Ask Lemmy

It generally does everything your desktop computer does, but you can do it while you're on the shitter.

I'm not even kidding.

Well, if you think that a cheap desktop computer is enough, think of phones as a portable desktop in your pockets powered by a battery.

I can look at my phone when in an awkward conversation, to appear busy/distracted

Now that I think about it, instantaneous access to information from anywhere with an internet connection is a big one for me.

Convenient distraction

So many uses. They are a convenience and not really necessary when I really drill down into it, but the convenience factor is significant.

Maps and navigation. I can change plans on the fly and still confidently navigate cities I have never been to before, with a good estimate of when I will get somewhere. Could I plan from home or use paper maps/atlases? Sure, but a smartphone is way easier and more flexible.

Communication. It simplifies keeping in touch with people and maintaining relationships. Could I call them from my home landline once a month? Sure, but a smartphone allows me to send them a quick text or a dumb meme anytime from anywhere. Smaller, more frequent communication to supplement the less frequent larger effort helps a lot with relationship maintenance.

Having a computer in my pocket any time I am away from home and my home PC.

People who eschew basic modern technology are weird. It's just a fact. Could I move to a remote mountain cabin and throw out all electronics and let my inner, introverted, weirdo quirks run rampant? Sure. But I don't really want that. I want to have friends and to be generally well thought of by my community. I want people to text me to invite me to go out. I want to pull up the latest artist I'm excited about to share with someone when we're out and about. Smartphones are so ubiquitous, it is a radical statement not to have one and I simply don't want to be a radical.

No. Do what works for you.

I can do spreadsheets lying down

It connects my laptop to the internet when I'm away from home.

A phone can't replace a computer unless you put Linux on it and connect a monitor and keyboard. Even then, it will perform like a 15 year old computer.

If you're satisfied with what you have, by all means stick with it.

If your current setup is stopping you from doing something you want to do, or is holding you back from progress in something you care about, look around for solutions. Many other pieces of tech can fill in what a smartphone does, but in separate pieces. I think there is some value in having those separate pieces.

Like a smoker telling you not to smoke, I encourage you to find alternatives to the smart phone for daily life while typing to you from a smartphone.

Portable web browser to read books on. That's all I use mine for, except for the occasional text message / phone call. I got by fine for a long while with just my laptop, but reading on my phone is just a lot more convenient in a lot of cases. Like when you're walking, or running, or standing, or laying down. It's a pain in the ass to read from a laptop while walking, I've almost dropped the poor thing too many times to count.

The more sensors the better. I want a motherfucking tricorder.

The only reason I consider a smartphone a necessity is private and secure messaging and calls on the go. I can’t imagine having to be at my PC for longer calls with my family or non-gaming friends, and as a woman I absolutely refuse to go outside when it’s dark without a phone.

So since I already have to have a phone I use it for other things like Lemmy, music, podcasts, public transit and the odd entertainment app. It’s perfectly fine to not have a smartphone if you don’t need any of those things though.

My smartphone is mega useful to me:

• Step tracking. I can see trends in how much physical activity I’m getting
• Alarm clock
• Reminders and lists. I use features like “Remind me at 7 pm that I need to do X” many times per day
• Google maps and especially transit directions are incredible. Being able to download offline maps is great too for when I’m traveling
• Ultra high resolution camera in my pocket
• Google’s been great for the last 20 years. Now GPT-4 is my go-to when I have a quejaron about anything
• Being able to call people is handy

There are MANY different kinds of devices, and each offer their own unique blend of functionality. The hardest to replace seems to be the phone part - calling emergency services or receiving a text using a laptop might be possible, but takes some setup and just is not quite the same as being able to whip out your phone and already be in a call one or two seconds later. Conversely, neither iOS nor Android are even attempting to replace actual desktop/laptop-like operating systems, and while using a tablet as a keyboard may be possible, nothing beats a true keyboard and mouse setup; although that said, a smart device (either phone or tablet) with a broadband data connection can offer a WiFi hotspot to a laptop, thus significantly enhancing its' capabilities still further. Even some places that offer you WiFi may be super slow, unreliable, and/or do things like change the access code every hour or so, making it more convenient to simply provide your own - plus that's a bit safer too (which would you rather use: a public toilet, or your own at home?).

Having a printout (even if PDF) of a bus or train schedule isn't nearly as convenient as being able to connect with an app to live updates - like "it should have been here an hour ago, what happened, do I just wait further?", plus allows quick deviations like "am I so certain that this (other) route even runs on Thursdays?". Even dumbphones with a data plan could access the Internet, but apps are much more convenient, thus useful for things you do often.

Then again, some of that you could replace with a broadband connection on a laptop. What the smartphone provides is a nice bundle of features that, while each one could be replaced individually, is thought of by most people in the developed world to be often highly useful. Though ymmv - e g. people with addictive tendencies might rather prefer the barrier of having to pull out a larger device such as a laptop or tablet than to have immediate access to everything with a smartphone readily pulled from a pocket; and people who have a desktop at both work and home may want to get by with just a dumbphone for calls and texts.

Funny story: some dentist offices refuse to take patients who do not consent to receive texts and respond with confirmation of the appointment an hour or so before - they apparently were burned so often by people who made appointments but never showed that now everyone has to jump through those additional hoops, and they get enough patients that acquiesce that they can turn away everyone who does not. But if YOUR dentist does not do that, then your need for a device capable of sending and receiving text messages is lesser compared to those who do. It still is worth noting though how common it is to have such devices - most responsible citizens have at the very least a mobile phone, though not all!:-P - and your access to services in public spaces increasingly depends on such, so especially in cities, though they have significant uses even in rural areas as well. And yet if you don't use public transportation, always drive the same roads (or have a dedicated device for GPS, if you need that), and haven't found the need yet for apps, that's fine too? You apparently don't need them while moving about, though they can offer great convenience - enough even to replace a laptop entirely, if you have quick access to desktops.

It's nice to be able to stay connected while out and about. Having features like maps helps when lost somewhere. You can keep store cards and such in your phone to scan instead of having to physically carry everything. I went to a conference for work a week ago that required use of an app in order to register for labs.

A phone I can use almost anywhere.

Access to most of mankind's knowledge at my fingertips.

Weather and radar in seconds.

I mean it does everything really, mp3 player, GPS, Internet, compass (maps), communication even games. That said I am a little disappointed because they have been removing things like headphone Jack's, Sd cards and I really thought at this point we would all have flir cams etc on every phone.

I haven't owned a desktop or laptop in years.

I always have my phone, it just does everything for me.

I'm not a gamer, nor does my work rely on word or excel or PowerPoint. My phone had social media, music, podcasts, and what other apps I need.

I have a cheap laptop that gets used mostly for 3d printing stuff, and a smart TV with the various streaming services.

I have a pixel 7, and before that a pixel 4a. I never feel as though I'm missing out.

Being able to use forums and chats while not at my computer. I pretty much exclusively use my phone for the computer part, and never really use the phone part.

Heck, the first cellphone I had period was a Danger Hiptop (aka the Sidekick) because it allowed real web browsing (not that WAP shit) and other Internet features that only super expensive business PDAs had at the time.

My smartphone is specifically and uniquely useful to me for the following:

• Access the Internet without using my work laptop. My employer doesn't need to know I took a moment to check the weather, answer my wife to coordinate schedules, or respond to an important personal email.
• Entertainment while my dog sniffs the same spot on the ground for 5 minutes, or while standing in a queue.
• Safety, if I need to reach someone while out and about. I can't imagine pulling out a laptop on the side of the road and trying to call a tow.
• More secure OS for accessing mobile banking.
• I love taking pictures. The best laptop cameras struggle to compete with a mid-range smartphone.

With that said, I think the smartphone is something that you know is useful to you. For most people, the answer is clearly yes that it has a place. It's refreshing to know that not everyone is so dependent.

For me the most important thing about my smartphone is battery life. It needs to have USB-C for convenient charging and accessories - I have tiny USB-C DAC with headphone jack that drives my wired headphones. Also I use it with my external SSDs while traveling to move data between devices.

I live in a foreign country. So international communication is free and pretty simple.

It's a portable game system that also acts as a web browser, ebook reader, MP3 player, digital camera, and instant messenging platform.

On the downside, they also receive voice calls.

3.5mm jack, MicroSD slot.

Honestly the dedicated shutter button on my Sony Xperia. I have ADHD and I want to remember something I press the button and take an immediate picture. At work I use this function constantly. I'm a repair technician and it's really nice to take a picture of a model number instead of having to cross reference between the computer screen and the computer I'm trying to fix.

Listening to music is also good.

I can't believe I forgot this but GOOGLE. Anytime, anywhere you just have to know something, or learn how to do something you can immediately search it up.

Gps is also pretty nice

I use my smartphone for the same things I use my computer. Mainly web browsing if I want to know something/show something. Also for communication. Then comes taking photos or printing tickets or other files directly to my printer without turning on my PC.

If nothing else, it's a portable connection to your desktop. I have telegram on my mobile devices, and I dictate my thoughts into the app and then curate them on my desktop

voice/text/email messaging primary, locally sd card saved movies and tv shows for downtime at job sites, i do zero streaming, have a $15 all in 1 GB monthly data plan, and am holding onto my S10 with both hands gonna ride it til the wheels come off