My last article was comparing feature phones and smartphones. Well today I am going to talk about my move from a feature phone to a smartphone and if it was worth it. My cell phone endevors started when I was 16 years old. For Christmas that year I got an old Nokia cell phone (black text only). I was able to call people and towards the end of its existance, I learned how to text. Oh...and I can't forget, I learned how to play the game that revolutionized cell phone games forever, Snake.
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| "older" Nokia | Motorola Razr | Motorola Krzr |
From the Nokia I went to a more modern looking flip phone. I thought I had a million dollar phone. It was a flip style and it had a color screen (Then... I knew what it was like to go from black and white TV to color). I stayed with the flip phone style for a while, going through the Motorola Razr (razor) and Krzr (krazor). These phones were great and were very tough. I dropped these phones countless times and they still worked. Other than the simplicity of these phones, the contract was the best part of owning a feature phone. Most of the contracts were low cost. I did have to pay extra for text messages and phone protection, but I feel it was worth it.
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| Blackberry Curve | Motorola Droid |
When I got married in 2009, my wife and I decided we needed better phones. We joined our contracts and decided to get smart phones. My first smartphone was a silver Blackberry Curve 8330. In the beginning, this was a great phone. It did everything I imagined and more. I couldn't beleive I could surf the web, call/text people, and get my email on one device. My eyes were opened to a new world (A world my wife wishes I had never seen). From the Curve, we upgraded to a Motorola Droid, which I am currently still using. In my opinion, the Motorola Droid is 1000 times better than the Blackberry Curve; more apps, faster phone, and better 3G connection. The only draw back to having a smartphone is the contracts (as I mentioned in my first blog). Since my move to smartphones, I have taken an interest in mobile technology. When something new comes out, I generally head over to Best Buy or do research on the internet. Just like computers, cellphones are contstantly changing.
Was the Move Worth It?
If I base the move off of features, speed, and abilities, then the move to a smartphone was deffinatly worth it. If I base the move from a price stand point, then absolutely a bad move. You need to know that when upgrading to a smartphone, you will pay at least $15-$30 more per phone. The extra fee is for the constant connection your phone has to have with your provider. You can think of it as DSL or Cable internet. You computer is always connected to the internet. In fact, most smartphones will not work at all without this connection. You also need to know that "phone insurance" is more for these devices because they are more valuable than feature phones. For an individual, it can easily cost you $100 per month for a smartphone and the plan that goes with it. Some providers have better deals than others, but we will talk about providers and contracts later this week.
Sources/More Information:
http://www.themobileindian.com/news/806_Moving-from-feature-to-smartphone
