Well, now I just feel dumb (plus a minor RANT!)
After doing some research I realized that the primary benefit I wanted to get from a smart phone (the ability to find the nearest gas station, ATM or other business) was already on the phone I have right now. All it took was for me to get a $10.00/month 75mb data plan and I got VZ Navigator for free. Tried it out last night and it works great. In fact, it even shows me the nearest gas stations - AND the prices, so I can find the cheapest one. Very cool.
And now for a (minor) Rant! :bigbossHL:
I kind of hate smart phones. Not that I have anything against the phones themselves.
(although the picture posted above of the people all obssessively staring at their phones does make me
a bit. Because it's accurate. It's kind of like a smartphone is an adult pacifier.)
No, what I hate about smartphones is that they are such great money makers for the electronics industry and the cell phone companies that all the innovation, development and effort is going into smartphones, which means that other types of electronics - non-smart phones in particular - are withering on the vine.
Here's what I mean: My current (non-smart) phone is a Casio G'zone Brigade.
http://www.casiogzone.com/us/brigade/default.html
For those not familiar with this line, the Casio G'Zone is a line of "ruggedized" cell phones that are designed to be shock and water resistant. Supposedly they meet some kind of military standard for shock and waterproofing. (BTW I have no idea how they came up with the name - I pronounce it "Gee-Zone" but according to Casio you're supposed to pronounce it "Jizz-One" which not only sounds a little pornographic, it's also awkward to say.
)
I'm on my second Gzone. My first one was a Gzone Boulder, which is a flip phone. Interestingly, when I upgraded I kept my old phone and when my brother's phone died last year he asked to use it and is still using it (he's also on Verizon so they were happy to make the switch.) AFAIK Verizon is the only carrier that ever offered the Gzone in the US.
My stepson had one of the first Gzone phones and he decided to test the waterproofing by setting the phone to "vibrate", then he put it in a glass of water and called it. My (then) 6 year old grandson thought it was the funniest thing in the world to see a line of bubbles come from the vibrating phone. However, the phone worked fine after that treatment. Now I've never dunked mine in water but I've dropped it on the ground plenty of times and I've used it in all kinds of weather conditions, and probably dropped it in the snow more than once, all without a glitch. I've also never needed a case or carrier of any kind, the phone fits in my pocket just fine.
The Brigade is a "clamshell" style phone, which I wanted because it has a full QWERTY keyboard. Even though we're in our 50's now, my wife and I have become avid texters, so we both wanted text-capable phones.
I have a few minor quibbles with the Gzone, but overall I'm very happy with it. I've had it for a little under two years now and it's never failed me.
OK, so with that preamble, yesterday I called Verizon to inquire about VZ navigator. I was under the impression that this was a service I had to subscribe to and had to have them activate. So I called the company and was put through to someone and I told him I wanted to get VZ navigator and needed to know how to do that.
He said "Oh, you can't get that on your phone, you will have to upgrade."
So I said "wait a minute, there is a setting right here on the phone for VZ navigator, how can you tell me I can't get it?"
Then he said "Well, that's a pretty old phone. It came out in 2010. I don't think it will work, and if it does, it will work very slowly. Why don't you upgrade to a smart phone? You are eligible for an upgrade and we have a great selection of smart phones?"
So I replied "I don't want or need a smart phone, I just need a phone that works and that I can use VZ navigator on."
And he came back with "Oh, well, we have some basic phones that will work, how about a XXXXX ?" (can't remember the name.)
And I said "so, does that one have a full keyboard?"
His reply: "Oh, uh, no that one doesn't have a keyboard but the XXXXXX does. How about that one?"
And I said "So, is that a 'ruggedized' phone, waterproof and shockproof?"
He said "Uh, no but we can sell you a case for it that will protect it. And if you want a ruggedized phone, you can get a XXXXX."
I came back with "Yes, but that's a flip phone that doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard, right?"
He said "Yes, that's correct, it doesn't have a full keyboard."
:bigbossHL: :bigbossHL: :bigbossHL: :bigbossHL:
Now I realize that the Brigade may be something of an oddball in terms of phones, but it pi$$es me off to no end that 3 years ago I could buy a rugged, non-smart phone that had internet browsing and navigator capabilities, AND a full keyboard, but I can't buy a phone like that
today (at least not from Verizon or Sprint) as the Brigade is apparently no longer in production.
But you go to their web site and they have about 100 different smartphones they will sell me. Of course a smartphone requires a minimum $30/month data plan, as well as a $30 "upgrade" fee (see above about my rants on
THAT subject.)
And that's my sore point - instead of developing other products like better ruggedized phones or better MP3 players, all the effort is going into smartphones.
I mean, I get it - a smart phone is a big money maker for everyone. Verizon could sell me a phone ($), then sell me a data plan ($$), then if I go over my limit they can zap me with an overage charge ($$$), and of course I will probably want to get some "apps", and I'm sure Verizon gets a piece of
that action, too ($).
But I hate the way Smartphones are becoming the be-all and end-all of electronic technology. I mean, I guess it's cool that one handheld device can replace your phone, your GPS, your MP3 player and your camera, but not everybody wants or needs one device to do all those things, and of course there's the issue of "jack of all trades/master of none."
So there's my rant.
Fortunately for me, my Brigade is still going strong. I guess sooner or later I'm going to need a new battery (although even two years on I'm still only charging once a week or so.) Eventually I know that either Verizon will stop supporting old phones like my Casio, or something will happen that will require me to get a smartphone, but until that happens, I'll remain a semi-luddite with my rugged Casio.
(And before anyone say it, yes I know Casio makes a Gzone smart phone, the Commando. I still have no interest in it.)
