* Integrated GPS * Maps * An RSS reader * Twitter * Messaging apps * SMS * Phone calls * Music player * Other apps that got slow on the older iOS (?)
And yet you think your smart phone was "an expensive, over-rated, hyped piece of technology and machinery".
You ARE a smart phone makers target audience. Just because you're not running a moon mission on thing doesn't mean it's not performing its intended function. Show me a device that does all that for $10.
My priority on my phone is my music.
As far as the rest:
Integrated GPS/Maps: I used GPS because I recently moved to a city in which I did not know where things were. As I have become more accustomed to my surroundings, I use the GPS less and less. I can replace this with an actual/physical map, which is what I used to do and do on road trips (I don't rely on GPS on road trips). I like getting lost and exploring my surroundings, actually.
RSS reader: I mostly use this on my PC. I don't need a phone for this. I don't need to be updated on world/breaking news when I'm not on my computer. It's like, why do you need to carry a newspaper all the time? Same deal. If there is an emergency, SMS should suffice. All phones offer SMS.
Phone calls: regular mobile phones do this. I'm not sure why you bring this up and tie it to a smart phone.
The apps that got slow were the messaging apps (Kik, Beluga which got bought off and another which I don't recall the name anymore). They were especially slow-loading. I can do without these if I/everyone had unlimited SMS. I don't play games on it. I don't watch/stream any videos because Verizon 3G sucks.
Its these quick types of interactions that make this technology endearing for me. Otherwise all these apps are just complete nonsense.
For example, I wanted Walmart to price match something on Amazon. They don't price-match online retailers. Okay. I'll buy it off of Amazon. Including taxes and shipping and handling, I would've saved $5. I'm not a consumerist, so I hardly buy things and wouldn't save that much a year. I'm probably a technology vendor's worst nightmare, though. I find that the better deals are always on Amazon/online because either Best Buy/Fry's don't have the same models or I am not willing to pay more for the convenience of having it immediately. For example, I'm an audio guy. I want to buy a particular set of cans. Big box stores would never and have never stocked these pair. The specialized stores that do charge way more. That's pretty much all specialized gear, unless it is old hardware/technology (Rokit monitors, e.g.).
Different strokes.
What are your monthly fees though? I have an unlocked Galaxy Nexus (older version, $350) and one of those $30/month, unlimited text/data, 100 minute talk, no-contract plans from T-mobile. Seems reasonable to me.
I'm with Verizon, so monthly payments would be ~$100. But because I like to save money, I'm on a family plan with other people and we divvy up the costs. Because of that, I end up paying way less than the regular Joe. I pay $50/month and I feel I can still pay less, except there is a married couple in the plan, and friends and other relatives, and the costs are divided slightly unevenly. Anyway. I don't know the specifics of the plan, because I hardly use my phone. But I think it goes something like unlimited texts and 1000 minutes shared, and for my line, 2GB of data. 2GB data alone costs $30 with Verizon.
I agree with his conclusion that there has to be a 'better way' than the smart phone, but my situation is slightly different. The author still embraces technology as the best way to handle our day-to-day problems. Mine have turned somewhat away from that.
A year ago I owned an iPhone 3GS. It was more than enough. I got the iPhone 4S, however, because some apps required a faster processor, so the simplest of tasks slowed down my 3GS. It just seemed like iOS was bulkier.
Fast forward to the present day, and I find myself only using my smart phone (iPhone 4S) to listen to music and use its GPS/map function. Sometimes I use it to check for venue reviews. I send a couple messages a day, be it SMS or a messasing app, and probably talk on the phone an average of a few times a week for a few minutes. I use Twitter as an RSS feed, too. For all its prowess, I don't seem to be doing much on it. I would sell it and get a cheap $10 phone, except I already bought it and as an ex-musician, I cannot stand listening to the radio, so I plug it in to my car stereo for that reason.
Basically, I feel like my smart phone was an expensive, over-rated, hyped piece of technology and machinery. Either we are not using it for the right reasons or it truly is a futile piece of metal that can be replaceable.
Again, this is my situation. I don't have a calendar and meetings I need to keep tabs on, so it may very well be that I am not part of smart phone makers' target audience, oddly enough.
Just another overstated opinion, I guess.