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Smartphones are an expensive luxury, not a necessity. I think the expectation is that people on the public dole should be trying to save as much as possible and
by ericd 9y ago
Smartphones are an expensive luxury, not a necessity. I think the expectation is that people on the public dole should be trying to save as much as possible and try to get off of welfare.
- anigbrowl 9y agoA moderately capable smartphone can be had for $100 and up, especially if you're not aiming for the latest model. That makes it very competitive with laptops, and provides the owner with communications, mapping, and access to all kinds of services which will make it easier to get by and considerably easier to do things like job hunting. Dismissing it as an expensive luxury is absurd.
- ericd 9y agoI don't think it's absurd. The $100 purchase price is a tiny fraction of the all-in cost of the phone, and if you're touting its usefulness in lieu of a laptop, you're talking about using a large amount of data, which usually means an expensive voice+data plan ($600-800/yr). Otherwise, a laptop and using the internet at one's local library is a much better option if utility and saving money are the priorities. A prepaid flip phone is usually better for actually making calls.