Author Topic: Cheap smart phone access in urban areas.  (Read 1984 times)

possumjaw

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Cheap smart phone access in urban areas.
« on: March 21, 2015, 07:14:33 PM »
Recently got a cheap work phone from my job, (have to be on-call sometimes due to working with people with behavioral/medical emergencies).

This has allowed me to invest personally in a cheap but capable smart phone for roughly $60.  I purchased it from a third party, though it is ready to be set up with a major carrier.  Then, instead of putting together actual phone service, I just bought a skype number and subscription for about $9/per month total.  From here, I just used the inherent browser to connect to the internet, download an independent browser and download manager and went from there.  After downloading a free texting app, (I just ignore the annoying little ads at the bottom of its screen), I now have unlimited phone service for texting, cell calls, and landlines in all locations where I have wifi.  I am obviously able to also use the web in all of the capacity I choose, and with the processing speed of the phone, if I have reasonable wifi, I can still stream video and things if I want.  Due to regulations in my area, since the phone is through a major carrier, I still can use the emergency call function without activating it to dial 911, so I'm set should I desperately need to do that.  Otherwise I just suck it up and wait to reply to people.  It does mean I have two phone numbers, one for calls and one for text, but I haven't found this to be a problem yet.

Just wanted to share.

-pj

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Cheap smart phone access in urban areas.
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2015, 05:06:45 AM »
Nice stuff!

What do you do when you're not near WiFi?

possumjaw

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Re: Cheap smart phone access in urban areas.
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2015, 03:28:31 PM »
Usually then I'm at work (I use my work phone and don't have time to use the other...for the most part...sometimes I use work wifi too, but honestly my job requires me to be vigil nearly always, so I don't need to be on my phone anyways), or I'm in transit.  There are a few places, like nature an hour or so drive away that I go hike in...and for those places I'll borrow someone else's phone if need be, but most always I'm by wifi. 

The only main problem I've run into is trying to meet people places when they change location or if I forget where something is...like for a night out with pals.  Then I just am very clear that I need to meet them somewhere first, then we'll move...or I stop somewhere like a restaurant or gas station and suck off their wifi for a sec to strategize.  Usually I am so near wifi that I eventually was just like, gee, I'd just call from skype with my laptop, but then I'd have to carry a laptop constantly...oh, wait, smartphones are just tiny computers basically.

Daley

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Re: Cheap smart phone access in urban areas.
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2015, 05:33:48 PM »
Just so you know, there's better VoIP providers for the money than Skype (both quality and price). $10/month can buy you service from one proprietary provider (Line2) that handles both "unlimited" voice and SMS messaging. VOIPo and VOIP.ms both handle SMS messaging as well, and can be used with any SIPphone and forward messages to email.

There's also ways to bridge the gap, get service without WiFi dependency, and get service cheaper still if you're stingy.