novice question about cell/smart phones

[wpshooter]

Am I correct in assuming that there are differences in the quality (particularly - sound/audio) in various models of smart phones and the carriers that service them ? I just tried a Tracfone and I am, so far, under-impressed by the sound quality of it compared to my good old home-based landline phone or is it that none of these newfangled smart "wireless" phones can give the sound quality of a land-line/wired phone system - in my case Verizon ?

Thanks.

 

[Muadib]

Wireless sound is not on the level of a landline. You have to compare apples to apples.

 

[wpshooter]

Thanks for your reply.

Are there difference in sound quality depending on the brand and model of the device and the carrier that is servicing the device ?

Thanks.

 

[Muadib]

I would say no, but I’ve only used AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

 

[Commodus]

Thanks for your reply.

Are there difference in sound quality depending on the brand and model of the device and the carrier that is servicing the device ?

Thanks.

Between devices, yes. It's not usually huge at this point, but there may be slight differences depending on the speaker quality. With carriers, not so much -- so long as the connection is healthy, you should be alright.

Keep in mind that, in some ways, calling is one of the lowest priorities in a smartphone these days. It's a messaging device, a web portal, an app platform, a camera... oh, and it happens to take calls.

 

[wpshooter]

Between devices, yes. It's not usually huge at this point, but there may be slight differences depending on the speaker quality. With carriers, not so much -- so long as the connection is healthy, you should be alright.

Keep in mind that, in some ways, calling is one of the lowest priorities in a smartphone these days. It's a messaging device, a web portal, an app platform, a camera... oh, and it happens to take calls.

For me calling is basically the only thing I am interested in. All that other stuff that it can do does not interest me (at least not on that type of device), for those other functions I will take my good old desktop computer any day of the week and yes I am OLD.

Thanks.

 

[Commodus]

For me calling is basically the only thing I am interested in. All that other stuff that it can do does not interest me (at least not on that type of device), for those other functions I will take my good old desktop computer any day of the week and yes I am OLD.

Thanks.

Gotcha. Just be prepared to adapt -- you think you'll stick to your desktop, but don't be surprised if you find yourself doing more on your phone. Navigation, email, checking Facebook if you use it... there's a tremendous advantage to having a computing device that's always in your pocket.

 

[wpshooter]

Thanks but I really doubt it. The only time the phone will be with me is when I am hunting. To use to call in game checking or to get help in getting game out of the woods, other than that I have absolutely no desire to be constantly carrying a communications device of any kind with me 24 hours per day, I am NOT like the rest of the world. I have no desire to be constantly barraged with the sorted details of what the rest of the world is up to.

 

[clamum]

I definitely don't have to have my nose stuck in my phone all the time, and I probably use it less than a lot of people, but I wouldn't totally discount them. It really is incredible how useful they are. I mean, I can be at the grocery store and open Amazon on my phone and get price comparisons for products so I can decide to buy them at the store or order them. I can get directions on Google Maps when traveling to an unknown place. I can listen to audiobooks on my commute to/from work. I can read a book from my Kindle library while eating at a restaurant. I can pay my Verizon bill when out on my vape break at work. That's just a few of the things I do, and I'm not even one of those "yout" obsessed with their cell phones.

 

[Zaap]

wpshooter, if calling is really all you are interested in, you should look into a flip phone or a "candybar" style phone (usually has a very small screen just for dialing, and hardware buttons). Both are designs that predate smartphones, but that are still sold by most carriers exactly for customers like you.

I mention it because if you go for a cheap smartphone intending to use it just for calling, you may waste more money, AND get what's actually an inferior device for calling (compared to a more expensive smartphone which for you is probably overkill).

The flip and candybar models still in production have basically been distilled into their best iterations. You'll also find they have fantastic battery life and standby time, compared to even the best smartphones.

I'd recommend going to a carrier store and trying out the phones and seeing what suits you.