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[clio]

I find technology scary (when I dont understand it) and im having problems with my mobile phone.  Im trying to do pro and cons to come up with an answer.  Im wanting to buy a new phone and the things I like about my phone are

have everyones number stored
good camera though I cant transfer pictures on to sd card (looked into this and you cant for some stupid reason)
gps map for when we go somewhere im not familiar with......im agoraphobic and can only travel so far so I watch on map exactly where we are.


apart from them 3 things I dont need anything else

I dont want internet so as far im aware I cant have gps maps without it.  I was looking at going back to basics but you can only store about 5 numbers so would have to have other numbers written down in my bag, not a good camera on basic phones either so would need to carry normal camera with me.

Basically ive become scare of my mobile as daft as it seems, im sort of ok on the laptop but theres so much going on with mobile phones most of it I dont understand so im constantly worried doing the wrong thing and paranoid someone is listening to any phone conversations and also being hacked.  Having a basic phone to just phone and text will be so much better for me at the moment however I will miss the 3 things listed or will it be a matter of just getting use to being happy with the basics.  When we go out hubby has smartphone with the functions I like on it.

Ladies what do I do??

Clio

Just to add, panic over my phone keeps me awake, I was up at 3am this morning cos of night panics.......not good as happens alot.

[Dorothy]

Do you have a shop nearby that you could go to?  I go to my local O2 shop and they are great - I just tell them what I need and they show me the options available.  And I love going in there because they never make me feel stupid for not being a tech-minded person.  Last time I bought a phone from them, they transferred all my numbers over and set up the new phone the way I wanted it too! 

There are still a lot of basic phones around that store lots of numbers and take pictures.  Not sure about GPS, but you could always ask.  Once you know what the options are, you can weigh up features you want v complication of phone and decide which is best for you.

[CLKD]

I would suggest the same.  Go in when it's less likely to be busy and ask them to take off everything you are un-likely to require.  Explain that you like to know where you are and like to know the time ………..

[CLKD]

So a woman in Kettering walks into the road whilst looking at her screen thingy - then wonders why she wakes up bruised all over  .  Poor driver.  He sped off, can't say I blame him, however, I would be so cross with the pedestrian.  I would be tempted to lean out of the window and shout 'Darwin Award next'!    I have been known to wait until a woman [usually] stops directly in front of me and remove her phone from her hand, with the warning "If you cause me injury by not looking where you are walking, I will sue you.  Also, I could be off and away with this, how would you feel then?"  They shocked look that I am in front interrupting their messaging is enough to make me  .  But the message remains the same. NOTHING is more important than respecting others.

[Ju Ju]

To collect my grandson from school, I had to go against the tide of secondary school children released from school earlier. The majority of children are looking down at their phones or busy chattering without looking where they were going. I was regularly bumped into on the very narrow pavements by a busy road. These children are not rude and apologise, but...... It became stressful, until I discovered another route, longer and muddy, but few secondary children. Phones have advantages in communication and I value my ability to talk to my son who lives in the USA, but there are huge disadvantages.

[bramble]

I have had a mobile phone since the day they first came out and had to buy a bigger handbag to put it in. I think they are great - I don't use all the options on it but those I do use I would not be without. You can get Google maps without Wi-fi - in fact if you use GM when you are out, your phone will be using mobile data and not Wi-fi. Some phones do have SD cards so you can transfer photos to your laptop (I assume this is what you want to do?) or you can get someone to set up syncing your phone to your laptop so the photos transfer automatically.
As others have suggested, go into the shop of your network provider and ask their opinion. And be quite firm about what you want to do with it.

[CLKD]

 

[Shadyglade]

I never buy expensive phones, just bog standard smart phones (android).

Usually delete a lot of  unnecessary apps especially social media, as I don't use them.  Now do have Whats App,  installed by my son, which is useful and very easy to use.

Don't be frightened, your in charge.

[CLKD]

I don't have apps at all ...... I barely know how to switch mine on/off 

[Gangan]

I don't have apps at all

I'm much the same. I'm happy with my basic 'pay as you go' just for texts and the odd phone call. No one wants to pinch my phone either !

Gangan

[AgathaC]

Clio - my daughter (17) accompanies my mum (74) and my dad (83) to the mobile ‘phone shop to act as intermediary/translator/rememberer! Do you have a younger family member to take the worry and fear out of the choosing? I hate the thought that worrying about your ‘phone is keeping you awake xxx

[Ladybt28]

Clio - what have you done - anything yet?
I need to use my mobile for work but I dont like using them.  I never facebook ever.  I do whatsapp but only family.
I use the internet on my phone for google and google maps if I need to find somewhere, make phone calls and text.  I very occasionally reply to an email but that's rare.  I think the internet on a phone is useful as you can google for any kind of info whilst you are out...like shop opening hours, or directions, or the address of some place for example.

I never upgrade it each year.  I have an 5 year old Sony Xperia Z5 which has touch screen buttons and is easy to navigate. My husband and my sons are all into the phone thing but I have always had problems.  I have long nails and big fingers so cant text very well. It used to be that Apple iphones were the best and easiest to use but this is not the case anymore and they are also now mega expensive. It also used to be that you needed to consider battery life (time between charges) on mobiles but that doesnt apply either anymore. All the front screens look pretty much the same now and cheaper ranges are just as good.  Go to a mobile shop and ask to play around with some but dont decide on the first visit.  Go home and check out online further info on the ones you think you might like and then go back to the store to check how they work in practice again when you have narrowed it down.  I would say the Huwei ones are good and resonable but there has been a lot in the press about them being Chinese phones and the Chinese using them to spy on people!!!

[star35]

Have I got this wrong, or is everybody replying to a post from 2015?

[Conolly]

Hello star35,

CLKD doesn't like to open new threads on the same subject 

It would be interesting to know what clio has to say about this. Has she changed her opinion on mobile phones?

Conolly X

[AgathaC]

That's hilarious! I never even looked at the year.