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I was really looking forward to an new SE phone, that was my upgrade plan (currently on 6). Now my upgrade plan is to transition to Andriod, or I am seriously c

I was really looking forward to an new SE phone, that was my upgrade plan (currently on 6). Now my upgrade plan is to transition to Andriod, or I am seriously considering going back to a "dumb phone". The cost of phones is out of control (including data plan prices), honestly not sure it is really worth it for me anymore. The only features I want in a "smart" phone, are podcasts, camera, music, GPS/directions. I don't really even need a web browser, and I don't need any social media at all. And I certainly don't need any gaming capabilities (I still don't "get" mobile gaming, if I want to play a game I will do it on my desktop, with a mouse and keyboard, and large screen). I might go back to carrying 2 devices, a MP3 (podcast/music player) and a dumb phone. Should cut my phone bill down significantly.

prossercj 8y ago
I'm largely in the same boat. Have you considered a pay-as-you-go plan with an MVNO? I use H20 wireless [0], with an iPhone SE, and it can be pretty cheap. [0] https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=planMin https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=planMin
- jaxtellerSoA 8y ago
  I live in a remote area, and so far have found the only carrier that has any signal at all at my house is Verizon. So I am pretty much stuck with them, unless I get at network extender/signal booster for another carrier and install it in my house, which I am not too keen on doing.
icebraining 8y ago
> The cost of phones is out of control I wouldn't say that, there's just a wide range. You can spend four digits on a brand-new flagship model, or you can get a decent phone for under $150. And if you have WiFi where you spend the day, a data plan is mostly redundant.
- jaxtellerSoA 8y ago
  >you can get a decent phone for under $150. A smart phone? If so please provide a link. The "cheap" smart phones I have found are $300 ish, which ins't terrible, but this general trend towards a $1,000 smart phone is insane. I am not spending more for a phone than the cost of a decent laptop.
  - icebraining 8y ago
    I'm very happy with my Moto G5, and it's $150 on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Generation-XT1680-Single-Factory-Unlocked/dp/B07JH7LHGW https://www.amazon.com/Generation-XT1680-Single-Factory-Unlo... (I got the 3GB version for €119 thanks to a sale, but the 2GB should be more than enough for what you're planning)
mhermher 8y ago
Looks like you don't need a data plan. With offline maps and home downloads of podcasts, you should be all set.
- jaxtellerSoA 8y ago
  That is what I am thinking, save myself about $50 a month.
  - photojosh 8y ago
    My kids are almost ready for phones. We've already got one 2nd hand SE, and once they start actually using data we'll put them on our mobile providers "tablet" data-only yearly plan, 24GB for $100. At ~$8/mo that's pretty reasonable, and plenty for basic text/image usage. If they start streaming and burning through the data, they can pay for that themselves.

prossercj 8y ago

I'm largely in the same boat. Have you considered a pay-as-you-go plan with an MVNO? I use H20 wireless [0], with an iPhone SE, and it can be pretty cheap. [0] https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=planMin https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=planMin

jaxtellerSoA 8y ago
I live in a remote area, and so far have found the only carrier that has any signal at all at my house is Verizon. So I am pretty much stuck with them, unless I get at network extender/signal booster for another carrier and install it in my house, which I am not too keen on doing.

icebraining 8y ago

> The cost of phones is out of control I wouldn't say that, there's just a wide range. You can spend four digits on a brand-new flagship model, or you can get a decent phone for under $150. And if you have WiFi where you spend the day, a data plan is mostly redundant.

jaxtellerSoA 8y ago
>you can get a decent phone for under $150. A smart phone? If so please provide a link. The "cheap" smart phones I have found are $300 ish, which ins't terrible, but this general trend towards a $1,000 smart phone is insane. I am not spending more for a phone than the cost of a decent laptop.
- icebraining 8y ago
  I'm very happy with my Moto G5, and it's $150 on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Generation-XT1680-Single-Factory-Unlocked/dp/B07JH7LHGW https://www.amazon.com/Generation-XT1680-Single-Factory-Unlo... (I got the 3GB version for €119 thanks to a sale, but the 2GB should be more than enough for what you're planning)

mhermher 8y ago

Looks like you don't need a data plan. With offline maps and home downloads of podcasts, you should be all set.

jaxtellerSoA 8y ago
That is what I am thinking, save myself about $50 a month.
- photojosh 8y ago
  My kids are almost ready for phones. We've already got one 2nd hand SE, and once they start actually using data we'll put them on our mobile providers "tablet" data-only yearly plan, 24GB for $100. At ~$8/mo that's pretty reasonable, and plenty for basic text/image usage. If they start streaming and burning through the data, they can pay for that themselves.