Phone Died
Just a quick note
Well my Ancient Samsung Galaxy phone finally died. It is currently sitting in the bottom of a bucket of water outside on the driveway.
Why, you may ask?
Well it’s been dead and off the charger for a couple hours now, it’s not working, it’s warm, and it’s swelling. So yeah, the battery is ker-fuckered, (technical term) and swelling batteries can explode. As I don’t want to throw it in the trash and end up with a fire, so bomb disposal one-oh-one.
I do have a ‘backup phone’, that does work, though it doesn’t hold a charge terribly long. It was the ‘house’ cell phone and is somewhat primitive. I’m going to be exploring my options, I may get a flip phone from Sunbeam, instead of going back to a ‘smart phone’. I dislike the fact that ‘smartphones’ cost about a thousand dollars to buy when they’re less than $50 to make. Talk about a rip off.
But we will see.
So for those who have my number, I may not be getting calls or messages for a few days until I figure this all out.
Using what I can't afford
tried this on my cell phone and after fumble finger typing for 5 minutes accidentally hit something and the comment disappeared. Moved to a real keyboard.
I hate cell phones with a passion. Love the times I can just turn them off and ignore the world. However I am self employed and put groceries on the table based on my availability and fast response to critical IT events in customers businesses. Given I hate all cell phones but have to use one to survive financially, it comes down to what I hate the least in them. I hate slow, low memory, low storage, bad camera phones the most. The only phones that don't cause me extra stress and negative emotions in use are flagship level phones. Though I am not tied to loving them I have had really good success with Samsung phones. I have had two phones in the last 11 or 12 years. A Samsung note 4 and my current Samsung note 9. I have to note :) that both are some of the best reviewed of any Samsung model even many years after they were made. Though I don't use it much I do like the integrated stylus they come with. I like the old note 4 better for it's replaceable battery, but the note 9's performance has held up since I purchased it.
The critique of the price of flagship level phones is very spot on. I can not afford my taste in phones if they are new. I have found though that flagship level phones seem on average to be quite well made and if you take care of them will last for many years. I can't remember what I paid for that old note 4 but it was probably only about 25cents on the dollars. I still have it and it still works. I had to leave it behind because they quit updating the OS and newer versions of the apps I use would no longer run on it.
I'm now looking at that happening with the current note 9 that I paid 300 dollars for used off of eBay in 2020. I should be able to use it for a year or two more realistically but I have noticed that my battery life is starting to shrink, not enough to matter yet but it's the start of the decline. Since I can't replace it myself, and the cost of getting someone else to is what I would pay for another used newer flagship phone, I have started looking at newer phones. Slowly, but looking.
I purchased my wife a note 9 in 2021 after being mentally traumatized for years over being IT support for her old iphones and low end android phone's. I found a new in the box note 9 on eBay for her for 300 dollars. It had a rougher life leading to a used Samsung galaxy S21 this year for her, no one ever said that running the lawn mower over her phone would do so much damage :) Surprisingly it still worked but was shedding shards of glass from the screen and the back of the phone that was also glass in that model. Her new to her S21 was about 300 dollars.
Funnily enough my 14 year old daughter wanted mom's old phone and with a solid case to hold the back glass together and a screen protector on the front glass that old note 9 seems to have won it's bout with the lawn mower.. just a bit rough around the edges.
Point is that it takes a bit of research to pick an older phone used. Some have issues and the reviews will let you know. You can get a very nice flag ship phone a couple years old, sometimes new in box or legitimately used for around 250 to 400 dollars. Prices for these used phones has held up due to people wanting that performance but most not having the 1000 to 2000 for a new flagship phone.
If you have to have a phone and you use it beyond the capability of just talking on the phone, then a gently used flagship phone will make you the happiest in day to day life using it. I use the camera daily to scan QR codes, create pdf's of documents I scan with camera to mail to people, I use it to take pictures of serial numbers and model numbers on motherboards and other electronic products that I can no longer see with my old eyes and then zoom in on them. I use encrypted messaging such as signal to pass passwords and logins back and forth with customers, use vpn capabilities to access services in my office securely or to log into customers networks securely, plus a hundred other things. Half my shopping is done on my phone over the internet at amazon (hate those bastards :) and Sam's Club online, or Costco online or any of a handful of other vendors I use to order computer parts, household products, books, clothing etc..
One feature that is going away but I use all the time is a large SD card in my phone. Currently a 400 gig one. I live in the country 40+ minutes one way to any of my clients. I live on audio-books when I drive. You need large storage and an audio out or Bluetooth to the car to play them. Smart Phone for the win.
if your eyes are like mine and not what they used to be a larger screen smart phone is necessary.
If your life lends itself to a small flip phone then that is a great option.. For a lot of people though and that definitely includes me, we need a smart phone for it's features and internet connectivity.
if you can afford the 300 to 400 dollars for a used flagship... it will make your life easier, faster, better in your usage of a phone in that case.
I purchase off of amazon and on ebay.. I recommend ebay though as it is really hard to see through who is reputable selling used phones on amazon. If you read the description carefully and only purchase from a seller with 10 to 100's of thousands of sales with a 99+ percent positive review rate, you just about can't go wrong. Also that the item is covered under the ebay guarantee. Most of the time I get what I order in the condition claimed. once in a while you will get a phone that has some issue. I have found that those vendors with good reputations and lots of sales just take care of the problem and send you another phone or quickly refund you as soon as you send it back. It has happened to me but not often.
I hope this helps someone. It just reflects my particular situation in wanting/needing high performance/quality while not being able to afford it new.
Comfortably retired here, so a $19.95 Tracfone from Walmart fulfills my meager needs. Only turned on for emergencies, don't use more than 40 minutes a year. Life is good.