"Feature Phone" irony.

[Thefoodman52]

I can't agree more with Tangent.

A dumb phone is just well... a phone. That's all it does, but it's very good at that one thing.

A feature phone is usually a decent, though somewhat poor phone. The actual call quality usually sucks.

A smart phone isn't really a phone. It's a mobile computer, with a phone thrown in as an after-thought. The call quality on them though, is usually far superior to anything else, even the basic dummy flip-phone

 

[Snow_Fox]

Eh.. while they are mobile computers.. I still think that is overselling the phone's themselves and undercutting what we actually expect from a computer.

We are a bit over obsessed with "killers" and "replacements" in this day and age..

"This is the _____ killer!" and "laptop is like a desktop replacement, ipad is like a laptop replacement!" ect ect ect.

The truth at the end of the day is when you get done replacing enough devices.. there is still a realistic need for desktop computers.. and while smartphone's may still be computers.. they are the lowest of the low end in terms of real world performance..

 

[UBRocked]

@UBRocked

Thats fine and dandy if it is just you and your wife your paying for.

However, I am one of three children.

I will probably write another rant on just how *stupid* my parents are in a moment, however, while your paying 50$ more.. for my family at 25$ a person on our network... that would be 75$ for 2gb each.. or 35$ for 200mb each.
so I am not sure how many minutes we have but, at 5 x 25$ = 125$ right there... + 30$ for everyone to text.

base price + 155$ is a lot of money.

And if phone's were still used to talk, that would be fine.. but, the truth is.. if you don't have the feature's these days people just don't communicate with you..

Don't have texting? good luck getting someone to actually call you if its not business related.

I totally understand what you are talking about. My point is that 10 years ago, you would have been paying about the same amount of money for everyone in your family to have just voice capabilities on any wireless provider.

Technology is always much more expensive when it is first released. Cell phones used to be just for the rich. Now it seems that everyone has one. Smartphones were just for business users and now everyone has one. I'm obviously using "everyone" loosely, but you see my point.

In 5 years, where do you see feature phones? I can see non-tech savvy people with flip phones (or "dumb phones" with a qwerty keyboard for texting) but I don't see where feature phones will have a place. All it takes is one carrier offering a cheap data plan in an effort to steal business away from other carriers to start a new price competition and end feature phones altogether. If you could get a data plan for $10 per month would you consider an LG Octane over a LG Vortex (looking past obvious differences like physical keyboard vs. virtual keyboard)?

My mother-in-law has a LG Env3 but ONLY for the keypad to send about 50 text messages per month to stay in contact with her daughters (who all have smartphones). She doesn't want the crappy web browser or email client. It's being used as a dumb phone with a qwerty keyboard and I think there is a place for that. You want web browsing or email capabilities...people will get a smartphone . Just my 2 cents

 

[Stuntman]

Eh.. while they are mobile computers.. I still think that is overselling the phone's themselves and undercutting what we actually expect from a computer.

We are a bit over obsessed with "killers" and "replacements" in this day and age..

"This is the _____ killer!" and "laptop is like a desktop replacement, ipad is like a laptop replacement!" ect ect ect.

The truth at the end of the day is when you get done replacing enough devices.. there is still a realistic need for desktop computers.. and while smartphone's may still be computers.. they are the lowest of the low end in terms of real world performance..

I do still have a need for my home PC (which is a laptop). However, my smartphone is heavily cutting into how much I use my PC. My Android is able to do many things well or adequately that I used to need to do on my computer. Although I have not stopped using my PC completely, I have gone days at a time without the need to turn it on. Prior to getting a smartphone, my computer was on every single day other than days I was away from home.

 

[Eugene]

I can't agree more with Tangent.

A dumb phone is just well... a phone. That's all it does, but it's very good at that one thing.

A feature phone is usually a decent, though somewhat poor phone. The actual call quality usually sucks.

A smart phone isn't really a phone. It's a mobile computer, with a phone thrown in as an after-thought. The call quality on them though, is usually far superior to anything else, even the basic dummy flip-phone

The problem I'm running into is finding a dumb phone that still is a good phone, they are all cheap bottom of the line phones and call quality suffers now.

Its funny though to read forums where people complain about sacrificing call qualify when they bought their iphone, and make the assumption that all smart phones sacrifice call qulaity like the iphone does.

 

[Roze]

I do still have a need for my home PC (which is a laptop). However, my smartphone is heavily cutting into how much I use my PC. My Android is able to do many things well or adequately that I used to need to do on my computer. Although I have not stopped using my PC completely, I have gone days at a time without the need to turn it on. Prior to getting a smartphone, my computer was on every single day other than days I was away from home.

Same with me, I can go for days just using my phone and not even touch my laptop since I only do a handful of things on my laptop.
1) stream/listen to music (can do that with phone)
2)chat with my friends (can do that with phone)
3)surf the net (can do that with my phone
4)use MS Words/Excels/PP (can do that on my phone too).

and while smartphone's may still be computers.. they are the lowest of the low end in terms of real world performance..

I actually find I do MORE on my phone than on my laptop.
I don't consider my phone a 'lowest of the low end' when comparing it to a laptop, considering that it costed me the same price ($650) as a laptop on the market now. Also when I consider how small my phone is compared to a laptop, I am amazed how powerful it is. I don't think people really expect your phone to be AS POWERFUL as a laptop. Though this is slowly changing where the gap is getting smaller with dual core processors on the horizon.

 

[dan330]

Rose..

I agree with you...but... the gap between them is not getting smaller.
Power of the computers is growing faster. Phone power will always be far behind it.

I think the threshold of usability is always moving for mobile devices... with new features and power demands..
The gap with mobile devices and usability is getting smaller if not pasted.

 

[Eugene]

Well, my phone is what 800MHz, my laptops are 1200MHz and 1600MHz, only 1.5-2x as fast.
If those samsung tablets weren't twice the price of my netbook those would be nice to have. Get the cost in the $200-$300 range.

 

[Roze]

Rose..

I agree with you...but... the gap between them is not getting smaller.
Power of the computers is growing faster. Phone power will always be far behind it.

I still beg to differ. I mean look at how fast the mobile technology is going. We thought the technology for computers were fast, the mobile tech seems to me to be growing substantially faster. I know that mobile tech will never CATCH UP to computer. That's quite unrealistic to expect. I mean 3 years ago, most of the phones were around 500mb with half of the functionality they do now (first iPhone, G1). Before then...blackberry, nokia and palm all have their smartphones with basic business features. Now we're talking about 2011, there might be 2ghz dual core processors. Power wise, this will be as powerful as my Thinkpad.

The gap with mobile devices and usability is getting smaller if not pasted.

 

[dan330]

if you take the top phone out NOW and the top computer out NOW..
and have them both give you "instructions per sec" numbers. the difference is huge. that difference is not getting smaller.

computer CPUs are needing help to stay cool... because of the power consumption. Phone cpu have restrictions with power and heat.. that give theoretical ceiling (with new tech this is raised all the time: for both CPU)

 

[Roze]

if you take the top phone out NOW and the top computer out NOW..
and have them both give you "instructions per sec" numbers. the difference is huge. that difference is not getting smaller.

computer CPUs are needing help to stay cool... because of the power consumption. Phone cpu have restrictions with power and heat.. that give theoretical ceiling (with new tech this is raised all the time: for both CPU)

Fine, you win this one.

 

[dan330]

lets go get a cup of coffee!

 

[Stuntman]

if you take the top phone out NOW and the top computer out NOW..
and have them both give you "instructions per sec" numbers. the difference is huge. that difference is not getting smaller.

computer CPUs are needing help to stay cool... because of the power consumption. Phone cpu have restrictions with power and heat.. that give theoretical ceiling (with new tech this is raised all the time: for both CPU)

It doesn't matter how fast the computer CPU is if it takes a few minutes to turn on before you can actually use it. My phone is practically on all the time when I'm at home. If I want to check something quickly like the score of the game, I can do it in a matter of seconds on my phone where it could take minutes on my computer.

I just do not have a need to have my computer on all the time, so if it is off, there is going to be the start up time issue. Even in sleep or hibernate mode, there is a start up time. My phone, on the other hand, is on all the time, so there is no start up time issue with it.

 

[dan330]

It doesn't matter how fast the computer CPU is if it takes a few minutes to turn on before you can actually use it. My phone is practically on all the time when I'm at home. If I want to check something quickly like the score of the game, I can do it in a matter of seconds on my phone where it could take minutes on my computer.

I just do not have a need to have my computer on all the time, so if it is off, there is going to be the start up time issue. Even in sleep or hibernate mode, there is a start up time. My phone, on the other hand, is on all the time, so there is no start up time issue with it.

ok.. i agree... cant and will not argue that point!


but that has nothing to what I posted about power and the gap between the 2 cpu.

cars have more power than motorcycles...
but motorcycles give you higher feeling of freedom and in the environment.

I like "cookies and cream" flavored ice cream. what about you?

 

[Eugene]

My computer resumes from sleep instantly, why doesn't yours?

 

[Sweet Chaos]

**Note** Did not read all replies

I don't agree with the OP. There is still a market for the feature phones. For example, my grandmother would get rid of her phone before she would get a smartphone. Even my mom, who is relatively computer literate, doesn't want a smartphone. She currently has the LG Voyager (previously called a "multimedia phone," though now they're all just called feature phones) and that serves her fine. I have the LG Voyager myself and I LOVE it. This phone is the reason I had my heart set on the Ally (though I won't be getting it now =( Not enough internal memory for what I need). I wasn't even going to upgrade my phone at all until I decided I wanted the apps. I don't have an alarm clock in my room, I use my phone for that. I also use the calendar on my phone for EVERYTHING. My work schedule, school schedule, any events coming up... everything.

I think the fuss is all about the smartphones right now because they are what is new (I don't mean smartphones in general are new). Companies are still pushing out the feature phones but you don't hear about them because they aren't using new technologies or pushing the envelope of phones.

**Edit** Read most of the replies.

I don't understand why people complain about data. As I said, I have an LG Voyager. I use it to make calls, text, listen to music (via SD), play games, take pictures, take video (very little), be my calendar, be my watch, be my alarm clock, take notes, etc. I can do all this stuff on a phone that doesn't require a data plan. I'm not sure about the other carriers but I know that Verizon is going to be releasing more of these phones (Reality, Chocolate Touch, etc) that can do all this stuff but do NOT require a data plan. I don't understand all the "I want a good phone but then I HAVE to get data" complaints.

If you want a phone that does the extra things that a smartphone does, then you NEED the data because the phone needs to use the data to do those things. Sure there's probably a couple thing your smartphone does that my Voyager doesn't that doesn't use the data at all (whether it be when you're downloading it for the first time or whatever) but it's very little and, in my opinion, isn't worth getting the phone if that's all you want it for. The things people want smartphones for are things that need to be able to access the internet. If you don't need these things, find a decent feature phone. They're out there.

 

[Eugene]

What can the calendar on the voyager sync with?

 

[dan330]

What can the calendar on the voyager sync with?

sync .... is data being transferred to some other device or location.

most feature phones... are stand alone devices.
they are not typically designed to be attached to anything else.

smartphones... have sync features..

 

[Eugene]

Thats the problem, how do I get my calendar, my wife's calendar, my kids calendars, etc all onto a feature phone. Now some older feature phones had some syncing capability even if it was plugging in a usb cable, but they have all but eliminated those. I'd buy a feature phone if it still had the capability that the older feature phones had. intentionally removing features to force people to a smart phone is what they are doing now

 

[Bramsy]

funny... i lost my Droid, and am using my old BB Pearl for the time being. This is as close to a feature phone as it gets!

Browser sucks
Camera sucks
NO GPS
Apps are a joke
Hardly customizable
Battery takes a good while to recharge

its no wonder why Blackberry is failing before our eyes!!

 

[Dark Jedi]

There has to be a demand for the phone. My parents has dumb phones. they use just for calls and so on. Each person has a need for a certain phone. I love my droid but at the same time my Razr2 would do me just as good. Sure it dont have the features like my droid does. But hey I lived with out cell phones and beepers and so on.

To the OP dont worry about what cell companies label their phones. Just get the phone you want. Let others get the phone they want. Not everyone wants a smart phone. so why push it on to people?

 

[Snow_Fox]

Same with me, I can go for days just using my phone and not even touch my laptop since I only do a handful of things on my laptop.
1) stream/listen to music (can do that with phone)
2)chat with my friends (can do that with phone)
3)surf the net (can do that with my phone
4)use MS Words/Excels/PP (can do that on my phone too).

Not even going to lie. If I had a smartphone it would minimize my desktops usefulness in more than one way. With that said, there is a reason I have a desktop with two graphics cards and 4 cores overclocked to 4ghz. ;D

I'm not saying the phone's aren't useful, I am saying I don't think anyone is ready to give up real full sized keyboards yet. And if they are, they probably don't use the computer as much as we would believe to begin with or for the same reason people like myself have elaborate set ups.

I actually find I do MORE on my phone than on my laptop.
I don't consider my phone a 'lowest of the low end' when comparing it to a laptop, considering that it costed me the same price ($650) as a laptop on the market now. Also when I consider how small my phone is compared to a laptop, I am amazed how powerful it is. I don't think people really expect your phone to be AS POWERFUL as a laptop. Though this is slowly changing where the gap is getting smaller with dual core processors on the horizon.

My argument wasn't that phone's are bad.

They are designed to do one thing.

Allow you to manage your life from one interface.

Yes, phone's have amazing power. As a comp junkie myself hearing about 1 ghz processors in phone's is madness! (THIS. IS. ANDROID!)

my point is this. Your phone is designed to be used more than your laptop.

All that power in that small little shell is designed to give you weather updates so you know to bring a jacket and an umbrella. Its designed to let you know there is a wreck and to take that "back up route" before you hop on interstate. It is designed to let you keep tabs on you, your husband and your kids (not literally you) schedules so you know when the doctors visit is, keep in contact with friends over facebook, text and voice if absolutely necessicery. it is even designed to let you listen to music or watch movies and play games if your bored.

I don't deny or undercut its usefulness.

That still doesn't mean it qualifies for what I as a computer enthusiast would call an adequate computer.

Keep in mind I am speaking not from "real" definitions but, from a personal stand point.

If you need to type out a paper and print it. Sure you can do it from your phone. In the same way you can communicate in morse code over a voice line. Long drawn out and in many ways pointless unless there are some crazy circumstances.

Sure you can play games however, I have a new keyboard with 104 buttons and a mouse with 3500 dpi that is going to make your phone look like a swiss army knife compared to an A.K. 47.

Which is actually really my point. Phone's are good for being an all in one interface for your life they are multifaceted tools.

Computers are multifaceted tools as well however, each has their own role to play. Want to play a video games, write a paper, or enjoy a mechanical keyboard that goes clack clack clack.. (ok.. I'm weird.. sue me.. but, hell with rubber dome). Your going to want a real desktop.

Want a flexible tool to manage your life? Welcome to android!

For what a computer is designed to do it blows phone's out of the water in every aspect.

For what a phone is designed to do, it makes my computer a very heavy paper weight.


With all of that said, I feel that a phone is still a lowest of the low in terms of computers because, these phone's have laughable specs in the world of real computers.

Are they astounding for phone's? absolutely!

However, for a computer? nah.. gimmie a break.

Dual core phones? I'm interested like everyone else.. Got my ear to the ground in anticipation.

does this mean it impresses me as a computer? nope. I've got 4 cores running at 4ghz each. (I really need to join overclockers anonymous if they have a local chapter around here.. cause, I swear to god when I finally get an android, I'm gunna need some liquid nitrogen to see how high I can push it ).

 

[Snow_Fox]

I still beg to differ. I mean look at how fast the mobile technology is going. We thought the technology for computers were fast, the mobile tech seems to me to be growing substantially faster. I know that mobile tech will never CATCH UP to computer. That's quite unrealistic to expect. I mean 3 years ago, most of the phones were around 500mb with half of the functionality they do now (first iPhone, G1). Before then...blackberry, nokia and palm all have their smartphones with basic business features. Now we're talking about 2011, there might be 2ghz dual core processors. Power wise, this will be as powerful as my Thinkpad.

This totally discounts the architecture of the computer vs the architecture of the phone. How many instructions per clock does the phone run?

What about the computer?

It also takes completely out of account what os your running, what is optimized for what and alot of other factors..

Also, mobile developers are going to have to learn to code for multiple cores.

That process took a long time for the computer world. heck right now one game might run better on a 3 ghz dual core than a 2.4ghz quad core.

Another game optimized for quad core may run better on the 2.4ghz core.

They had the exact same problem when dual cores came out..

 

[Snow_Fox]

It doesn't matter how fast the computer CPU is if it takes a few minutes to turn on before you can actually use it. My phone is practically on all the time when I'm at home. If I want to check something quickly like the score of the game, I can do it in a matter of seconds on my phone where it could take minutes on my computer.

And there you have the main reason I want a smartphone. Save me time in the morning.

I just do not have a need to have my computer on all the time, so if it is off, there is going to be the start up time issue. Even in sleep or hibernate mode, there is a start up time. My phone, on the other hand, is on all the time, so there is no start up time issue with it.

WHile I agree. You can see my above post about how a phone doesn't replace a real computer.

 

[Snow_Fox]

There has to be a demand for the phone. My parents has dumb phones. they use just for calls and so on. Each person has a need for a certain phone. I love my droid but at the same time my Razr2 would do me just as good. Sure it dont have the features like my droid does. But hey I lived with out cell phones and beepers and so on.

To the OP dont worry about what cell companies label their phones. Just get the phone you want. Let others get the phone they want. Not everyone wants a smart phone. so why push it on to people?

The problem at hand would be, I want various smartphone feature's that are not directly data related.

They just happen to only be found on smartphones.

*OR* if they are on dumbphone's the features are spread out over several dumbphones and not all located on a single phone I want.