Re:I Give Up on Free Software Phones
by TheCraiggers on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @05:29PM
(#36410932)
> Personally, I have no interest in making phone calls.
You say that now, but wait until you need to dial 911.
Cops won't show up anyway
Cop showed up at my house 2 days ago at 2am. Roommate apparently sleep-dialed 911.
Re:I Give Up on Free Software Phones
by AdamJacobMuller on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @07:14PM
(#36412061)
Obviously situationally dependent (where you live, why you're calling) and of course you should have the ability to defend yourself if the cops fail to preform, but all that aside, that is not a universal truth. I called my local PD # a few weeks back because someone on a scooter got hit by a car in front of my house and I called the police (local PD directly, not 911, 911 would have been slower) and they had a unit at my house in UNDER TWO MINUTES. It's literally four minutes to drive (sans lights and sirens) from the police station to my house.
I know my experience is anecdotal and not universal, but neither is the "cops won't show up" one.
Phones really need a hardware button or key combination for this-- tap out SOS on the power button or something.
It may well be the last phone call one makes in their life, but the ability to do it at all is predicated on the integrity of a piece of glass. It's insane.
Re:I Give Up on Free Software Phones
by bobthepanda on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @07:37PM
(#36412290)
Iphones do have a hardware button combo for 911 that doesn’t require the screen if you hold down long enough: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208076
The issue is that you don’t want the button to be easy enough to press that 911 gets flooded with butt dials.
Re:I Give Up on Free Software Phones
by anonymouskimmer on Tuesday June 20, 2023 @06:29PM
(#36411602)
> A flip phone will cover your use case nicely.
Before switching to a smartphone in late 2020 various multi-message SMS texts dropped the middle message for some unknown reason.
> After they pass on, I will have no reason at all to make a phone call
You may think so, but things pop up. Moving states required calling my insurance company. I've made a couple of emergency calls.
Personally, I have no interest in making phone calls. 99% of the time when my phone rings it’s a spam call. The other 1% of the time it’s one of my uncles or aunts, all of whom are in their 80’s or thereabouts. After they pass on, I will have no reason at all to make a phone call, except perhaps to book a doctor’s appointment with some doctor who hasn’t switched over to online booking.