Enough of smartphones

I believe that with the gradual appearance of iPad and iPad-like tablet devices, it makes more sense to have a feature-light mobile phone and a separate tablet, rather than a do-it-all smartphone. I am sure many new smartphone owners will disagree, but this is how I see it.

I have enough of smartphones. Really, I don't know how the market for smartphones can be sustained in the long run. I read one statistic that says more than 90% of smartphone users actually only use the camera and text functions in their phone. I suspect a large number also use Facebook or Twitter. But my point is, smartphones are built for apps, as much as it is for communication (talk, text or twit). Yet, who can honestly say they regularly use the apps on their phone for really beneficial purposes? I don't.

I have a really good video player app. I used it a few times in the beginning, and that's about it. I have several ebook readers. Yes, I read one or two books; also in the beginning. I have downloaded games apps, a guitar chord app, dictionary, pdf reader, spreadsheet, etc. I felt "powerful" holding the apps-laden gadget. Before long, it became primarily a phone and nothing else.

Now my supercharged phone is beginning to frustrate me. Over time it has slowed down with age and use. Like a PC that has accumulated too much junk files, my phone takes a long time to open certain apps now. So I decided to reset it to factory settings. In the process, I have lost all the contacts in the phone (yes, I did do a backup first, but to no avail).

That does it. I am cutting myself out of smartphones. My next phone will be a basic phone that does just what I need, minus the apps, web-browser, qwerty keypad, and big touchscreen. At this point, the Nokia C2-00 is my idea of an ideal phone. (See note at bottom of the blog title "A Very Practical Mobile Phone")