If you’re friends with me on Facebook of follow me on Twitter, you’ll have noticed I joined the legions of smartphone owners on Friday. I’ve been a longtime holdout for a number of reasons, mainly because I felt like smartphones were just too expensive.
I still feel like data plans are pricey, and that they need to keep dropping in price, but at last, I just wanted to catch up with the rest of society and have a smartphone, too.
Of course, I’ve only had the thing for three days, but here are some general observations. First off, things I really like about it:
- Email, Facebook, Twitter everywhere. Internet everywhere. This is the no brainer. The key will be can I stay off the thing when I’m in public. I’m hopeful I will–I’ve had my iPad with me almost everywhere, and I managed not to be on it *all* the time. However . . .
- Ease of use–I can be walking and checking my iPhone very easily. It’s much more portable than an iPad, and so I can leave the iPad behind when I don’t feel like taking it. But then again, this means that I can check things more easily, which means I might be on the thing all the time. We shall see.
- I don’t feel like an idiot taking pictures or video. I’m still an idiot, but I don’t *feel* like one anymore.
- I’m looking to get a pedometer app for my iPhone. Yay for knowing how much I’ve been walking each day, and having it automatically loaded on a device I’m already taking everywhere. (Anyone have an app they’d like to recommend?)
- Search for a phone number on the web, then press it to call it? Witchcraft!
- Lots of apps are designed with the idea of a phone in mind. Checking in to places. Scanning QR codes. GPS functions. If you don’t have internet on your mobile device, it cramps its style.
- Because it’s Apple, I already have a slew of apps for it. Just took them over from my iPad. Yay one ecosystem. (If you’re going to drink the Koolaid, might as well drink it all . . .)
Things I don’t like as much:
- It feels like a dumbed down version of an iPad. The interfaces on a lot of the apps I use aren’t as robust, and so that’s a bit of a downer.
- It’s bigger than my old phone. Not as fat, but takes up more belt space. Of course, I also got a case for it, which adds to the bulk. But I want the thing protected, ya know?
- Smaller screen size (goes without saying). I love the big beautifulicious iPad screen. Using an iPhone sometimes feels like I’m using just a piece of an iPad. Also, I have so many subscreens. Need to work out something that works for organizing all my apps better.
All told, I really love the thing so far, and I’m looking forward to finding new ways to use it. With that in mind, I throw the question out to you, my loyal readers: How do you use your smartphone. Any interesting ways you just adore? Do share. Thanks!
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