Getting A Fancy Phone – Update

I can’t remember a week that I’ve learned so much so fast.  Last week after writing my blog about getting a new phone – a “fancy phone,” I sent an e-mail to friends and relatives asking for help with my need to buy an up-to-date phone.  An iPhone.  I just didn’t have any experience with these flat phones.  Flip phones are my favorite.  However, as I said last week, I think it is time for me to join the twenty-first century.  But knowing and understanding those flat phones was not in my history.  So, I asked.

And, boy!  Did I ever get an education in this modern phone; and, I’m really grateful to the people who responded to my desperate request.  My vocabulary has increased and been corrected about them.  The responders had some definite thoughts about these phones and were willing to share them with me.  Here are a couple.  Friend Beth said to beware of refurbished phones; they are not always reliable.  Friend Peggy said that she has an Android phone and didn’t know why I needed an iPhone.  (At that time, I knew nothing about iPhones or Androids.  I only knew flip phones.)

My most complete responses are from neighbor Mike and son-in-law Bob.  Their information has given me a short course in understanding these phones, where to get them what to expect, etc.  It occurred to me that I may not be the only person (particularly, the only person of my age) that really doesn’t understand these phones and what to do with them.  I know older folks who get along just fine with their little flat phones; I also know people who (like me) want to throw the phone out of the door after a few minutes of trying to make it work.  So, maybe, just maybe, this BLOG will help someone other than myself.

First, I have to correct the way I identify these phones.  They are not to be described as iPhones – unless they are an iPhone.  I learned that all of these phones are “smartphones.”  And, after that, they can be divided into Android and iPhone.  This difference is a result of the manufacturer.  This information is all explained very well in the two unabridged contributions below.

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From neighbor Mike

(Mike just helped his mom navigate this phone journey)

What cell service do you have?  This is important because some phones are locked to a certain carrier.  Also, sometimes you can get a brand new phone included when you subscribe to a new service plan with your current provider.

Here’s a good article that talks about refurbished iPhones:

https://www.macworld.com/article/670952/how-to-buy-second-hand-refurbished-iphone.html

When you start looking at iPhones, you’ll notice many different model numbers. The most current at the moment is the 14.  Within each model number are variants like mini, pro, pro max, etc.  These mean different screen sizes, better cameras, more storage space, bigger batteries with the larger phones.

As far as buying a brand new phone somewhere that sells them for great deals, that doesn’t happen. The manufacturers dictate to the retailers what the new ones sell for

Hope this helps.

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From Bob (son-in-law)

What you are looking for is a “smartphone.”  There are two kinds: an iPhone (made by Apple) and an Android phone (made by Samsung, Google, Motorola, and everyone else who isn’t Apple).  Android and iPhones phones are very similar, and the Android phones are less expensive, so that is what you should look for.  Samsung and Google make good phones.

You don’t need the latest, fanciest phone, so you’ll want to look for a basic, well-built model.  They come out with new ones all of the time, so whatever model is about to be replaced by a newer one is often on sale.

Your cell phone provider (Verizon, AT&T, or other company) offers some phones that are free if you commit to a two-year or three-year service contract.  These phones are “locked” to the service provider.  If you go to their store, you can see what they have.  Or you can search their website to read about the different phones, but that can be complicated.

Otherwise, you could go to Target to look for an “unlocked” phone—that’s a phone that you pay for yourself and take to your cell provider to have them put in a SIM card to make it work on their service.  A salesperson could tell you about the different models.

Another option is to look for a used (refurbished) “unlocked” phone at BestBuy.com.  It’s a good idea to already know the models you’re considering before you search on the site.

You might ask some of your friends what smartphones they have and how they like them.  Also, AARP writes about smartphones for seniors; have a look at this article:

https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2021/smartphone-guide-for-older-adults.html

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Neighbor Rita has agreed to go with me to a Target store where we will find a person whose expertise is with Consumer Cellular, as strongly recommended by Dan who has worked in the telecom business for years.  I will take my list of questions to ask the specialist; so far it is about four pages long.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my plea for help.  I appreciate your suggestions and explanations; I’ve learned SO MUCH, this week.  But the question remains, who will teach me to use it?  Wish me luck!

Vocabulary words for this BLOG:  iPhone; smartphone; Android; locked/unlocked phone; SIM card; Best Buy; Apple; Samsung; Google; Motorola; Motorola; Consumer Cellular; AT&T; Verizon; T-Mobile; Screen size; Storage space; service contracts.  (Fancy phone is not a vocabulary word, even though it’s going to be hard to let go of that name for the flat phone.)

Be Safe and Be Well.

The Cranky Crone

Thoughtful comments are appreciated.