I don't see the point of smart phones, even though most people like them. What are the reasons people prefer them over the alternatives?

[Anonymous]

By alternatives, I mean as devices for gaming, watching movies, reading, surfing the web, taking pictures, etc, smart phones are pretty terrible at everything they do.

The camera lense is poor quality, as are the microphone and speakers.
The screen is tiny and very fragile. The controls when gaming are crap, the keyboard is small, and the game library is mostly crap. The way music files are handled is also crap. And the customization options are crap too, and even the mobile interfaces for websites suck compared to other versions.

There are other devices that do all of those things better, some of them can even make phone calls, so why has the slab form factor smart phone succeeded for so long?

[dustybiker2]

I was looking after my elderly and dementing mother. By wiring my home to make it "smart" (light bulbs, tv's, locks, speakers, cameras, etc) I could control it all with voice, or through my phone if out. A couple times I had to turn the tv back on while I was out, and reset the program being watched. Turn lights on. Etc It allowed me a bit of freedom to get out for daily chores in early my mums early forgetfulness before I needed actual nurse assistance to sit with her. It was invaluable for years. It would have been so much harder without it all.

[Asker]

Most people don't like the smart home stuff do to the creepy factor of no privacy. Your point is understood, but thats very uncommon, so it doesn't explain why smart phones are popular.

[Asker]

Though there are in home security systems that do all of that better than smart phones, they are typically much more pricy.

[dustybiker2]

Thanks for MHO

[jshm2]

You're getting old, sunny.

Smart phones aren't simply "phones". In fact the phone is the least used part in most cases. What you have in most cases is a multi functional portable device that can give access to nearly any digital data.

It is not meant to "replace" a dedicated device such as a PC, TV or music player. But give an ability to utilise it's function while on the go.

[Asker]

The quality for each function is sub par, so I still see no point in them, i'd rather have separate devices that do each job better and stick them in a backpack. To me convenience is never worth sacrificing quality.

[Mr_twoface]

Your totally right, other devices do it all so much better, with longer battery life. Only reason for me it's the convenience of having them all in my pocket! Yes the photo might not be the greatest but who prints them out these days? It's all about social media and the "crappy" camera is plenty enough.

[Asker]

I print out high quality photos.
I don't understand the point of things like facebook, twitter, etc either.
There are mobile PCs that do everything smart phones do but better, and can still fit in your pocket, though I personally prefer larger devices.

[Mr_twoface]

I hear you and good you still print out quality photos. Yet I believe the general public have social media and don't print photos, hence smartphones are the easiest way to go.

[Asker]

When websites go down those people will lose everything.

[itsclearlynicholas]

Once people had to adapt to a virtual world that was Covid lockdowns, I got quite used to using uber eats and other apps on my smart phone which ironically I got in late 2019 as a hand me down and it worked a treat. Prior to that I used dumb phones for a decade or longer, flip phones, plus iPod touches on the side. Apps were not foreign to me since 2011 lol :)

[itsclearlynicholas]

Technically I even had my first early android phone around the year 2008 or 2009. A Huawei. It had turned me off android phones until late 2019. Samsung, then vivo. :) bliss ever since 📱📱📱

[itsclearlynicholas]

That said if it wasn't a necessity, there are days I miss the old world of Nokia dumb phones and postal mail and email. Having all worlds, 😋

[itsclearlynicholas]

Ah well. Tech changes.

[itsclearlynicholas]

I bought my own android smartphone (for the second time lol since my very first early model one which wasn't crash hot and apart from the Samsung galaxy hand me down) I got a vivo and upgraded to another vivo in 2022. Been happy ever since. A 5G vivo this year I may upgrade to further still. Cheap and cheerful. However if I can't buy, then I guess a Nokia 5G smart. Not dumb. Smart.

[itsclearlynicholas]

Or failing that, a Motorola 5G Ah well.

[Asker]

I'd rather use a PC for any of those tasks, Mobile PCs do all the stuff smart phones do but they aren't popular for some reason. 🤔

[itsclearlynicholas]

The downside is you may fall behind with smartphones or wish you had one in a future scenario or middle of nowhere

[itsclearlynicholas]

Aka "I wish I had a GPS right now" in the woods or beach or "I wish I had a mobile internet access right now" etc etc don't list to me then lol 📱

[itsclearlynicholas]

*listen cya lol 👂🏻

[Raki016]

Because it is a single device with everything you need for everyday life.

It is in the name Smartphone. It is smarter to carry a phone than a laptop, headphones, charger, powerbank if no outlet and backpack for all the stuff when you could just slide a smartphone in your pocket and be on your way.

Also if you aren't home people can still contact you.

If you were to get robbed you would also lose less no?

[NathanDavis]

that's right... which I don't do any of those at the phone

I mostly use it for calls, and texting friends and family as well

[Asker]

Non smart phones cost less and can do those things with longer battery lives and higher durability. So even in cases where a person just uses it for calling and texting, it still begs the question of "why are they so popular?".

[NathanDavis]

if you add the price of all those things... it could go higher than the cost a phone

also, quite challenging to bring all those with you anywhere and everywhere you go... phone solves that

and... most people do all of those other things very casually and not as dedicated and enthusiastically as to require an special device for these things

[Asker]

Phones today cost a fortune, ranging from 200 to over 1,000, there are mobile PCs in that same price range that do all the same stuff.

This is a more specific use example, but I had a friend at one point mention they liked their phone because they could run emulators for older games, I pointed out the steam deck to them and that it costed about half of what they paid for a phone with worse specs and no built in controls. Keeo in mind they purchased this phone just fir emulation reasons, so even in cases where they aren't even using it as a phone, the smart phone seems to still outsell sell superior products.

It's just weird 🤔 I think its just because of whats easy to find, mobile PCs that fit in your pocket aren't really sold in most stores, but smartphones are.

[Asker]

keep*

[NathanDavis]

no decent gaming, mobile PC will ever fit in a pocket... lol

unless you want to play PacMan

[Asker]

Not true, there are models that size that can play all the way up to ps2 and switch titles, they are just not sold in brick and mortar stores.

[NathanDavis]

ps2 was 20 years ago...

[Asker]

Yeah and? Most modern smartphones can't run anything newer than that without having to stream it from another device.

[Asker]

If you want to run newer games in a mobile form factor, it needs to be at least switch sized.

[NathanDavis]

most people leave their games at home though...

[Asker]

Most people don't even play video games, but for people who do, shitty mobile games and nintendo handhelds are a huge part of that market. The best games and systems are indeed played mostly at home, but are far less popular.

[NathanDavis]

exactly, like I said...

most people do casual stuff... that's why they get phones... and not seven different specific gadgets

[Asker]

Thats not the question, the question is why people don't buy a better all in one gadget thats cheaper, but I'm fairly certain its an access problem.

[NathanDavis]

where is it then... which is that gadget that's better at everything than a phone?

[Asker]

It seems that market has died along with blackberries and slide phones. And was replaced with switch sized gaming pcs that lack cameras. 🤔

[NathanDavis]

so... there is none

[Asker]

Currently there are none I can find, the smart phone market already killed them off.

[Asker]

I hadn't noticed until now because I generally don't want a camera on my internet devices, and prefer professional stand alone cameras and desktop PCs nowadays.

[strateguy632]

smart phone is for internet.

you are right the screen is tiny, but it is movable in contrast to a screen. for checking emails even for watchng videos away from home.