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Why Dumbphones Still Dominate, For Now
Velcroman1 writes "Androids are awesome, iPhones impressive ... but dumbphones still dominate. Of the 234 million cell phone users in America last year, a dominating 73 percent own traditional (aka non-smart) devices, according to market researcher comScore. Despite their more popular mindshare, intelligent devices like the Apple iPhone and phones based on Google's Android operating system own barely a quarter of the market."
Some people are smart enough to realise (and have the restraint) that you don't need to be connected all the time; that it's actually healthier not to be.
Alas, I'm not one of them.
I use the phone to make calls and send texts. I don't have a need for the added features of the "smart" phone, and can't justify the extra expense for the new toy or it's higher cost data plan.
“And they certainly don’t want the additional monthly bill,” which can cost upwards of $30-50 extra, depending on the web service.
That's it. I held out until a year ago. I preferred my candy bar Nokia with $24/mo. Now I'm on a DROID with $77/mo cost. And that's with a 25% discount from my employer! Trust me, if I lost my job or found myself in hard times this would be the first thing to go. Unfortunately I'm in a two year contract -- yet another aspect that should scare you.
I predict dumbphones will continue to dominate until the major carriers stop this ridiculous pricing model. In my eyes, my DROID is waste -- albeit enjoyable and convenient. It's very hard to convince me that there is a $50 dollar per month difference in what these devices do on the carrier's network.
My work here is dung.
“I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.” - Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer and original implementer of C++
There is a spark in every single flame bait point.
You have to pay for internet service to a smart phone, some people (such as myself) see that as a waste of money, when I have internet at home, and the smart phones/plans don't allow tethering without a jailbreak (ie, put you at risk for losing internet or your whole phone)
Phones run on a 3-4 year life cycle, because that is what people's contracts on North American plans run at. 3 years ago Android was a pile of crap and the iPhone was quite expensive.
3 years from now everyone in that 75% will have a smartphone, if for no other reason than the fact that "dumb phones" won't even exist anymore. Android is shipping on bargain-basement $99 and under phones nowadays.
Because it costs less than a few hundred to replace?
There isn't a massive 4" touch screen just waiting to crack.
Without said screen they're much smaller.
They don't need charged daily.
My Nokia 1100 was hands down the best phone I ever owned. Very tiny, nearly indestructible, easy to read screen, T9 prediction was pretty good and it had the best 'feature' on any phone, an actual LED flashlight, I think I charged it once or twice a week.
Now that I'm on Verizon, I wish they had made a CDMA version.
I'm in the market for a dumb phone or two right now. Ever try to buy one? The market has fragmented into two: smartphones (which earn the carrier huge fees every month), and dirt-cheap phones they can give away for free. There are no more nice, well-made 'dumb' phones like the Nokia 8800.
Of course, even those free dumb phones aren't really 'dumb' any more - they can all text, have still cameras and often video ones, play music, and many can do simple web stuff and access Facebook. They aren't really dumb, they are just lacking the ability to download apps.
Smart phone: $200 to $700
Data capable plan: $120 to $250 monthly
Dumb phone: $50 to $100
Simple plan: $40 to $80 monthly.
Um, what the fuck, do these phone companies think we're all multimillionaires?
Not everyone wants to join sea org for the pleasure of owning an iPhone.
Honestly. Many people simply do not have the need, desire, temperament, or extra money required to purchase something other than a "dumbphone". Also, "dumbphones" make phone calls just as well as the so-called "smartphones".
It has nothing to do with being smart enough to realize you don't need one.
1) Cost. 2) I don't want to be "always-on" for everybody and everything that is connected.My cell phone is for my convenience, not for the convenience of others. I am an IT pro and have been on the Internet one way or another since 1984. Since I am not a day today SysAdmin anymore, I have a work Cell phone that Ionly have on during work hours. My personal cellphone is really an emergency only phone: a pay-as-you-go Virgin Mobile phone.
Often it is about coverage. I live in south Dakota and Verizon is the only one with coverage dang near everywhere so if we want cell coverage out in the sticks we are stuck. however I agree to a point with if you pay it they will charge. 30 bucks a month for unlimited data. Data is digital, is 1 or 0. Voice is digital, is either 1 or 0. Difference?
The other 75% of mobile users who aren't geeks, businessmen, or Facebook addicts, don't understand why you'd want to pay an extra $30/month to be able to read the latest forwards from grandma about how you can see better driving in the rain if you wear sunglasses. They either don't bother, or they get an iPod Touch instead. Cant say I blame them, really.
We won't see 100% smartphone penetration until all phones are smartphone and the data plan is included "free." Until then there will be plenty of holdouts who simply don't care.
Nothing beats so-called dumb phones for the simple task of making phone calls. Smart phones are actually worse at the core thing they are designed to do, they drop more calls, they have worse battery life, they are not as easy to hold. Dumb phones that just work is a market that Nokia utterly dominates.
Nokia has clearly been smoking crack to want to stop focusing on the one thing they do better than everyone else. They are going to become a third class company in the shiny-things category.
Price, price, and oh, PRICE. Most people simply do not need nor want to spend $100 a month on cell service on top of the $200+ for the damned phone.
So under peer pressure from my fellow geeks, I joined the smartphone revolution and bought an HTC EVO. What do I do on my new smart phone? Call people, receive calls, check voicemail, and text. What is harder to do on a smart phone? Call people, receive calls, check voicemail, and text. What do I not do with my smart phone? Read my e-mail, shop, get directions, remote into my PC, sling video, watch TV, play MP3s, tether, control my TV, play games, etc. I regret my smart phone move, and fact is, there will always be a segment of people who will have no desire to use their phone for anything but communicating with people in a space and energy efficient manner.
Like hell that I am going to shell out nearly a hundred a month to use one of these smart phones. If anything I think they coined the term "smart phone" to coerce people into paying the absurd monthly costs. As in, its a smart phone, which means the people using them are special, you know, smart, smarter and more hip than those who don't have one.
Really, people line up to pay over two hundred dollars for these and willingly sign up for nearly a hundred more a month just to use them? Oh I know, there are some alternatives, but most common unlimited plans with minutes will set you back nearly a hundred with taxes and fees.
Worse, I know quite a few people who do this who don't have the money for it. They of course are more than willing to have others pay for things they could be paying for if they didn't waste so much on status symbols which is what these phones are for a large number of people. I guess once "hicks" got blue tooth they needed a way to separate themselves again.
I can think of many better things to do with $1400 a year.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
They don't need e-mail, or GPS, or *blahblahblahblahblah*.
Seriously. Were my job not providing me with a smartphone, and as cool as some of the things it can do are, I'd have some dumb, cheapie cell. Not because I can't afford it, but because I don't really care about all the "extras".
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
I've used a RZR for years. I've destroyed one with water damage, lost a couple, and I always replace it with the same thing. My monthly plan costs $28. I only have to charge it once every couple of days and it has more features than I want (camera, texting).
Would an iPhone or Android be neat to have? I guess. But I really don't need one and the costs associated with an upgrade just aren't worth it. Plus, everyone I know with 'smart phones' are constantly in need of an outlet to recharge their power-sucking monstrosities.
If my phone breaks or I lose it, it costs me less than a month of data on a smartphone to replace.
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."
As with many people, I work in a building with an elevator. Have you ever noticed that these days, the first thing people do when they get into an elevator is reach for their phone to look at something... anything other than making eye contact or talking with people in the elevator? Especially the younger generation (18 - ~25). it's funny to watch them read through messages that they've already read just so they don't have to socially interact face to face with someone they really don't know.. Of course.. I like to push them out of their "comfort zone" and talk to them. :)
--- If the bible proves the existence of God, then Superman comics prove the existence of Superman.