She was happily gnawing on my phone when it rang and when I answered it, I could hardly hear the person on the other line [Jennifer Kennedy, what up!]. I panicked. Had she finally done serious damage to my phone? I realized she had been slobbering all over the ear piece and the sound seemed to be permanently altered. I took it apart and let it dry out for a while. It eventually started working properly again but during that brief window when I thought I'd need a new phone, I started doing some serious thinking.
Is now, finally, the time, that I may actually consider getting an iPhone?
I couldn't believe what I was thinking! It felt dirty and wrong! Yes, that does seem a bit drastic but it may help to read this post I wrote three years ago. You can just skim it. I won't be mad. The applicable part isn't until the end.
Done? Okay. Back to the issue at hand. As you can see, for years I have lived in open rebellion to the iPhone and any other smart phone. I don't see the purpose of being THAT connected to the internet world. I hate seeing families eating dinner where one or more individuals are glued to a smart phone. I hate seeing a mom stick a video playing on the phone into their toddler's face to quiet them down. I hate seeing pictures of otherwise mundane restaurant food jazzed up with instagram.
I am a bit of a Luddite. That is apparent in my typical aversion to the smart phone world. I like interacting with people. I like not being yoked to an electronic devise. I like doing things for myself and not relying on the conveniences of some smarty pants phone.
But the other day at the pool, my friend's baby was fussy and not falling asleep [she was in a car seat, not the pool] and she pulled out her iPhone, pulled up a Baby Einstein video, played it near the baby and the baby was out. Dude. That was pretty cool. Maybe not everything is so evil about having an iPhone...
Many of you reading this have iPhones. It's becoming the norm. So I turn to you to help me with my pros and cons. My biggest con other than the fact I'll feel like a sell-out and conformist is the money. I have a hard time increasing my monthly cell phone bill that significantly. Which, by the way, I haven't run this past the husband yet so this may all be a moot point because I'm sure he'll poo poo the idea from the moment I utter the word "iPhone".
Nonetheless, I will be ready for a new phone soon. There seems to be a decent amount of pros to having an iPhone. For one, when I do get a new phone, it'll be the same price if not cheaper than a non-smart phone.
So what should I do? What are the pros? Do they outweigh the cons? Did anyone else have a hard time with the smart phone transition? Or am I just being dramatic?
Having google maps available at all times and in all places is worth the price to me. I always get lost and with a baby, I was tired of always being lost. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never owned a smart phone, and I won't ever own one until they no longer sell anything other than smart phones. My current phone is in black and white and doesn't even take pictures, much less soothe crying babies. So if I can do it (and my babies have never watched baby einstein movies either. Did you hear recently that they've all been recalled? ) you can too!
ReplyDeleteI got an iPhone as a gift and was totally worried about my monthly bill increasing significantly....but it didn't! It's the same as before! I was concerned about it turning me into one of 'those people' too but so far I think I'm doing pretty good at remaining a normal person. I haven't gone crazy with the apps! I think the secret is not needing an app for everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I'm finally deciding to sell out. My reason....the maps....I get lost easily and I see this as a big problem in DC. And school. There are good apps for that stuff, or so I hear. But I haven't bought a new phone since 2007 so I have racked up enough dollars with Sprint that I won't have to pay for my iphone. You could always get the older models. You can get the iphone 3 or 3g or whatever it is for free with most places.
ReplyDeleteBaby Einstein videos bought up until 2009 have been "recalled", meaning that they will let you exchange a video for a Baby Einstein book or Music CD. They are only doing it because watching any amount of TV is not "educational" at a young age. My baby watches baby einstein videos every once in a while, but I sit with her and talk to her about the animals and objects on the screen. She has learned animal names and sounds while watching them with me. She also learns them while reading, doing animal puzzles, and playing with animal toys. I put them on to change things up a bit in our house, and give me a bit of time where I can fold laundry without her getting into anything.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I was against getting an iPhone for a while. While I didn't like the idea of having myself having so much technology at my fingertips all the time, it has been incredibly convenient. I now take pictures of Brooklyn on a daily basis, can take a video of her in a split second and have caught all kinds of hilarious shots of her, can keep up with my email (I've always been awful at it, and needed to be better at it now that I'm in YW), and never get lost while going anywhere (hurray!).
While I completely understand the downsides to having a smart phone... the cost, the addiction to always being on it, the dependency, and the constant access to everything at your fingertips... I'll just say, I love my iPhone. I don't think I could go back to a traditional phone very easily, and if I did, I would need to buy a GPS, and would probably seem to drop off the face of the planet.
If you get one, I love the Children's songbook app. It's great! It's one of the few things that I let Brooklyn play with on my phone... and she only gets it when we're on a long car ride (for short periods of time), or when I need to distract her and NOTHING else is working (last time was when I was pulling splinters from her foot).
Good luck deciding!
I don't have an iphone, but I do have a smart phone and I have a really hard time transitioning from a button phone to a touch screen.
ReplyDeleteWith our contract, I'll be in the market for a new phone this November. I am having similar thoughts. A year and a half ago, my hubby and I decided we did not want to pay for a data package and wanted "dumb" phones. I think there were 3 to choose from (compared to dozens of smart phones). Part of me is kind of hoping they won't exist when I have to upgrade this November and I can just get a smart phone of some kind without any excuse or inner battle. I gotta admit...Draw Something looks fun. And smart phones are one way to get around my office's internet use policy...hehehe
ReplyDeleteI worked for verizon and had a company smartphone (or multiple because they make you switch phones every 3 months). I like android phones and iphones equally for different reasons, and you can get android phones for relatively cheap during special deals. The iphone never has sales, but you can get an 8gb for just $100 (and it is worth it to pay for a phone. You get what you pay for).
ReplyDeleteI think smartphones are especially great for navigation, music, taking pictures/videos and sharing, the gospel library, price comparison shopping/couponing and fun games here and there.
I quit and gave back the smartphone though and life goes on just fine. Maybe I don't have 20 pics a day of my kid anymore, but... how often do I have to look back at all the pics I do take?
My theory is if you have the money, you'll love the phone and think it's worth the money. If the pursestrings are tight, it's not necessarily worth it.
I love my android! I just cant bring myself to get an iphone. My android does it all. I love the navigation, music, having a ward directory everywhere i go, and it is a lot lighter than my quad. It was easy to learn when we got it and i am not tech savvy (ask lachlan). Mabey someday i will get an ipad, but i dont think i will ever switch my android to an iphone.
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