To flip, slide, or not

There are a number of formats to choose from.

My preference is the straight phone. No clamshell lid to break off, no slider to get jammed. Just a simple phone that works.

flipping a phone open has the disadvantage of the flip lid breaking off. It allows the ear piece to be closer to the air and the mouth to be right over the microphone. But the straight phone works just as well as long as there is not a lot of noise about.

The slider is also fraught with bedevilment as you have to slide over those keys etc. I have not seenone of these malfunction, unlike the flip top phone. But it is an engineering complication ripe for the malfunction!

Have you seen those YouTube videos about cell phones being used to pop corn? And I put a cell phone next to my head? Even when I have an earpiece available. So I need to take the proper precautions and use the earpiece a lot more, especially for calls that I expect to be long!

Well, I did not make it to the phone store.

So this gives me a bit more time to mull over what a phone is for.

Main function is to be a device for connecting with other people, to arrange meeting points and interchange data. But it seems to be a means to sell me things. I get calls from Dish companies, my van from 1991 is just in danger of being out of warranty, I need to sign up with a network marketing guru, and whatever.

So I need to focus more on using it as a means to get in touch with others to get them to join me in my endeavors while at the same time helping them with theirs!

But carrying it around all the time, fully mobile, is a bit scary because of the radiation!

Time to change phones and plans

I am coming to the end of my cell phone plan (2 years with T-mobile) and now to evaluate what I need. I know I do not need a lot of minutes. So I could opt for a pay as you go phone. And as T-mobile does not have the same frequency in New Zealand as in the USA I do not have to stick with T-mobile.

So what are the options

Goals are:
1) Minimum cost
2) Minimum features on the phone ( 3 ways, text, camera, are the only real features I need)
3) Ear piece so I do not have to have the phone against my head for long.

So, with this in mind, time to go to the store to see what deal I can get!!