>>> This invasion of privacy by Google is exactly why my new Android smartphone is turned off and sitting in a drawer — forever. Sadly, I learned after the 14-day return period that you must create a Google account for full functionality. Not gonna happen. I’ve been shopping for a flip phone or a BlackBerry — while paying a ridiculous amount monthly for something I can’t use.
Wow. If you insist upon a modern phone w/ Internet functionality, you’d likely be unsatisfied w/ the flip phone... hitting the same keys repeatedly for text, for instance, therefore the advice from a previous poster may be the way to go.
My better half & I both have prepaid cells, as we use them mostly for emergency contact/ errand running. His Tracfone w/ AT&T svc is actually cheaper to run (minutes being relatively expensive) & he keeps internet/text turned off. However, he takes the time to shop for the doubled minutes deals. I love my Sansui flip for what it is, Verizon svc available in areas where his Tracfone just shuts down.
I dread the day a potential employee suspiciously asks what I’m hiding when I respond, “What social network accounts?” as I have none. That is what it seems to be coming to these days.
All true. We may try prepaid once our current Verizon contract ends in June, depending on coverage (important!) and unlimited phone and text. Now there’s no happy medium between flip phone and smartphone.
Actually, I DON’T insist upon a modern phone w/internet functionality. When I tried to return the phone I WANTED to reactivate my flip phone and was met with a brick wall. Saleskid said, “You won’t be happy with a flip phone.” How does a pipsqueak younger than some of my panty hose know what would make me happy?
I don’t do social networking. I use the camera maybe once a month so don’t care about that. I don’t do gaming. I don’t and won’t email on a device.
I mostly phone and text, but I do a lot of that since my family is spread across the country and we buy unlimited service. Having been a production typist I find it MUCH faster and easier to double- and triple-tap on a flip phone than use a virtual keyboard. With tactile, I don’t have to look at the keys and the results are accurate.
The BB Classic was the best of both worlds. Besides phone, text, and tactile keyboard, I had GPS (excellent GPS!) and weather. GPS and weather are important to me. If I wanted to go online to read FR or such, I could do it but I never had to create an account with anything like Google; it was through the VZ network and not as invasive (evil?) as Google.