn't know plasma TVs buzz, that sucks. I have an LCD, which, by the way, has a pretty huge viewing angle, I can see whatever is on the screen fine unless I'm looking at the back of the TV, LOL! And cars aren't all electric because being able to drive 50 miles and then having to wait hours to recharge isn't a viable option for a lot of people. This comes down to battery technology. Although, technically, the Chevy Volt is a pure electric car, the gas engine is just used as a generator to power the electric motorand charge the batteries once the batteries is drained. Bu the gas engine has no direct connection to the drive wheels like in the Honda and Toyota hybrids. but the nissan Leaf is pure electric.

 

[tindog13]

I see your point, but I don't agree, I think the designers are as caught up in the side features as the rest of us and have lost focus to a degree. Certainly technology often jumps ahead of wisdom, but just because it's always been that way is a poor excuse to perpetuate a bad trend. We knew the need for seat belts, and even experimented with them, for decades before they became the standard. Electric windows as well. (Remember, that was a safety issue too, it was dangerous to crank a window with a handle while the car was still moving). Wouldn't it be novel to 'learn' from past inadequacies instead of stoically repeating inefficient behavior?

 

[gallandof]

go with motorola if your looking for good call quality they have the best. smart phone or simple

 

[tindog13]

I just mean, like I said, I love all the software gadgetry, I do... but my main concern is the fact that there's no way we're going to get away from using our phones while driving, so why not concentrate on making that as safe as it is possible to make it... no touch operation, less drops... it just seems the wise way to go to me.

 

[Hrethgir]

I just mean, like I said, I love all the software gadgetry, I do... but my main concern is the fact that there's no way we're going to get away from using our phones while driving, so why not concentrate on making that as safe as it is possible to make it... no touch operation, less drops... it just seems the wise way to go to me.

You'll have to touch something to let it know you are going to talk to it. But from there, it should all be hands free. I just need to unlock the screen and hit the voice search button, then from there on out it's telling it who to call and talking on the speakerphone. Sure, gotta hit a couple things, but do that at a stoplight, and the rest as you are moving. Besides, they've shown that hands-free isn't really any better than holding the phone to your ear, as you are distracted by the conversation either way.

 

[tindog13]

I didn't have to do that on my old V3t. At least, I didn't have to touch the phone. I did have to touch the headset, but a single touch of something on my ear was much safer than reaching out to the phone and having to look at what it is I'm touching.

 

[tindog13]

Yeah, I think that's a bit of propaganda anyway. Sure, it's all dangerous and we should be glued to the steering wheel and the road, but in my observation, talking to someone who is actually "in" the car with you is more dangerous... people tend to gesture more to an actual person, and look at them for validation or reaction... when I talk with a headset or over my GPS, my attention is on the road far more than when someone is sitting next to me. Also, I'm aware of all this, so I'm making an effort to make the phone call secondary to driving, and I try to not have long rambling conversations, but that's not everyone, so the technology could be more accommodating.

 

[tindog13]

Also, I still see wireless as safer if for no other reason than, if you do have to react to something, you don't lose that split second of "do I just drop my phone - or try to explain what's happening so I don't seem rude?" - we shouldn't think that way, but we do. At least with wireless your hands can be on the wheel doing the job of driving and being ready to react.

 

[shawn1224]

You also have to look at how the market is veering more towards a data enabled environment than anything else. Phone calls are becoming more antiquated as technology evolves. Providers are more concerned with getting you locked in for premium data rates than monthly minute packages, they'll even give you some exorbitant amount of minutes for little to nothing. Since this is the carriers bread & butter, the manufacturer's are going to put a higher premium on content that consumes this data. If people were to start using more minutes, the we might start seeing better equipped handsets that are geared towards excellent phone features. Until then, I guess we must roll with the tide.

 

[knivesout]

Honestly, the only reason I see to migrate backward to a featureless, powerless phone would be the cost. Nowadays, we're spending $200-300 for an upgrade to a smart phone, plus (on Sprint) an extra $20 for "Smartphone data" per month, per phone...it's becoming very expensive. That adds up to $30 per month for me over the course of a 2-year contract, which, when you really think about it, may not be worth it. There are very few things I'm willing to spend $30 per month on, in retrospect.

 

[tindog13]

I live in Los Angeles. On a daily basis I see people holding their handsets to their ears, even though laws were recently passed to discourage it. I could go out right now and drive for 15 minutes and see several. So the people are still making "phone calls". I text a fair amount and email from my phone, but I also talk, voice to voice, enough to consider it the main feature of the phone. So for me, downgrading would not be about cost... with Data plan I'm significantly over $30, and I don't mind it so much, I use my phone for many things.. I make appts, pay bills, check movie times and tv schedules, program my DVR... all kinds of things... but in the name of safety, I think I would go back to an earlier model. I think that, knowing that dialing while driving is a serious issue, the phone manufacturers are behaving in a socially irresponsible way by not addressing the issue and targeting a younger driving demo at the same time. IMHO

 

[bigbadwulff]

Droid X: Phone works great.

Vizio LCD. I sit to the side of it and the picture is great and I didn't have to reinforce my wall to mount it, like a plasma battleship-armor TV. No hernia either .

Electric car: No thanks.

Hybrid: No thanks

VW diesel: THANKS!

 

[Roze]

I'm on the T-Mobile G1 now, and its consideration of its phone functions are abysmal. I'm researching to upgrade, but I'm not seeing a lot of attention being paid to the "phone" aspects of the new phones. Besides the fact that all the new use technology is far ahead of the battery tech. Anyone else feeling this way?

OK, seems like no one really got to the root of your problem. Your phone. First off you have an 'outdated' G1. What android os version are you on? Is it stock 2.1 or are you rooted and have 2.2 or 2.3 running on it? BT Handsfree dialing is not enabled until 2.2. So if you're on anything below that, you won't be able to just press your BT, say who you want to call and have the phone call for you. I would recommend that you try out and/or buy a phone with 2.2 or higher. This will definitely solve your problem.

reference: Android 2.2 Platform Highlights | Android Developers

 

[tindog13]

First off, thanks, but the root of my problem isn't that I have an outdated phone, the root of my problem is that I have a perfectly good piece of hardware that could perform the task, and imo should have in the first place (we certainly had the technology if my old V3t could do it), and my Service Provider won't upgrade the device, requiring that I spend several hundred dollars again on a newer phone. We are being seriously taken advantage of by the phone manufacturers and service providers, and I can see that for luxury features, but not basic safety features. Apple was guilty of the same oversight with the original iPhone... I don't do Apple, so I don't know what the newer iPhones do, I heard that you could buy a third party app to do, but even that seems hardly fair for a basic safey feature. I know I could simply buy a new phone, and eventually probably will... and once I get true hands free dialing it will be my last upgrade for a long time, and I really wish more people would demand better design integrity instead of running out and continually feeding the machine to have the latest trick.

 

[Meximo]

Maybe I need to read the original post again, but you are looking for hand-free dialing? What about voice commands? I never have to touch my phone while I am in my car. Albeit I have a little car with that Bluetooth technology so everyone in the car can hear my conversation but generally I drive alone. And when I use a Bluetooth again I never touch my phone. I call the same 4 people all the time and never use my minutes.

I had to use my husband's caveman phone(that's what he calls it) I almost had a fit with it. But probably because I didn't buy the cell for its phone use but all the other gadgetry and I could use it as a cell.

More power to you to go back to a flip phone. Seriously not being a smarty pants.

 

[Roze]

First off, thanks, but the root of my problem isn't that I have an outdated phone, the root of my problem is that I have a perfectly good piece of hardware that could perform the task, and imo should have in the first place (we certainly had the technology if my old V3t could do it), and my Service Provider won't upgrade the device, requiring that I spend several hundred dollars again on a newer phone. We are being seriously taken advantage of by the phone manufacturers and service providers, and I can see that for luxury features, but not basic safety features. Apple was guilty of the same oversight with the original iPhone... I don't do Apple, so I don't know what the newer iPhones do, I heard that you could buy a third party app to do, but even that seems hardly fair for a basic safey feature. I know I could simply buy a new phone, and eventually probably will... and once I get true hands free dialing it will be my last upgrade for a long time, and I really wish more people would demand better design integrity instead of running out and continually feeding the machine to have the latest trick.

Notice that I put 'oudated' in quotes? It was nothing against your phone, but that's how technology 'roll'. Lets face fact, your phone gets 'outdated' in a couple of months when a newer, faster, shinier phone comes out. Some people consider my Nexus One 'outdated' and it's only a year out.

Well you indirectly answered that you're not rooted. Have you ever considered rooting your phone? Rooting has gotten much easier since the 'G1 day' (sorry). If you research on rooting and see if that's something you're comfortable with, I would highly suggest that you do. You can get great support here if you have any questions. There are tones of threads that explain rooting and how it works. As you said, the hardware is still good, it's just the software that's limiting for you.

 

[3devious]

Yeah, the voice software in Android has spoiled me to the point that I want a flip phone that has the voice functionality.

I'd like something small that I could keep in a pocket or small purse but I could use the voice commands we have for text, email, calling etc. Now that you can even make it do navigation with voice commands, I think it would be cool to just have it in my pocket with my headphones on giving me directions as I am walking down the street.

The only hands free/voice software I'd really like to see an improvement in would be the email/web page reader. If you could interact with that through voice or even the buttons you have in your headset, that would be great. That would also improve a blind person's accessibility to Android.

A large screen is nice, but I'd like something really small that can do all of the other stuff.

 

[Roze]

Yeah, the voice software in Android has spoiled me to the point that I want a flip phone that has the voice functionality.

where is your icon?

I'd like something small that I could keep in a pocket or small purse but I could use the voice commands we have for text, email, calling etc. Now that you can even make it do navigation with voice commands, I think it would be cool to just have it in my pocket with my headphones on giving me directions as I am walking down the street.

I would love that since I jog or walk a lot.

 

[MyNamesTooLong]

You have tmobile...buy an old v3t or something for cheap on craigslist, and put the sim card in that when you want hands free everything

 

[PSkeptic]

I totally get what tindog is saying. My phone, with it's 1GHz CPU should have NO lag when I hit the "Phone Button". And the "phone part" of the phone should feel just as responsive as a "dumb phone".

I always wondered, after looking at the very first smart phone I had (A Treo) is how hard would it be to make the "phone portion" of the phone RTOS, and when making calls and the like, everything else takes a back seat?

It seems as though the phone part works at the same "priority level" as the browser. For a phone, I think that's stupid.

I also get the part about car operation. My last phone, I put it on speaker, and it would stay on speaker phone until I turned it off. Now, there's not even an option to turn speaker on prior to dialing, so while driving it's always a race to find the speaker phone button (No tactile sense, so you can't "feel for the button") before the party picks up.

 

[Outlaw71]

I'd say the answer is pretty simple really. If you want a phone that concentrates on being a good phone, then buy a dumb phone, that's what it lives for, making phone calls. Todays smartphones are yesterdays computers, shrunk down to fit in your pocket... and they make calls too. Certainly when you're creating a 4 inch by 3 inch computer that does practically everything your laptop can do, it's pretty obvious where the concentration in that project was heading.

As far as pure safety goes, you shouldn't be talking on your phone at all while driving if this is your main concern. Yes lots of people do it. Lots of people have sex without a condom too. Studies have shown that having a conversation with someone who isn't there takes much more of your concentration than having one with someone who is. So say you're in the car talking to someone in the passenger seat, that takes up a fairly small percentage of you brains concentration abilities, leaving you with more awareness to spend on the road, and conditions around you. Now move that conversation to a person on the other end of a phone, and suddenly the majority of your brains concentration abilities are spent trying to make sense of what is being said, and comprehending it, leaving much, much less of your awareness to the task of safely operating your vehicle.

So really, pushing a few buttons is the least of your worries when driving your car. Simply talking on your phone is just as dangerous. And I'm not here to say I've never talked on my phone while driving or anything superior like that. Just giving the facts as I've learned them.

 

[3devious]

where is your icon?

I know I am often a smartass, but I actually think it's pretty good. Lots of people don't have Android 2.2 and can't use the new voice commands that come stock. Since I am old, I don't mind walking around while appearing to be talking to no one in particular.

You can look kind of odd while dictating an email. The fact that it doesn't write down swear words for you can sometimes lead to more swearing.