I have never owned a smart phone. AMA

[EuclidianGeometryFan]

I have never owned a smart phone. I don't think it is worth the money.
I use a laptop to access the internet.

I resisted getting a smartphone, but would defo confess to having an Internet addiction. I had a laptop, and a basic mobile. In the end thought it would be useful to have something that I could do easier text entry, and store some music, and taking photos would be a bonus. I wasn't even fussed about having Internet access. I tried a better simple phone but it was useless, and in the end picked up a refurb Android for £20. And it wasn't that bad. I then got something a bit better - a cast off from 2017 and I still use it. It's got a great camera, it's a bit slow. It's a bit outdated. And I do the odd lookup on it. But I rarely use the Internet on it. I do that on other devices. I love the camera. And it's good for looking up bus times. Partner stares into phone, puts it down, picks up laptop, picks up fork, eats dinner, puts down laptop, picks up phone - continuously. I try every once in a while to exclude devices from communal areas. I'm getting better. But I still hook up to the Internet most days. I think if you have control already, you can avoid getting sucked in on a portable. I have no socials etc. apart from SMS and calls and TBH they are bad enough. Dumped the house phone ages ago. Even considered dumping broadband for a while, but our rural connection is a bit too poor to rely upon for data. Month to month cancel anytime contract for under £5 per month for phone. Broadband is a silly price but is needed for work.

I live alone and my phone is a ;lifeline to the wonderful company of family and friends near and far.

My smart phone is £99 🤣 bought last december, with an £8 monthly sim card cost.

But I admire you for not using one. Keep on being you.

I am also someone who has burned their old cds and music and have them all on my phone. I won't repay for music I already have. I have a lot of underground DJ's music too. I use soundcloud and YouTube free. I don't pay for a subscription.

Do you tend not to spend money on anything that isn't strictly necessary? Is this the only example of you doing without something that's more or less universally the norm, or are there other examples?

I am choosy about what I spend money on. I don't waste money. But if I want something, and have the money, I buy it.

I don't get into debt. I have saved several thousand to buy my next car, which will be cheaper than getting it on a finance deal. As soon as I get the car, I will start saving for my next car to buy in about 8-10 years (fingers crossed).

For example, I spent about £200 on a coat, because I could, and liked it. But I don't generally buy many clothes each year.

I earn okay, not minimum wage but not particularly wealthy either.

Not having a smartphone is only partly about not liking to waste money on something I don't need. It is also about the addiction.

You do you girl laptops and phones are practically the same thing however a phone is useful if your family need to get in touch or you need to ring someone 🤷🏼‍♀️ but if you use your laptop then fair play just do you 🥰

Have you beamed in from the 1980's?

I am a late-adopter of nearly all tech. When everyone was first getting answering machines on their landlines in the 80s, I held out for about a decade, with the attitude that if I don't pick up you can call back later (which is how we did things in the 70s).
I let other people iron out the bugs in new tech while I wait for the prices to drop.

Ironic, as I work in a tech-adjacent role and use very modern software tools at work.

This exactly. I don't know how ANYone can do without a smartphone in 2025. It's needed for soooooo many things. DH and I didn't have one til mid 2020, (got one when Covid kicked in, cost £75 that's all,) and don't know how we did without it. I have upgraded a bit now to one that cost £275, and I would never spend over a grand on one like some people do...

But I use it for everything. Calendar, camera, calculator, bird finding app, maps, whatsapp, stargazing app, emails, Twitter/X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, sat-nav, Google searching/internet browsing, weather app, video calls, fitness app that counts my daily steps and heart points, banking, storing tickets, shopping online, taking videos, watching tv shows, booking and cancelling appointments with the GP, (and the dentist,) and texting - and much more! (And making phone calls of course!)

But any 'bugs' on smartphones would have been 'ironed out' by around 2012!

I don’t have a mobile phone at all never mind a smart one.

How do you pay for parking?

Nah, they wouldn’t, IOS and Android are riddled with them. All software is.

The thing I use my phone least for is the thing a mobile was originally designed for- making calls!

I dont work.at a desk or computer based job. If I waited till I got home to respond to emails id miss some time-specific stuff and concert tickets

Is your husband really addicted to his phone? You do realise not everybody is addicted to their smart phone? It’s not an obligation

My smartphone came in handy this week when our internet went down. Our landline (how quaint we are!) only works via our broadband router, so we couldn't make or receive calls on that and had to use the mobile. Fine. I did think how it is a really bad idea to get rid of all the copper phone wires and make people reliant on satellite and internet communication.

If something happened to those we would be totally up shit creek. How would we find out what was going on in the outside world? Most TVs are smart these days, so unless you have freeview via an aerial you would not be able to tune into the news. Most radio stations are internet based I think?

So, never mind dumb phones, maybe we should have proper landlines!!

So from your replies OP, it seems that the fear of becoming addicted is as strong as begrudging the initial purchase and running costs of a smartphone.

Reading between the lines it also seems as though you’re surviving without it as well as you are partly because your DH has one so when you’re with him in perhaps some bigger activities like going abroad it’s all been plain sailing re getting about, checking flight info etc.

That said, you seem like a grounded person so don’t think you’d get addicted as such. Addicted is such a strong word as well, I don’t think the majority of older users in their 50+ years would describe them as addicted. Perhaps for the younger crowd but that’s a whole different story. I think just get one and let the apps of interest enhance your life. I’m 52 and kept my last iPhone for 8 years and only upgraded this year to the 17 as all security patches ceased this summer. I live alone, no friends or family and am in no way addicted, but it is a lifeline for many reasons.

Will you consider getting one if and when you have grandchildren? my mum loves getting pics in real time of her grandkids from me and brother.

do your children have a family WhatsApp? Do you feel you miss out?

how often do you hear from your adult kids?

do you use public transport?

so many questions…

Gifgaff monthly pay as you go is £7 . Unlimited calls and texts.

Am atlas or downloaded Google map won't tell you about delays, road closures etc.

Being able to taking impromptu photos and facetime family, send them photos etc. Is brilliant for us.

In case you missed it...?

Coins or card. I have yet to come across a car park that won't take either. It is becoming common for them to take (in addition to smartphone payment option) coins only, or card only, not both.
I always have coins in the car.

I haven't paid attention to the announcement for digital ID. I will wait until it is actually legislated, then weigh up options.
There is no way they can legislate that everyone must have a smartphone, so there will always be an alternative - it is just a matter of costs.

I have grandchildren, two sets.
None of their parents send random photos. DH does not have WhatsApp on his phone, so presumably the parents are not interested in continual contact.

I haven't used a bus for decades. Very seldom use a train. Occasionally (once every few years) use the London underground, which takes a debit card.

you’re surviving without it as well as you are partly because your DH has one so when you’re with him in perhaps some bigger activities like going abroad it’s all been plain sailing re getting about, checking flight info etc.

We only used DH phone for google maps and Uber. Yes, it would be difficult to have such a good independent holiday without it, so if I wasn't with DH I would consider getting one, but then again it seems a waste to have it just for the purpose of one annual holiday abroad.

No, we didn't need it for checking flights - just looked online before leaving the house, then look at the info boards when at the airport.

Don’t come to the north west then 🤣