Mobile phones, anyone else who doesn't need one?

[OspreyO]

I live on the edge of the pennines, so for me personally, it can be and is an issue, you'd be suprised how much mobile data doesn't cover once you start to go out into the sticks a bit, but that is more of a fringe case, I admit.

I assume if you struggle with directions and maps, Pennines wouldn't be the ideal place to live. But there's always GPS.

 

[Tefal]

I live on the edge of the pennines, so for me personally, it can be and is an issue, you'd be suprised how much mobile data doesn't cover once you start to go out into the sticks a bit, but that is more of a fringe case, I admit.

But you still have gps so as long as you have down loaded the map data you can still use the gps features you just won’t have live traffic data for fastest routes

 

[OspreyO]

Do they get traffic in the Pennines? Sheep jack knifed on barkers hill ..

 

[ttaskmaster]

mit sits on the desk, it unlocks with my face

And now all I can picture is you thumping your visage into the desk trying to unlock your phone!!

Similarly I'm not allowed to install any hardware of software on my work desktop or laptop. So the mobile will always better better.

We're not allowed to install stuff on either device.

You don't replace a PC/Laptop with a Smartphone. You don't replace a chainsaw with a scissors. But not everyone needs a chainsaw.

Again, I meet lots of people who don't have a PC/Laptop because they have the smartphone... but far more who stubbornly struggle on with the phone and the apps, despite having their own fully capable PC within arms reach.

You asked me a specific question about me. Wasn't about anything else.

Yet when I talk about things specific to me, it's suddenly not about me and I'm just the 1%er in the market?

That was a joke. No app for that apparently.

As was that... and there must be an app. What's it they say, again? "Whatever you need, there's an app for that"?

We've a post code system that requires a database. I've no way of using it with a map and compass.

I have a range of maps that display postcodes. No electricity needed. Not really reliable for navigation either way, though.

GPS
I bet in a room of 100 people you'd find a handful that that can use a map and compass properly. If it was something that was useful in everyday life. Most people would have that skill.

Depends which room... !
But even the best GPS is only so accurate (4m is the standard, I believe) and it can only show you your position. It cannot interpret the map or extrapolate local data and direct your navigation. It certainly doesn't alleviate the need for actual navigational skills and the increased callouts for Mountain Rescue for lost walkers who mistakenly thought otherwise only proves this, especially after their device gets broken or develops a fault with the service.

There are small smart phones. There always have been.

But how many are as good as the big ones?

I think thats your main reason for not having one.

Nah, they'll already have all my data, anyway. I've used Google and Amazon enough for them to know what I'm going to type next before I even type it!!

I live on the edge of the pennines, so for me personally, it can be and is an issue, you'd be suprised how much mobile data doesn't cover once you start to go out into the sticks a bit, but that is more of a fringe case, I admit.

Not so far, either - Barely 1½ miles outside Reading, there are areas with absolutely no signal, along with a fair few patchy areas even in the centre of town, despite there being antennae all over the place.

 

[Scougar]

Do I want to have it? No. It's kinda habit forming. I would actually gladly give it up to some degree and go back to a basic phone.

However: I need it for my job, multi-factor (including job), and as of today a portable hotspot for my job, so I can take more vacations without worrying about wifi access and getting a support call.

Personal: My wife can message me, my daughter can message me and I can make arrangements with other people in a more flexible manner.

Not to mention I am frequently using the light, camera, lazy-brain calculator.

In short, it's a multi-tool of sorts that I wish I wasn't so connected to. What I would prefer to give up is the dross of facebook, random websites. Although I suspect that's just being a procrastinator.

 

[mattyfez]

Do they get traffic in the Pennines? Sheep jack knifed on barkers hill ..

I'm just pointing out limitations... I generaly know exacly where I'm going on a ride before hand, and make notes of landmarks etc. You can't rely on mobile data alone, it's a 'Plan B' really.

 

[OspreyO]

We're not allowed to install stuff on either device.
Again, I meet lots of people who don't have a PC/Laptop because they have the smartphone... but far more who stubbornly struggle on with the phone and the apps, despite having their own fully capable PC within arms reach.
Yet when I talk about things specific to me, it's suddenly not about me and I'm just the 1%er in the market?
I have a range of maps that display postcodes. No electricity needed. Not really reliable for navigation either way, though.
Depends which room... !
But even the best GPS is only so accurate (4m is the standard, I believe) and it can only show you your position. It cannot interpret the map or extrapolate local data and direct your navigation. It certainly doesn't alleviate the need for actual navigational skills and the increased callouts for Mountain Rescue for lost walkers who mistakenly thought otherwise only proves this, especially after their device gets broken or develops a fault with the service.

There an irony in posting lots of fringe scenarios. Then ask for a fringe case using a smartphone. Gets one then complains its a fringe scenario.

Nah, they'll already have all my data, anyway. I've used Google and Amazon enough for them to know what I'm going to type next before I even type it!!

Reminds me of this...

My wife asked me why I was always whispering...I said I didn't want Mark Zuckerberg to hear me.

She laughed,
I Laughed,
Alexa laughed,
Siri Laughed,

Facebook said...thats not funny...

 

[mattyfez]

I assume if you struggle with directions and maps, Pennines wouldn't be the ideal place to live. But there's always GPS.

To clarify I'm talking about cross country mountain bike riding. But that could equally apply to ramblers etc.

 

[OspreyO]

I'm just pointing out limitations... I generaly know exacly where I'm going on a ride before hand, and make notes of landmarks etc. You can't rely on mobile data alone, it's a 'Plan B' really.

You should bring, ttaskmaster with you on your cycles to remote places. He's bringing a trailer for all the kit. Even got a smoke signaling kit, some kindling, and rations for a week. Oh and a desktop PC. You'd be all sorted.

 

[Jean-F]

My Brother in Law who I mentioned above won't even have a Garmin for his car, he will buy a local map for everywhere they go and my Sister in Law will navigate.
Later this month they have got to find their way to a wedding venue in Knutsford and two years ago they went a funeral in Chester and when they arrived everybody had gone.

My wife and I went to a friend’s husband’s funeral at Manor Park Cemetery, East London a few years back.
Another friend asked if she could leave her car on our drive and come with us, naturally we agreed.
She got into my wife’s car and said, “I’ve got the post code if you want to put it in your Sat-Nav.”
My wife said, “Won’t need it thanks, Jean drove a Black Cab for 30 years, I only have to use the Sat-Nav if I’m going out of London.”
Fortunately the route was still etched in my hippocampus.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we got there, I’d had visions of forgetting the easy way there.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

My wife and I went to a friend’s husband’s funeral at Manor Park Cemetery, East London a few years back.
Another friend asked if she could leave her car on our drive and come with us, naturally we agreed.
She got into my wife’s car and said, “I’ve got the post code if you want to put it in your Sat-Nav.”
My wife said, “Won’t need it thanks, Jean drove a Black Cab for 30 years, I only have to use the Sat-Nav if I’m going out of London.”
Fortunately the route was still etched in my hippocampus.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we got there, I’d had visions of forgetting the easy way there.

The thing is you would have had 10 alternative routes to it anyway.

 

[Tefal]

My wife and I went to a friend’s husband’s funeral at Manor Park Cemetery, East London a few years back.
Another friend asked if she could leave her car on our drive and come with us, naturally we agreed.
She got into my wife’s car and said, “I’ve got the post code if you want to put it in your Sat-Nav.”
My wife said, “Won’t need it thanks, Jean drove a Black Cab for 30 years, I only have to use the Sat-Nav if I’m going out of London.”
Fortunately the route was still etched in my hippocampus.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we got there, I’d had visions of forgetting the easy way there.

Do you ever accidentally find yourself taking the long route if you don’t like the person

 

[ttaskmaster]

There an irony in posting lots of fringe scenarios. Then ask for a fringe case using a smartphone. Gets one then complains its a fringe scenario.

Not especially fringe, as I already pointed out.
Also didn't ask for a fringe scenario, but actually presumed against one.
Finally was not complaining, but merely pointing out the duplicity in your subsequent response... and again in jest, but I'm sure you've downloaded the app for that, now.

You should bring, ttaskmaster with you on your cycles to remote places. He's bringing a trailer for all the kit. Even got a smoke signaling kit, some kindling, and rations for a week. Oh and a desktop PC. You'd be all sorted.

Naw, I think you should go. You've got GPS on a smartphone and.... well, nowhere to charge it, but at least you'll navigate okay for a good six hours before you have to phone for a rescue service.

 

[OspreyO]

Not especially fringe, as I already pointed out.
Also didn't ask for a fringe scenario, but actually presumed against one.
Finally was not complaining, but merely pointing out the duplicity in your subsequent response... and again in jest, but I'm sure you've downloaded the app for that, now.

I should have copyrighted that joke you've re-used it so much.

Naw, I think you should go. You've got GPS on a smartphone and.... well, nowhere to charge it, but at least you'll navigate okay for a good six hours before you have to phone for a rescue service.

Battery life hasn't been an issue for a good few years now. (Unless you are an iphone user). My phone last charge was 27hrs. Then I have a small fast charge slim battery which gives me another 3 charges, and it charges to full in roughly hour. Even with GPS on you can tweak the accuracy vs battery life. I have bigger batteries for the kids gadgets when traveling. I could probably go 3 weeks without mains power without even trying.

Even my smart watch will do 4 to 5 days. I assume the full GPS on it will last at least a day on that.

I've a pretty good sense of direction, I can't really ever remember being lost, even when hiking or cycling.

There only times that have thrown me are those identical urban estates that are a maze. Or US highways and exits which are just numbers, you have no landscape for context, and they loop back on themselves counter intuitively.

 

[OspreyO]

Thinking about it. Other than avoiding traffic and speed cameras. I mostly use Google maps for finding the kids sports matches. Often last minute you get switched to a different pitch via WhatsApp they can be anywhere and hard to find. It's also handy for getting into the right lane on unfamiliar complicated junctions.

Of course if you never do any of that. It's irrelevant.

 

[ttaskmaster]

I should have copyrighted that joke you've re-used it so much.

What, used once and re-used once?
Sometimes things need repeating, for those in the cheap seats...

Battery life hasn't been an issue for a good few years now. (Unless you are an iphone user). My phone last charge was 27hrs. Then I have a small fast charge slim battery which gives me another 3 charges, and it charges to full in roughly hour. Even with GPS on you can tweak the accuracy vs battery life. I have bigger batteries for the kids gadgets when traveling. I could probably go 3 weeks without mains power without even trying.

Depends greatly on the phone. The Xiaomi Redmi Note10 gets "up to" 10 hours of GPS-only nav, while the Galaxy Note10 can last maybe 6 hours, both with all the usual power saving stuff applied.
My smart watch would get again "up to" 5 days with all the right things dis/enabled, but once you start turning things on or taking the display out of Efficiency Mode it really drains the battery. In that respect, a dedicated GPS watch is far more efficient, even if it's lacking in things like maps.
But now you're into the realm of carrying extra batteries and chargers and stuff, is that not unnecessary bulk and thus not the point of these wonderful do-everything Swiss Army Smartphones?

I've a pretty good sense of direction, I can't really ever remember being lost, even when hiking or cycling.

Why do you need a sense of direction, when you can just get guaranteed information on your smartphone?
For that matter, why would you even go out for a hike when you can simply download images of the location with your smartphone? It's far more efficient. You could 'hike' while relaxing at home watching movies on a VM...!

Of course if you never do any of that. It's irrelevant.

Traffic I get no choice in, as I have to go where the customer/work site is and if that's in the middle of traffic then it's tough luck. I also can't use the phone while driving, so most such features are not an option anyway.
Lane assist I often find great in concept, but ultimately inaccurate compared to live road markings.

 

[Jean-F]

Do you ever accidentally find yourself taking the long route if you don’t like the person

I know that it goes against all the old wives tales, including not willing to go South of the river, but I never, ever, went the “long way round”, or refused a job, it just wasn’t my style.
Get ‘em in, get ‘em there, get ‘em out, then get another one in, that’s the way that I worked, and the route that I opted for was the route that I would want the driver to go if I was paying for the ride.
I was no angel, but I could sleep at night, I never had anyone over when I drove a Black Cab.

 

[Tefal]

TBf for 99% of the uk population navigation while “out of signal” is just follow the sign posted foot path you are on and try not to **** off the landowner of literally every square inch of this country you can walk in

 

[BallistixOnZ490]

I've never enjoyed speaking on the phone and never phoned friends or family.

I just need my phone for maps and internet the few times I need to go outside.

 

[OspreyO]

...
Depends greatly on the phone. The Xiaomi Redmi Note10 gets "up to" 10 hours of GPS-only nav,....

Even your own example doesn't need any extras to do the journey suggested. You don't even need the GPS on the whole time.

...
Why do you need a sense of direction, when you can just get guaranteed information on your smartphone?
...

I've been around for decades before Smartphones. Maybe humans existed before that even...

...
Traffic I get no choice in, as I have to go where the customer/work site is and if that's in the middle of traffic then it's tough luck. I also can't use the phone while driving, so most such features are not an option anyway.
Lane assist I often find great in concept, but ultimately inaccurate compared to live road markings.

Lol...

Reminds me a someone at work who insisted on going the same long way to work for years even after a much shorter route was show to them.