Smartphone - Why should I get one?

[Raunchy]

Good and easy access to porn... Why else...

[Vorenos]

my response to these kinds of questions is that they are SO much more than phones, in fact, the phone function is in many ways secondary to the more useful features that the phones offer. simple, voice activated GPS (no extra charge if you are on verizon and use android), web browsing at your fingertips all day everyday, wikidroid and imdb apps (these have come in SO much handy more times than i can count...) weather, music (pandora/spotify/mp3s), wifi for faster speeds wherever available, countless apps for pretty much anything you could want one for, games (dont discount words with friends or fruit ninja, these are great simple games that are life savers when at the doctors office or DMV), and last but not least... Google Sky Map!

so yea, i say if you are a techy person (as you described yourself to be), definitely get a good smartphone and enjoy.

[Extrakt]

If you rather want an iPhone, get the 3Gs, its harder to break than the 4 and 4s and cheaper too.

This, Dropped mine so many time, left it on the beach in the scorching heat and nothing happenend to it. And I do no even use a cover.
Easily best phone ever.

[Xevan]

3GS and Lumia 710 are good entry level phones

[Deleted]

Angry birds... i rest my case!

[Songweaver]

I do not have a smart phone - nor do I plan to acquire one any time in the near future. Honestly, I can't justify to myself the cost of having or using one. For many people they are great to have and props to them.

I don't need to be connected to the internet 24/7 - I don't have a job that requires me to be so I'm not. When I'm at home, I have my computer. I would much rather spend my time looking at a 22" monitor than a small screen on a phone. It's physically easier to use a mouse and keyboard than the touch screens.

I don't live/work where I need constant use of a GPS, and the times I take longer trips, I have a Garmin I use for that purpose.

I read a lot - so I have a Kindle. It's designed for long periods of time unlike a computer screen, or those found on tablets/iPads/etc. Not to mention I have free access to their Whispernet for book downloads. All I pay for is the book.

I have a nice iPod Touch that has my music that I want to take with me along with any app games I enjoy playing on it to use when I'm waiting somewhere or bored.

These are my preferences, and it's what works for me. If you feel the need to upgrade to a smart phone, feel free. If not, save yourself the money and stick with what works for you.

[vindicatorx]

I'm not one of those people that is usually behind the times with technology, I always have the latest PC hardware and TV/Stereo equipment etc, but my work and lifestyle never made me think that I needed a smartphone. But I feel compelled to because even my wife has one and all she does is play Words With Friends lol, $90 a month for that and I used to get yelled at for paying monthly fees on MMO's...

Anyway here is the reason I don't think I need one, but maybe you guys know something I don't.

I drive heavy machinery for a living so I never get time to use my phone at work unless it's for work.
If I'm at home I have a laptop and 2 desktops.
I don't use Facebook or Twitter
If I travel I'll most likely either be on a plane or I'm the one driving and I wouldn't need a phone while on vacation.

So that said..why should I get one? Should I just save my money and keep using the ol' fashioned talk&text?

I kinda thought the same way until I got my smartphone. I had reservations about getting a phone in general cause I don't ever call anyone. I did some research and found out I could get a no contract droid for $30 a month having 300 minutes of talk time, with unlimited text and data. I guess they are slapping a 5 gig cap on data but I get no where near that. So, I also recently moved and have no idea where anything is. I love the GPS google maps it's been so helpful. Also, most all smart phones now have the talk to text thing I do mini google searches while driving all the time. It's now illegal to text while driving but you can talk to do that as well. I also use the Amazon app a lot to see how much cheaper i can get something that is usually overpriced at Best Buy. I find it to be really handy to have around and I have become pretty attached to it.

[Aeka]

I do not have a smart phone - nor do I plan to acquire one any time in the near future. Honestly, I can't justify to myself the cost of having or using one. For many people they are great to have and props to them.

I don't need to be connected to the internet 24/7 - I don't have a job that requires me to be so I'm not. When I'm at home, I have my computer. I would much rather spend my time looking at a 22" monitor than a small screen on a phone. It's physically easier to use a mouse and keyboard than the touch screens.

I don't live/work where I need constant use of a GPS, and the times I take longer trips, I have a Garmin I use for that purpose.

I read a lot - so I have a Kindle. It's designed for long periods of time unlike a computer screen, or those found on tablets/iPads/etc. Not to mention I have free access to their Whispernet for book downloads. All I pay for is the book.

I have a nice iPod Touch that has my music that I want to take with me along with any app games I enjoy playing on it to use when I'm waiting somewhere or bored.

These are my preferences, and it's what works for me. If you feel the need to upgrade to a smart phone, feel free. If not, save yourself the money and stick with what works for you.

Now wait...

You have devices that duplicate everything that an Apple smartphone could offer...other than the phone of course. Your iPpod touch gives you access to all the App store apps. You're already living a smartphone-lite lifestyle.

[Theodon]

Does the Ipod touch even have 3g capability or any kind of wireless connectivity that doesn't need a local WAP? That is one of the things that annoys me about my ipod, and why I would prefer an iphone over the ipod.

I'm not too keen on Apple products myself, but this is borne of my experiences with them thus far. Things about this ipod of mine annoy me quite a bit, such as needing to have itunes installed to put music files on it, or the need to actually have my PC switched on to charge it via the USB. There's also the issue of not being able to send messages to my brothers iphone using the ipad unless I jailbreak it so the app will actually work. If jailbreaking it makes the app work then why is it possible for some person not working for apple to overcome that limitation and apple engineers/programmers can't?

I'm finding lots of little annoyances with my ipad that I've owned now for a total of 2 weeks, and it's given me serious pause about getting an iphone on the cheap in the event it's just as annoying and limiting in certain aspects other products aren't.

[Dedweight]

So that said..why should I get one? Should I just save my money and keep using the ol' fashioned talk&text?

Based on what you've said I don't see you having much of a need for it. I don't have one but if I did I doubt I'd use it for more than GPS/Maps and other Navigation purposes but I also don't travel much so even those wouldn't get much use.

[Kzilla]

So that said..why should I get one? Should I just save my money and keep using the ol' fashioned talk&text?

1. Find someone with one.
2. Play with it for a bit.
3. ???
4. Decide.

You're asking people what they think of it when they use it. Go use one and you'll have decided pretty quickly on the spot.

[Zamfix]

Sounds like you answered your own question, since you now yourself better than anonymous internet people do. Why are you asking?