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amungus
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
America

amungus

Premium Member

what happened

This might turn out to be simpler in the end for some folks.
We all know that the carriers have been generally making a nice profit on the subsidizing of handsets for quite some time.

My only problem is what happened to decent "normal" phones?

My parents don't want or need an iPhone. They want a phone. They might text twice a month.

I do hope "normal" phones continue to exist on all carriers. It's becoming harder to find any that are worth a damn, and I do NOT want to set them up with some crap "as seen on TV" service marketed specifically to old people with no desire to research and get service. I want to keep them on my plan, and be able to get them devices as needed that don't totally suck. Sadly, I may have to end up getting them some kind of touch screen for their next phones. Shame that most of the lower end ones are such junk.

Don't even care if said devices are paid up front, by loan, or subsidy, as long as they exist.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

They have this called the internet. I hear that if you jump on it you can find practically anything and everything you would ever need.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

said by Skippy25:

They have this called the internet. I hear that if you jump on it you can find practically anything and everything you would ever need.

And a lot of 80+ something parents don't need or want the internet. They just want to TALK to their children and grandchildren.
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch to amungus

Member

to amungus
Unfortunately, getting a decent non-smartphone is going to get harder. One thing you might consider, if you and your parents are on a GSM carrier, is to shop for phones from overseas. As long as they support both 850 and 1900 for voice and 3G, you should be good. Just keep a few things in mind:

You really will need 3G on both 850 and 1900, since carriers like AT&T are turning off GSM in some places.
Make sure the phone you get has English menus.
Make sure you can get a compatible charger. Remember, there will be differences based on the country the phone is sold in.

If I were you, I'd look at some of the phones being sold by carriers serving Caribbean islands, as they'll usually be GSM and will likely run off 110v power. Just be careful with the frequencies, as the Caribbean can be a mixed bag. Then, once you've found a model that works for you, go hunting online to find the best price.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25 to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
You clearly did not comprehend what I was saying.

My point was, he can find pretty much any phone of his choice for his parents through a supplier on the internet.

Boricua
Premium Member
join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua to ISurfTooMuch

Premium Member

to ISurfTooMuch
I've been getting my phones through eBay, and to this day, I haven't had any problems with buying (legitimate sellers) and activating (clean ESN for Verizon service). I added my mom to my plan and all she wanted (she told me) was a phone that makes calls, nothing fancy schmancy.

I have been wanting to get the Samsung Galaxy SIII, as it has gotten great reviews, but until Verizon gets rid of that data requirement (when hell freezes over), I'll be stuck with mediocre phones at best.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT
·Frontier FiberOp..
Asus RT-AC68

BiggA to ISurfTooMuch

Premium Member

to ISurfTooMuch
You're over-dramatizing this. Yes, there is a trend towards smartphones. There are still plenty of dumbphones. My parents each have a dumbphone (in addition to a smartphone each, various combinations of work and personal lines), and they recently upgraded to better ones by buying AT&T GoPhones for $40, keeping their upgrades on the lines, and swapping their SIM cards into them. The phones, albeit being made by ZTE and branded AT&T, have excellent sound quality, reception, screens, keys, 3G, and great battery life.
Jb2012
join:2012-12-15

Jb2012 to amungus

Member

to amungus
Try the jitterbug phone. You can get it at walmart for less than $20
ConstantineM
join:2011-09-02
San Jose, CA

ConstantineM to amungus

Member

to amungus

Not having a smartphone can be expensive.

I don't think many people can afford non-smartphones anymore, and I think it's a good thing.

Why would you buy a non-smartphone if you can get a smartphone for just 100 to 200 bucks prepaid (same price of what non-smartphones used to be back in the day), and have internet at your fingertips?

The amount of money you can save by having internet at your fingertips is staggering. Unless Verizon and/or AT&T with their expensive and stupid "share data and enjoy huge overage fees" plans are your only choice, buying a smartphone for hardly any extra premium is basically a no-brainer nowadays.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA to Jb2012

Premium Member

to Jb2012

Re: what happened

NO! Tracfone is better in that case.