[cardboard60]

as a use for emergency only.
Incase you had a emergency..
Phones were big.
Calling was like 55 cents a minute.
More and more people bought them..
Data rates come in packages..
Phones got smaller and smaller..talk time got better and better..today.
Everybody has to have a phone.
You can call across the u.s. with no long distance.
Phones has gotten more and more expensive.
So when people can't pay for their phones to be repaired..
Its a problem.
Remember.
Phones were for emergency use only.
Not talking on them all day.
Playing games all day
Having nothing to do so they email. And text all day.
Take pictures and sending them.
Then we got people who fit in cases that 100.00 is too much.

Everybody don't need the luxury they can't afford.

[L0n3N1nja]

I wouldn't call a phone a luxury, it's very difficult to get by without one, same for internet.

Entry level smart phones are cheaper than early flip phones were, and calling plans with unlimited talk and text are less than a landline with no long distance was a decade ago when I last bothered to care about landlines.

There's absolutely no need to spend $1000 or more on a flagship annually like some people do, that's a luxury no doubt, but phone service and internet themselves are not luxuries. That is unless you still believe electricity and indoor plumbing are luxuries.

[cardboard60]

Go to the library and use the internet, if a phone is too expensive.
Or if you need to use the internet.

[B. Diddy]

Your argument assumes that everyone needs to have the latest $1000 phone. There are plenty of inexpensive phones <$200 and even <$100 from decent manufacturers like Moto and Nokia that can give a user the basic functions they need (calling, texting, basic browsing and the ability to install a few apps). It's just that many people seem to expect their budget phone to act like a flagship and be able to install hundreds of apps at a time and run the latest games at lightning speed, which is obviously not going to happen.

There's also the option of getting a past-year midrange or even flagship phone for significantly cheaper, but again, many people feel they need the newest shiniest toy.

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Also, in the UK even people on welfare are expected to have a mobile phone at all times so that they can be contacted about jobs. And they have to have enough credit to be able to call prospective employers. It is not seen as a luxury any more. Everything is done online now. Even applying for housing and welfare benefits. Our libraries are closing down, so many people can't afford to travel miles to visit one if one is available in your area.

Broadband and a mobile phone are seen as necessities in the UK. Our cell plans can be as cheap as £6 a month including unlimited calls and texts and a bare minimum of data. But if you are unable to find a job and are living on £73 a week finding £100 to replace a battery on a cheap mobile phone will be very difficult.

[Golfdriver97]

The Model A started out as a poor way to travel.
They were cramped.
Fuel efficiency was approx. 14 mpg.
Fuel tank was about 12 gallons
Cars got bigger...heavier.
Fuel efficiency has doubled...with being heavier
People are sometimes foolish with finances...buying a car they can barely afford
Not accounting for repairs.
Remember...
The Model A was a terrible form of transportation.

[Laura Knotek]

Also, in the UK even people on welfare are expected to have a mobile phone at all times so that they can be contacted about jobs. And they have to have enough credit to be able to call prospective employers. It is not seen as a luxury any more. Everything is done online now. Even applying for housing and welfare benefits. Our libraries are closing down, so many people can't afford to travel miles to visit one if one is available in your area.

Broadband and a mobile phone are seen as necessities in the UK. Our cell plans can be as cheap as £6 a month including unlimited calls and texts and a bare minimum of data. But if you are unable to find a job and are living on £73 a week finding £100 to replace a battery on a cheap mobile phone will be very difficult.

That's the same here in the USA. Job applications are submitted online, as are welfare applications, food stamp applications, Medicaid applications, unemployment benefit applications. One cannot use the Internet at the library since the libraries are closed due to Covid-19. Plus one still needs a phone if he or she needs to be contacted for job interviews.

[BergerKing]

Not everyone lives in the city where a library is handy. Library computer time is parceled out for short periods, especially if demand is high. For some people, it's all about the GERMS!!! I spent 25 years of my life over the road, the last 9 of it using a smartphone. Have you ever tried finding a parking space at the library for a 70' combination truck? You'd have an easier time finding a tufted rabbit-bat.

There's no need to be a Luddite in an enlightened world. Phones have created opportunities that otherwise wouldn't have existed. Some that certainly didn't exist for my youth.

[Javier P]

Phones and plans are less of a luxury than ever before. Millions of people that never could afford such things now are able to have an smartphone in their pockets with a cheap pre-paid plan that offers calls, texts and data.

The fact that top flagships are very expensive means absolutely nothing for the vast majority of smartphone owners all around the world. They (we) can buy inexpensive entry levels or mid-rangers more than capable for our needs of communication, information or simple entertainment. And this is a very good thing.

[Morty2264]

I think that phones are essential for life today. Not necessarily because of the gaming or apps, but because of the fact that they serve a function to keep in contact with loved ones. Calling someone to let them know you'll be home soon; calling if something happens; etc. Anxious people like me rely on phones for those purposes.

And since they double as small computers, lots of people also use their phones for work. My brother uses iMessage, Face Time, email, and social media apps for his job. Having that instant access and push notifications on your phone to ensure that you get your work finished or at least that you know you have a work email waiting for you will help you be more productive.

As other users above me stated, not everyone will buy flagship-level phones or, in my husband's case, he *may* buy a flagship-level phone, but he'll keep it for three to four years.

I think everyone's smartphone needs are different. What doesn't work for some may work well for others. Some will like to have a mid-range phone, and some like flagship phones. I personally swap between those two depending on my needs.

I think this type of thing is difficult to generalize, because multiple reasons play into why people buy the phones they do.

[B. Diddy]

Great discussion, folks!

[Not Quite Right]

as a use for emergency only.
Incase you had a emergency..
Phones were big.
Calling was like 55 cents a minute.
More and more people bought them..
Data rates come in packages..
Phones got smaller and smaller..talk time got better and better..today.
Everybody has to have a phone.
You can call across the u.s. With no long distance.
Phones has gotten more and more expensive.
So when people can't pay for their phones to be repaired..
Its a problem.
Remember.
Phones were for emergency use only.
Not talking on them all day.
Playing games all day
having nothing to do so they email. And text all day.
Take pictures and sending them.
Then we got people who fit in cases that 100.00 is too much.

Everybody don't need the luxury they can't afford.

get off my lawn!!!

[B. Diddy]

get off my lawn!!!

I believe the correct spelling is "offa."

[cardboard60]

Heck
I might cut a strip threw your lawn.

[Morty2264]

I believe the correct spelling is "offa."

Yes, let's spell it phonetically!

[Golfdriver97]

I believe the correct spelling is "offa."

Now think of offa my lawn to the tune of the Rolling Stones Off of my Cloud...lol

[Climb14er]

First phone, original Motorola flip, analog, thirty minute voice plan, fifty bucks, no texting, just phone calls and access to voice mail. Early 1994. McCaw Celluar. Have kept the same cell number since, been on Verizon since 2000, initially one of the Bells.

[JnEricsonx]

I remember scoffing at needing a smartphone for a while, figuring yeah, I can just check the internet at home, etc. Boy was I wrong. My first smartphone was the HTC Thunderbolt(still sitting in a drawer somewhere), and not long after I got it, I remember coming back from a wedding somewhere and getting totally lost(no, I wasn't drunk, completely sober). The GPS and internet on the phone got me home just fine. After that, and being able to access Netflix, save music and movies on it, and even play some games-I never doubted the capability again.

[sulla1965]

Remember pay phones and booths? Well cell phones rendered those useless. Times always change, we all must change with them. When I was growing up nobody owned a pc, imagine that.

[BergerKing]

Remember pay phones and booths? Well cell phones rendered those useless. Times always change, we all must change with them. When I was growing up nobody owned a pc, imagine that.

One of the things I remember well are the TV commercials touting people to get into the pay phone industry, trying to generate revenue as the businesses started crashing to earth after decades of dominance. When prepaid calling cards were all the rage, they started charging surcharges for lost coin revenues. Eventually, the cell phone industry steamrolled them into the ground, then used a D-9 Cat to cover 'em up before they started to stink.

I remember the dreaded phone banks at the truck stops and truck fueling centers, along with the driver's area having phones at many tables, including wireless ones they could bring to the back. I'm so glad not to have to be handling something the previous user who forgot to wash their hands coming out of the bathroom rubbed their paws all over!

[TgeekB]

While smartphones are a necessary part of modern life, I do believe we are attached to them too strongly. Most people can’t put them down. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

[L0n3N1nja]

While smartphones are a necessary part of modern life, I do believe we are attached to them too strongly. Most people can’t put them down. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

I think the issue is some of us are either addicted to mobile games or social media. I know I pick mine up a lot when I'm bored or home alone just to see if I have any notifications. (I keep my phone silent). I also waisted a lot of time scrolling Facebook until I got rid of it last month.

[TgeekB]

I think the issue is some of us are either addicted to mobile games or social media. I know I pick mine up a lot when I'm bored or home alone just to see if I have any notifications. (I keep my phone silent). I also waisted a lot of time scrolling Facebook until I got rid of it last month.

Absolutely and that’s by design. I don’t play games but am on social media a lot. I’m trying to cut back though. I used to be a news junkie but cut way back in that. Trying to enjoy life more.

[Laura Knotek]

I think the issue is some of us are either addicted to mobile games or social media. I know I pick mine up a lot when I'm bored or home alone just to see if I have any notifications. (I keep my phone silent). I also waisted a lot of time scrolling Facebook until I got rid of it last month.

I gave up Facebook years ago, since I was sick of getting requests to play Mafia Wars and Farmville.

[mustang7757]

I gave up Facebook years ago, since I was sick of getting requests to play Mafia Wars and Farmville.