Will I need a smart phone in the future?

Feb 9, 2009
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I went with my daughter to look 3 /4 year old cars. One of the large dealers with many branches has what they call a car warehouse attached to the new car showroom.
They had over 100 cars for sale but none showed a price. You had to point a smart phone at each car to get details.
If I had been on my own I would have walked out as I do not own a smart phone.
I hope caravan dealers do not follow as one of life joys to to browse dealers forecourts to see what my next caravan may be
 
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Nov 11, 2009
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I went with my daughter to look 3 /4 year old cars. One of the large dealers with many branches has what they call a car warehouse attached to the new car showroom.
They had over 100 cars for sale but none showed a price. You had to point a smart phone at each car to get details.
If I had been on my own I would have walked out as I do not own a smart phone.
I hope caravan dealers do not follow as one of life joys to to browse dealers forecourts to see what my next caravan may be
Did the car have a QR code in its window? That’s all so they can do flexible pricing like fuel, airlines etc. But like you I wouldn’t be impressed. The car business is going through a bit of a revolution with cars being bought from solely online suppliers delivered to your home. Can’t say I’d be that keen on that approach. It was okay fir me with a company car but not a private purchase. But I guess I’m a dinosaur.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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I went with my daughter to look 3 /4 year old cars. One of the large dealers with many branches has what they call a car warehouse attached to the new car showroom.
They had over 100 cars for sale but none showed a price. You had to point a smart phone at each car to get details.
If I had been on my own I would have walked out as I do not own a smart phone.
I hope caravan dealers do not follow as one of life joys to to browse dealers forecourts to see what my next caravan may be
Our son gave her a smart phone he showed her how to use it but after about 30 seconds she went back to her old phone and now she a happy bunny again :)
 
Jul 18, 2017
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I went with my daughter to look 3 /4 year old cars. One of the large dealers with many branches has what they call a car warehouse attached to the new car showroom.
They had over 100 cars for sale but none showed a price. You had to point a smart phone at each car to get details.
If I had been on my own I would have walked out as I do not own a smart phone.
I hope caravan dealers do not follow as one of life joys to to browse dealers forecourts to see what my next caravan may be
Sounds like Evan Halshaws?
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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On the more general question, you will certainly have access to much more, "info" if you have a smartphone, it's there now, let alone the future and that trend is only going to grow.

"Need" depends how "ignorant" [in its correct sense, not the derogatory] you are happy to be.
Personally, even though touching my four score years, I way prefer to be as informed as possible, and a smartphone brings access to a huge resource of info, of real value if used with care.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I’ve recently bought my BIL a DORO smartphone. He’s not on the Internet and doesn’t have a email address. He just uses his phone for calls. But even though he had a big button phone he really couldn’t see the icons on the screen ir couldn’t see if a text message had come in. So buying a Smart phone was a help to him as he can now see the icon for contacts, texts, or a missed call. And just navigating between icons for calls and texts/messages is very easy as the icons are much larger and he only needs to touch it and the one being used has a boundary frame around it that can be easily distinguished. Really helpful as he has Parkinson’s As for its other features he doesn’t need them. So even not being used to it’s full a smartphone solved his problem. Although it took me two hours tutoring him and a return trip to the Midlands.
 
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Mar 27, 2011
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I can understand elderly users finding smart phones and tech of all sorts confusing, I use 2 smart phones, both iPhones, and also an iPad and an Apple Watch, a new laptop that can be used as a touch pad, plus a smart tv, do I need all of this tech ? Probably not but I like to have access to all the latest news as to what’s happening and I enjoy using all of my gadgets, even with all the things I use I still get baffled by things I hear the grandkids talking about, anyone who doesn’t embrace all that’s available can be envied in lots of ways and their time is not dictated by all that can be used, smart technology is addictive in lots of ways but such is the world we live in.

BP
 
Jul 18, 2017
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What we do not like about our so called Smart phones is that they have numerous useless apps that you will never use in the lifetime of the phone!
 

JTQ

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I can understand elderly users finding smart phones and tech of all sorts confusing,

No, levels of dementia aside, its simply a mindset issue, so many seem to set themselves against it as if on some mission to prematurely age.
I grasp the challenge to culture not kill my grey cells, but agree I meet so many, sadly happy to "age" as quickly as possible.
 
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What we do not like about our so called Smart phones is that they have numerous useless apps that you will never use in the lifetime of the phone!
Can’t you delete or hide them from view. Although there will be some that are “ fixed” as without them the phone isn’t much use. On my iPhone I could even remove Messages, Contacts, Calls etc so Apple gives user choice.
 
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Can’t you delete or hide them from view. Although there will be some that are “ fixed” as without them the phone isn’t much use. On my iPhone I could even remove Messages, Contacts, Calls etc so Apple gives user choice.
I have deleted quite a few, but why do they laod these smartphones with loads of useless apps? It would be better if you had a choice of which apps you want to use. Many of these apps run in the background using valuable data if you are paying for it by the mb plus they probably slow down the phone.
 
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No, levels of dementia aside, its simply a mindset issue, so many seem to set themselves against it as if on some mission to prematurely age.
I grasp the challenge to culture not kill my grey cells, but agree I meet so many, sadly happy to "age" as quickly as possible.
It’s not necessarily a “ mindset” as its a recognised fact that as one ages confidence in tackling new challenges and even some present ones diminishes. Many elderly are no doubt capable of using new technology but may not have had experience to lead them towards it, or may not have anyone to guide them. Going into a mobile phone shop and being shown how to do it by a “flying thumbs and fingers” twenty something isn’t likely to work. When there’s something I’ve been reluctant to engage with I will say to my wife
“ I’m off to confront the demon”.
 
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I have deleted quite a few, but why do they laod these smartphones with loads of useless apps? It would be better if you had a choice of which apps you want to use. Many of these apps run in the background using valuable data if you are paying for it by the mb plus they probably slow down the phone.
Just turn mobile data off when you are out and not on WiFi. Can’t you go into the list of apps and even turn off auto update and location services? Sounds like you are an Android user.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Just turn mobile data off when you are out and not on WiFi. Can’t you go into the list of apps and even turn off auto update and location services? Sounds like you are an Android user.
I am an Android user as will never have anything to do with any Apple product. Lesson learnt there. I have unlimited data so does not bother me, but does affect others on limited data.
 
May 24, 2014
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There are many apps pre-installed that cant be deleted or uninstalled. However in the majority of those cases, in settings, you can use the Forced Stop command and prevent them running.
 
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There are many apps pre-installed that cant be deleted or uninstalled. However in the majority of those cases, in settings, you can use the Forced Stop command and prevent them running.

Unfortunately - particularly with Android - Google don't want you to miss anything especially adverts, so if you Force Stop it will only stop the app until either you look at it again, another app needs its facilities, you get an automatic Android update, or you reboot the phone. Its a pain thereafter to go through them all again.

On some phones - my Huawei is one - you can go into setup/apps and disable those that you don't want <BUT> in doing so you may inhibit something that the OS or the other apps require, so tread cautiously.
 
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It’s not necessarily a “ mindset” as its a recognised fact that as one ages confidence in tackling new challenges and even some present ones diminishes. Many elderly are no doubt capable of using new technology but may not have had experience to lead them towards it, or may not have anyone to guide them. Going into a mobile phone shop and being shown how to do it by a “flying thumbs and fingers” twenty something isn’t likely to work. We there’s something I’ve been reluctant to engage with I will say to my wife
“ I’m off to confront the demon”.
I believe research has shown that ability to learn peaks in the teenage years and then gradually reduces over the rest of one's life - the "problem" with technology is that users often can't see the benefit until they are proficient in using it so see little incentive to learn how to use it to start with.
 
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May 24, 2014
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In most cases, although it says it may inhibit other apps, its cobblers, just as when you install a thrid party app that states it needs access to your contacts and pictures. Personally I would turn the app off and see if it caused an issue.

Remember, that when you buy/rent a smartphone from a major company, they have been paid to bundle that garbage in with the operating system, but buying the phone direct from say Samsung or Apple cuts a lot of that out, not all, but a lot. I am always stunned, my parents included, that have a contract phone, and at the end of two years, carry on paying the same price because they like and are comforatble with the phone. In two years, you have bought the phone and then some, so why not then go sim only and cut the price to a fraction.

In our case, we both have Samsung, my wife has the Galaxy, I have the Note 10+ 5G. Having bought the phones, with a discount from BT with broadband, we pay £15 for unlimited calls and texts with 200gb data. £20 for my phone with unlimited texts and calls, and UNLIMITED data. This I use in the caravan for wifi, simply creating a hotspot and everything else feeds off it. It would cost me that for a sim only to put in a caravan wifi unit with far less data.

But, IN DEFENCE of SMARTPHONES

I know many of you are elderly, have an illness or a disability. A smartphone should be of real use:

You can use Google Maps to track you, so that your relatives can find you if taken ill.
You can bring in the emergency services using THREE LIITLE WORDS
Instant access to your prescriptions and medical records
Prove you have been double jabbed
Log into the Covid system at venues easily via the barcode
Send digital copies of documents when needed
Convert virtualy anything in size weight or distance
Find the best TV signal for you Grocklebox
Buy every bit of caravan related garbage that you dont need from the Amazon app.
 
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I am not against smart anything. Fantastic technology though I do have to fight with them a bit. I am sure that that is the age thing. As my grandchildren do not have the same problems. But that’s progress.

I do dislike the “must have the latest one” logic. My family all have an iPone 12’s Which is good for my wife and me who have hand me down 8 and 10. which are great.

Even my latest Virgin 360 TV remote is smart. We just talk to it.

But in the case of the OP. A QR code can be very useful, not only can it give the latest price but that could be linked to compare to others on offer in the area fot instant negociation. It can also give a detailed specification and history of the car in question.

What I do not like from the OP’s dealer is. The exclusion of those without a smart phone. And the laziness of the sales staff in not including the prices.

John
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I believe research has shown that ability to learn peaks in the teenage years and then gradually reduces over the rest of one's life - the "problem" with technology is that users often can't see the benefit until they are proficient in using it so see little incentive to learn how to use it to start with.

My wife was reluctant to have a smartphone but our granddaughter gave her hers when she updated her contract. Initially my wife only used it for the basics but slowly she’s become more inquisitive and proficient. She monitors the bank account daily and quickly spots anything I’ve bought often before I tell her. What does irritate me is that she joined Netflix and rarely if ever do we watch it. She’s got recordings on the Freesat, I’ve got Amazon Prime and Apple TV ( free for another six months then to be cancelled) and there’s also live TV too. But I’m pleased that she has progressed as seeing the problems my BIL has its quite apparent that things can be more difficult if you don’t have access to the wider world of communication.
But I must admit that neither of us do our annual self assessment HMRC returns on line. It’s quite an event surrounded by paperwork jointly doing the darned returns.
 
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I bet the dealer has some sort of technology that tells them how many times each car's details have been scanned! Which they can probably use to adjust prices depending how much interest there is...

On the more general subject, I quite like my Smartphone - it has apps that I'll probably never use, but I've taken them off the screen so I never look at them unless I go into the "All Apps" folder. It's my satnav, everyday carry camera (when I need a quick snap for work stuff), rough-and-ready spirit level, basic noise and light level meter, supermarket loyalty cards, and has my pre-pay bus tickets on it. I've got two "pay by phone" parking apps, a weather forecast app ,bike ride tracking app and an alarm clock!

And of course the standard apps for sending a quick email without having to turn the laptop on, messaging family and friends (and these last couple of years everyone in our road has been in a Whatsapp group, which has been really good for keeping in touch with neighbours who might need help).

I get that it's not for everyone, but I'd struggle without it.
 

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