Monday, June 7, 2010

Smart Phones

I am so excited that my contract with Sprint is up because I am now eligible to upgrade to a new phone! On Friday, Abe and I went to the Sprint store to browse through the grand selection of phones where I found just the phone I was looking for. Not too pricey, easy to use and an easy keyboard to use when texting. However, next to my selection was a case full of "smart phones" with a grand poster advertising all of their nifty features. Don't get me wrong, smart phones are pretty sweet, but it got me thinking. Are they trying to allude to the idea that if you don't have a smart phone you're dumb? If your phone can't arm your home security system by the touch of a button or record a video clip in HD or allow you to essentially skype with anyone, anytime, any place is your phone not smart because it can ONLY connect to the internet? Or ONLY hold 2 or 3 GB of music? I wonder what percentage of people with smart phones actually use all of the features they initially bought the phone for in the first place. I think it's ironic how every time a new phone comes out there seems to be a constant tug-of-war between finding a more simple way to perform a complicated task which really makes it more complicated than the original way. Or that as companies try to make their phones easier for the users they really make it more difficult because there's SO much more to remember with every application or feature created. Really, it's probably just an advertising tactic. Obviously something is working, as I sit here and way over-analyze such a little thing, but it's just something to think about!

3 comments:

  1. i'm glad i'm not the only over-analyzer out there. i wouldn't mind a pause in technology every now and then so i could catch up with all the new ways people have come up with to do the same simple things!

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  2. I think the ultimate smart phone would be one that could read my mind---realize what I have forgotten--and send a signal right to my brain! I would love that--smart phone--smart me! PS-a keyboard for texting is the best.

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  3. Oh I agree. I'm kinda anti the whole smart phone thing right now cause I'm pretty sure it would take over my life! :)

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