Is a Smart Phone worth it?

Looking at upgrading into the real world of phone technology.

Right now, I've got a TracPhone which costs me probably around $40 bucks a month in minutes. I can text and call. Fancy, I know.

Josh and I are looking at plans and phones and they are expensive. EXPENSIVE (compared to what we have now, lol).

So, worth it? What phones are good, bad? I like the waterproof Galaxy one. I don't have a bad record with ruining phones, but I've been known to put it in the water a few times.

I'd like to have apps and cool fitness trackers and such. FB would be nice too. We are currently through AT&T for Josh's phone. They have decent service around here.. Are there other services known for being better/cheaper/better service?

I believe T-Mobile is $50 off-contract for unlimited everything. (Everything as in texts, minutes, and data.) That means you have to buy the phone outright, though. No discounts and cheap phones for entering into a contract. I have Verizon and the service is great, but the price is not. AT&T and Verizon also don't have unlimited data.

YES. Yes, a smart phone is TOTALLY worth it. I've had one for 2 years now, and I would probably die without it. It's my entire brain and my computer and my alarm clock AND my phone all in one. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without the calendar which AUTOMATICALLY syncs with my Google calendar (I have android).

My phone is through Korger's iwireless (iwirelesshome.com) and it costs me $10/month OR $25/3 months. I get free minutes for buying gas, groceries, and gift cards (including phones cards!). I only buy phone cards to keep my phone active and for 3G data (and even then I don't use much data, I use mostly wifi). The phone itself was $60...it's an LG sometihngorother, but it's a slider so I have have my keyboard and still have a nice big touch screen. I love it to bits and would never want to live another day without it The service itself goes through Sprint towers, so it gets good nationwide coverage/reception.

RESIST! I still live in the world of texting and calling. It's mostly okay. The price is definitely right!

Actually, my phone plan is the same price it was pre-smartphone.

For me, a smart phone is totally worth it. I don't know what I'd do without my phone! I love having GPS constantly available, and there are so many helpful apps that I use on a daily basis.

I have an iPhone 5 (I had the 3Gs for over 2 years before upgrading) and I couldn't be happier with it.

Not worth it for me. I went in around my birthday to check into it because I kind of wanted one. Turns out there's really nothing I "need" on a Smart Phone enough to make my phone bill more than double what it currently is.



That said there are people who honestly can't live without it, like salespeople who have to be connected 24/7, reachable by e-mail even if they're on the road out and about visiting clients. I am thankfully not one of those people.

Also be aware that once you upgrade you will suddenly think your life depends on all the bells and whistles of a Smart Phone, and downgrading will appear completely impossible. =P

No!!!!! Avoid avoid avoid.

Unless you have will power.....

I love and loathe my phone in equal measures.

It will steal your soul.

Honestly? It depends.

All 5 of us in this house have smart phones. 2 with iPhones, 3 with Androids. Myself and my brother are really the only one that use smartphones for their capabilities (and we both have Android). My dad, by far, does not need a smart phone... he calls and texts. That's it. Heck, he had the company disable data on it, so he can't accidentally hit something and ring up charges.

It is worth it for me? Absolutely, but I also run a rescue and it's a huge deal to be able to get my emails wherever I am, as I'm not home often. (Or, I'm home more often now that I don't have a dog, but that's still not very often...) If I didn't have the rescue, I can't say I would have a smartphone (well, except that it's practically impossible to find a non-smartphone around here).

That said, I also use a small company and get unlimited global text/picture message/local calling/data for like $30 a month.. which is less than I paid for my previous non-smartphone.

I can't say I'd get a smartphone just to have apps and facebook. It's just... not worth the extra price many people have to pay.

ETA: I also don't have my own computer at the moment, so not having a smartphone would just mean I had to buy a computer...

I'm sitting in my car at work on lunch break browsing Chaz. That alone makes it worth it for me lol. What else would I do with an hour!

The apps are handy, I get lost a lot and sometimes my real gps is wrong or it dies, so it's nice having one on my phone.

Its one of those things that I could live without, but now that I have one it'd be really hard to go back.

YES.

I got my first smart phone like ... 10 years ago & I don't know how I ever functioned without one. My mother has an old style flip phone, she was learning how to text & asked me if I could help her & had to tell her I couldn't remember how to text on an "old fashioned" phone xD

If you get anything get an I phone if its your first smart phone, they are super easy to operate

I like mine and think its worth it. I resisted until recently but am glad I got one.

I think mine is worth it. But I like being able to see my bank account where ever I go, I get lost often and need GPS, browsing Chaz is always nice, and I do need to be able to check my email often, even when I'm not home.

But not everyone needs all of that.

I could NOT live without mine. lol. Whenever I think that sometimes it may be nice to just have a plain ole' phone again, I can't imagine my life without a smartphone. I just use it for SO MANY things.

I often get lost while driving or on the road, so I just pull up maps, type in address and am off. Or if I need a number quick, just google or ask Siri. I always need to check e-mails, etc, and have access to them for my foundation. I also use the 'fun' stuff like instagram, Facebook, twitter, etc. But we also have FB for business purposes so it's nice to have instant quick access to it. And just... so. many. things.

I rarely use my computer anymore. I use my iPhone for forums and just general browsing. Waiting for an appointment or just bored its great to have. I communicate with a lot of people through email to so helps.

It would be tough to go back to just a computer. Really hard.

I pay for my husbands, mine, and my brothers smart phones. My moms and grandmas non smart phones are also on my plan. Bills 260 ish when my brothers not deployed.

See if where you or your husband works gives a discount. My hospital gives one through all the places but Verizon's was the largest at I think 22% off a month.

I wish I would have got more memory on my phone. Only regret lol!

It's one of those things I think that once you have you'll always need but until you have it it's easy to live without.

I love having mine, use it all the time but I don't like how naked I feel without it or how much I depend on it. I've been working really hard not to ever check things when around other people, not to use it when I know I'll have internet access in a little bit.

It's great for when you're bored though, or a quick message to someone. I never text anymore, just use FB chat which is awesome.

I'm not a fan of the galaxy's. they are huge I find. You can get the water proof cases for the iPhone

I have an android. I appreciate all that it offers, but I can't say I use the 'smart' part a ton. Mostly it makes sitting in a waiting room easier (hah), built in GPS is awesome, and I like a few random apps.

I would look around to some of the smaller companies and see what you can get. I pay $35/month for like 200 minutes? unlimited text, unlimited data. I don't call people usually. I think Metro PCS and some other companies offer unlimited everything for $50 or so a month.

I find iPhones way too small. . Then again, I have the 3rd biggest phone on the market. LOL

I will never not have one. So glad I bought mine.