Time to 'Get Smart'?

3/14/2011 6:47 PM EDT

I will stay away from the smart phone train for a while. It's not that I don't see the value in the products. I do. Rather, I just have a different set of priorities. Beyond a certain feature set, the size of the phone becomes more important to me than extras like email and Internet access. I’ve always wanted a phone that I can comfortably and safely keep in my front pants pocket. I do miss email and Internet access, but I would miss the added portability even more. That and I don’t miss the $30.00 extra a month for a data plan.

I’ve noticed an odd phenomenon with smart phones. People tend to set them on the table when in meetings. I don’t know if it’s a status thing or just that they don’t have a convenient place to keep the phone while setting down. When cell phones (and PDAs) were new, I noticed the same thing.

I’ve also observed that those smart phones sitting on the table tend to get used during meetings a lot more frequently than do smaller phones. Maybe the meetings are boring enough that the attendees feel the need to check out and surf or email, but I find it to be incredibly disruptive and quite annoying. I’m curious if others have notice the smart phone on table / in meeting use as I have.

3/14/2011 8:11 PM EDT

Duane, I'm with you on this one. As much as I would love a smartphone, for now I just can't justify it.

For those of us who spend most of our workday in front of a computer and of course have one or more of them at home, the only time I'm without internet is when I'm driving. For $30/month, I think I can live with that inconvenience for awhile.

The form factor issue is a real consideration. I too like to keep my phone in my front pants pocket, and I think women have a distinct advantage in this regard because they carry purses. My wife's Droid X is always nearby, in her purse, but I don't see myself carrying something that large in my pocket. Sure, there are more pocket-friendly form factors out there, but there's always a trade-off.

Your comments about meeting etiquette -- not only regarding smartphones, but also laptops -- should be the subject of another blog. Regarding people who 'check out' and spend an entire meeting absorbed with their portable devices, my question is why did they even bother to attend?

3/15/2011 8:59 AM EDT

Following the allusion in your headline—I have a shoe phone, and it would be impolite for me to place it on the table during a meeting. No, just kidding—I have a conventionally shaped smart phone, and I do tend to put it on the table during meetings. I’ve not given it much thought, and I do not take calls during meetings, but it does strike me as impolite, now that Duane and Frank mention it. As for a laptop during a meeting, there might be legitimate reasons—taking notes, for example. As for smart phones in general, I’ve had several, beginning years ago with a Palm model with the hieroglyphics. I used to use them to read the newspapers while commuting by public transportation, although that’s out now that I have to drive to work, due to a relocation. If you don’t have a smart phone already, you might see what develops in the tablet world. A dumb phone and a tablet might be the best combination. I haven’t got onboard with the tablet yet and am debating whether to go with a full-blown tablet or a Nook or Kindle e-reader.

3/15/2011 3:07 PM EDT

Just get a new battery. They wear out.

3/15/2011 7:14 PM EDT

As for form factor, I carry my iPhone in my jacket pocket at work and my front pocket when in my jeans. No problem. Since you've switched to a Mac the iPhone is your obvious choice; no contest. Apple builds elegant products that you would be proud to put on the table during the meeting.

Android may sound intriguing being open-source and all. But with it comes the usual issues of incompatible applications and the threat of malware. Don't cry foul Android users. I seeing more and more headlines about Android attacks, still have seen on about the iPhone.

Sometimes a closed system is better, particularly when comes to something as personal as a smart phone. It becomes an extension of how you get your work done and manage your personal life.

3/16/2011 10:19 AM EDT

I am still waiting to board the smart phone train. Since newer and newer things are coming to market so fast, I thought of waiting till the dust settles. My idea of a smart phone is the one which will replace all those remotes in my household and also my TV set top box. I will buy that smart phone which will fulfill my above wish-list.

3/22/2011 1:37 PM EDT

I am just about to jump head-first into the smart phone pool. 2 phones ago (6 years) I was basic, no frills calling. With the last phone I got on board with texting when I bought a phone with a keyboard. Now I want something I can play with, tinker with, program for, and hopefully reconnect to some light social networking with.

I've felt disconnected for the past few months since we had a baby and I don't get as much (or hardly any) computer time anymore. Having something that can actually twitter, facebook, and maybe do some light blogging from would be amazing.

I'm just about to go and get the Atrix, because the thought of a dual processor system in my hand makes me giggle a little.

3/23/2011 5:37 PM EDT

Yep, here's to late adopters. No smart phone for me in the foreseeable future. Can't justify the extra monthly expense; my dumb phone has what I call the "they don't even want you to know they have it" $30/mo. plan from Verizon. Same exact phone for almost 5 years now; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Another thing stopping me from joining the smartphone revolution is the complexity and time consumption that goes along with fiddling with yet another device with an operating system. I just know I'd be spending precious minutes or even hours a day trying to synchronize with my home and work computers.

3/23/2011 9:17 PM EDT

I do not need nor want to text/surf the web/ code / etc. on my phone. I only need a phone (not even the camera!!). I sit in front of a computer all the time and don't need another one to travel...

3/24/2011 1:25 PM EDT

So, wait, nobody on this thread gets a company-issued smart phone in 2011? Do you all have to use personal phones if you want a mobile phone? (These could be shockingly naive questions)...

3/25/2011 4:26 PM EDT

I'm pondering the decision to upgrade as well. I do not need, nor do I want to pay for the data plan. A dumb phone and tablet might be better, but I would like to carry only one device around. If I do take this leap, than I would get an Android power phone, if only to synch easily with my google calendar and such. Oh, and Brian, I work in semiconductors and even we don't get company phones. (We do get a discount on service, though.)

3/25/2011 4:37 PM EDT

Usually I am a very late adopter. But I got an Android phone in December. No problems syncing email, but I have chosen not to connect the phone into to my company's email system because I've been told that the company's software rules then prevent you from being able to do certain things with your own phone. I'm not even talking about XXX stuff, just normal web surfing. I use several cool apps, the GPS works great, and overall I like it a lot. But I don't like paying for the data plan. And after my 2 years are up, I very well may drop back to a "dumb" phone to save the $30/mo. If so, I will miss it, but I won't miss paying for it.

3/25/2011 5:11 PM EDT

I made the jump. Got the Atrix. I mostly love it. I have to spend a bunch of time purging and cleaning my social contact list tho before I want to connect the accounts to the device. I hooked up my Google account and had over 200 contacts, most of which were outdated emails all auto-magically imported from my gmail account.

I'm not much of a social butterfly so I need to dust off my twitter and facebook accounts before I attach them to my phone.

I love the browser tho. Now I can get news and updates right in my pocket. I just wish I could afford the laptop dock, so I could do more browsing on the go.

3/30/2011 10:36 AM EDT

OK. So, in an effort to postpone any decisions, I ordered a new battery for $3.97 from Amazon. Charged it up last night and I'm good to go. I'll let you know if and when I ever get my own smartphone. Though, the more I read your comments and think about it, I think it will be quite some time. I already work too much!! Work doesn't have to chase me on that rare day I hit the beach...

3/30/2011 3:27 PM EDT

I am surprised. Too surprised actually. I switched to a smartphone three years ago and all I see around me are smart ones. As I read the article, "given that I spend my days investigating and researching and writing about the latest high-tech communications products" and "But, now friends are telling me that Android phones are the way to go..", it reflects a lot on how many of our decisions get influenced by opinion and not knowing. No wonder the comments sections are always as popular as the articles themselves.