Do I really need an iPhone at this point?

magilla · Mar 1, 2014

I've never had a smartphone before and, with my limited (current) needs and usage, I'm not sure I need one.

I DON'T 1) Download music
2) Download movies
3) Watch streaming videos
4) Watch streaming TV
5) Surf the web (old eyes - better done on a large screen iMac)

I have an old (read antique - at least 5 year old plain dumb cell phone) that i use for just that - cell phone calls and limited texting.

With the new plans offered by several carriers (I currently have Verizon) and several, what appear to be, attractive purchase/limited usage plans offered, is it time to buy a 5s or 5c just as a move into new technology?

With my limited current needs, what size of a data package should I look at? Verizon's 45 Plans start off with 250MB data @ $45 then goes to 1GB @ $60 and works upward from there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is how big a MINIMUM data package should I be looking at?

Just to run a few basic apps that I might like to have (weather etc.) what can I expect my monthly data usage to be?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

jamesjingyi · Mar 1, 2014

magilla said:
I've never had a smartphone before and, with my limited (current) needs and usage, I'm not sure I need one.

I DON'T 1) Download music
2) Download movies
3) Watch streaming videos
4) Watch streaming TV
5) Surf the web (old eyes - better done on a large screen iMac)

I have an old (read antique - at least 5 year old plain dumb cell phone) that i use for just that - cell phone calls and limited texting.

With the new plans offered by several carriers (I currently have Verizon) and several, what appear to be, attractive purchase/limited usage plans offered, is it time to buy a 5s or 5c just as a move into new technology?

With my limited current needs, what size of a data package should I look at? Verizon's 45 Plans start off with 250MB data @ $45 then goes to 1GB @ $60 and works upward from there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is how big a MINIMUM data package should I be looking at?

Just to run a few basic apps that I might like to have (weather etc.) what can I expect my monthly data usage to be?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

If all you really want is to check weather and occasionally go on the internet, 100mb is enough. I would also check whether you really want an iPhone. What phone do you have at the moment, and do you think it is adequate?

Weaselboy · Mar 1, 2014

magilla said:
With my limited current needs, what size of a data package should I look at? Verizon's 45 Plans start off with 250MB data @ $45 then goes to 1GB @ $60 and works upward from there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is how big a MINIMUM data package should I be looking at?

Just to run a few basic apps that I might like to have (weather etc.) what can I expect my monthly data usage to be?

I have a iPhone 5S and like you never do videos or that kind of thing. I use it for some light email and texting and to manage my contacts and calendar... read a little news here and there. Sounds much like your planned usage.

I have never once come even close the the 250MB plan I have. My highest month was around 150MB when we took a trip and emailed quite a few photos.

After you get your account, login at Verizon web site and you can set it up so you get alerts when you hit say 50% or 80% of your limit so you can keep an eye on it.

TL;dr You will be fine.

magilla · Mar 1, 2014

jamesjingyi said:
If all you really want is to check weather and occasionally go on the internet, 100mb is enough. I would also check whether you really want an iPhone. What phone do you have at the moment, and do you think it is adequate?

I have an old warhorse of an LG VX8300 clamshell that, to be honest, isn't holding a charge anymore (past 36 hrs - new (NOT reconditioned) OEM battery $30).

I send less than 100 text messages a month (average) and would occasionally (maybe every other day or so) like to be able to check weather (especially during fishing season) for areas other than the one I live in.

One of the drawbacks to the LG is that it's got a puny 1.3MB camera in it and the iPhones are a good deal larger.

One of the things I hate most about it that it's got the 12-key keypad layout that makes typing text messages such a pain.

In all honesty, I COULD just probably shell out for a new battery and make due with the LG but, with technology having advanced this far, I probably should just bite the bullet and buy into new technology just to cover any down-the-road usage increases on my part.

magilla · Mar 1, 2014

Weaselboy said:
I have a iPhone 5S and like you never do videos or that kind of thing. I use it for some light email and texting and to manage my contacts and calendar... read a little news here and there. Sounds much like your planned usage.

I have never once come even close the the 250MB plan I have. My highest month was around 150MB when we took a trip and emailed quite a few photos.

After you get your account, login at Verizon web site and you can set it up so you get alerts when you hit say 50% or 80% of your limit so you can keep an eye on it.

TL;dr You will be fine.

That's about what I was feeling. Verizon currently advertises their 5s in their 45 Plan for $199.95 but I can get the same plan upgrade and a 5s from Best Buy for $149.95 (actually right across the highway from the Verizon store.) What i hated most is that, when I stopped into Verizon, I had to wait for 25 minutes just to get someone to talk to (who chewed gum at a jaw-numbing rate throughout our entire conversation) and who, when presented with the "I can get it @ Best Buy across the street for $50 bucks less" line said that, even though I'd been with Verizon since the stoneage (even before it WAS Verizon - Bell-Atlantic mobile) there wasn't anything he could do about matching prices with Best Buy. Best he could do is give me 20% off accessories - big whoop - my employer has a plan that already gets me 25% off of accessories purchased @ Verizon.

Ever had any problems with your 5s? I've seen so many postings here with people and their iPhones that it seems like every other iPhone has/develops some sort of major problem that needs to be either fixed or replaced.

Weaselboy · Mar 1, 2014

magilla said:
Ever had any problems with your 5s? I've seen so many postings here with people and their iPhones that it seems like every other iPhone has/develops some sort of major problem that needs to be either fixed or replaced.

Never had any trouble with my 5S. My iPhone 5 had a bad camera that refused to focus and Apple replaced it no questions asked.

I think you get a bit of a warped perspective of problems in the forums here since people tend to only post if they are having trouble. I have a handful of friends/family with iPhones and everybody seems pretty happy and no issues.

magilla · Mar 1, 2014

Weaselboy said:
Never had any trouble with my 5S. My iPhone 5 had a bad camera that refused to focus and Apple replaced it no questions asked.

I think you get a bit of a warped perspective of problems in the forums here since people tend to only post if they are having trouble. I have a handful of friends/family with iPhones and everybody seems pretty happy and no issues.

Thanks. That's about what i thought. i was the one who originally started the "It's raining Macs!" threads elsewhere here and got dragged kicking and screaming into the iMac world from my old G4 so I'm kinda familiar with the crossover from old technology to newer ones. Never really had a problem with any of my older Apple equipment - but that stuff was all built like tanks (and, for the most part, here in the US) but with Apple, as so many other companies have taken to doing, outsourcing their assembly locations to God-only-knows-where any more, you begin hearing all sorts of problems cropping up i.e. monitor problems with iMacs made in different places.

I think I'll give Verizon a call and see if one of their salespeople will bite on the "I can get it for $50 less @ Best Buy" line. My dad always used to say "Ask. The worst they can say is no."

Thanks again.

Mrbobb · Mar 2, 2014

I have an uncle who pretty much does the basic things on his iphone4s, no music, no video, just does the occasional web lookup (what time is that bus/train again?), some texting, which you already found out is a pain-in-the-tush doing it on a 12-key. Mapping is very useful I say, real time traffic update, whether you are driving or using public transportation. The modern smartphone is definitely useful for a myriad of things. Old eyes? well it got a built-in flashlight and get a magnifying glass App when looking at those tinny menus at restaurants. When an iPhone can synchronize seamlessly with your iMac, why write anything down? Just write it to the iMac when you are at home (you have it on sleep of course for quick wakeup), all your daily schedules, doctors appointment whatever, your shopping items as your wife tells you, and BAM! it automatically get synched to your iPhone, and if you carry your phone with you at all times like most people do, calendar and shopping list on the palm of your hands whenever you need it. It's absolutely beautiful.

Smartphones is not just for music and video and all those fancy stuff but for daily chores as well.

Ristin · Mar 7, 2014

I rarely eat doughnuts. I like doughnuts, but not enough to get in the car drive to a doughnut place buy a doughnut take the doughnut back to work and eat it. However....when my sales rep goes by Dawn of the Doughnut and brings in a huge box which contains the heavenly goodness of bacon covered maple bars, I consume a lot of doughnuts.
The iphone is to data what my sales rep is to doughnuts. The iphone makes it to easy to consume data.

rui no onna · Mar 7, 2014

Ristin said:
The iphone is to data what my sales rep is to doughnuts. The iphone makes it to easy to consume data.

Too true. I moved my mom to the iPhone so I don't have to bother with copying her huge contact list when she switches phones (well, I gave her an Android at first but she hated it). She used to be content with the basics and used less than 500MB per month. Now, she uses her iPhone for Facebook, Pandora, YouTube, FaceTime, etc.

iamMacPerson · Mar 8, 2014

magilla said:
even though I'd been with Verizon since the stoneage (even before it WAS Verizon - Bell-Atlantic mobile)

Mind-numbing isn't? My family has been members since the PacTel days. PacTel was spun off as AirTouch. AirTouch merged with Bell-Atlantic and BOOM Verizon!

I think you'll love the iPhone. Great device, even for limited use.

I do agree with the donut analogy though.

msandersen · Mar 8, 2014

I find I use my iPhone or iPad a lot at home, so a Wireless modem/router is a great thing as long as you have broadband which can save a lot on mobile data around the home.

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Do I really need an iPhone at this point?

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