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.
Oops - what I meant to say was I fear a suspicious potential employER treating me like I’m lying about having no social media accts. Not a serial killer, I swear, I just lead an incredibly boring life!
Until you mentioned frequent text/phone w/ unlimited svc (and then GPS!), I thought you & I were of similar comms habits.
If it helps, I’m in NC & even roaming throughout the several surrounding states, Verizon is still the best at coverage. This on a $20 Sansui burner phone I purchased at Walmart *9* years ago. Came w/ a camera I didn’t need but have found occasionally useful. The mods I made to settings were to immediately set it up for permanent Caller ID blocking of my number & to disable the GPS function.
Good luck getting attention from the Verizon Store clerks when you use a disposable - however, you have the option, once you have it functioning, to switch to a monthly plan like it’s a regular contract phone.
Modification by Verizon svc since then was to discontinue automatic text notification warning that minutes/usage are about to expire; also I can no longer access my acct via their one-touch Internet inquiry function. Far as I recall, this applied only to the pay-as-you-go customers. A couple years ago, they campaigned heavily for prepaid customers to switch to a monthly plan, also making for sparse availability of the most economical minutes card, $100 for 1 year of svc.
Eventually I bought my Mom her own burner just like mine. Where else can you buy a year’s worth of insurance for $100? Her balance is $300 and change - that’s how seldom she uses hers. But a huge relief that she has it. We got a little anxious when the year-for-$100 cards disappeared off the shelves for a while, but now they’re back.
You got me to go look up what a BB Classic is, LOL! I’ve not explored other plans because I’m happy, but if I used my phone as often as you, I guess I’d change to a monthly. Years of my life are on mine. I wear it on my belt everywhere I go, w/ no danger of butt-dialing or having to buy an expensive protective case. My sweetie & I amaze ppl by sharing that we actually use our phones... as phones. I admire your mad tactile skills, FRiend.
Um... most recent setting mod was to default to no-ring for incoming calls, then custom-ring from everyone in my contacts lists. I’m a night-shifter insomniac, guarded w/ sharing my number. But the robo-dialers & scammers don’t stick to a sucker list *or* adhere to Do Not Call laws, so turning off the ringer altogether became necessary.