Smart Phone - done!

[Phil]

Ok, ‘ol Scrooge is back on this subject. (been very quiet, away and working on Fin YrEnd.)
My small button Samsung E212 – the buttons started malfunctioning.
So I replaced it with a small Nokia 5G button phone.
In 4 months the battery had to be replaced and then it just died. Battery does not charge, phone will not switch on. Will now be destroyed.
So, move the sim card back to the E212.
The buttons are deteriorating to the point where I struggle to enter the access code.

I have visited all the Cell-shops looking for a small smart phone, 5” or less in length. All these shops want to sell you are the latest-greatest large phone with a contract. They do not understand that a large phone will just drag my shorts down, will not fit in my pocket.
Surfed ad-nauseum, not much luck.
But, up popped an iPhone, reconditioned.
An iPhone 12 Mini 64GB, 5.4” or 135mm, larger than the E212 but smaller than the large bricks. It is 5G reconditioned (price will not gut me)
Also came across the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7, 3” folded, 3G. Need to find a local price.

Question (I know you guys are all tech boffins) my main use is SMS, phone in/out, alarms and fotos. Currently for fotos I use a very old Nokia Lumia 820:
Comment:
On reconditioned i12 mini, software useability, etc.
The Galaxy flip?

Thanks.

 

[Lons]

Hi Phil

I don't know about the Galaxy flip but both my wife and I have Iphone 12 mini with exactly that spec. I bought them from John Lewis in July 2021 and so far they've been faultless and we've seen no reason to change. Still being supported wit OS updates though I won't allow auto updates and wait a week or three before doing it manually.

We'd had Iphone 7s previously and the size was one of our main choice reasons. When buying s/h check the battery health in the settings,(battery / health / maximum capacity). My battery is currently 82% compared to when it was new.

 

[Lurker]

Appreciate that you are not in the U.K.
My phone (like previous ones) are hand me downs from my sons.
I took out a pay as you go with Lyca that cost me £1.49 a month for the first year (introductory) and is now just under £5. I have had absolutely no issues with them and frequently use it in Europe.
Her majesty has a contract with Vodafone but no phone supplied. Her apple phone was from Amazon Renewed which I think is a good way of getting a decent phone with a guarantee.

 

[Phil]

Hi Phil

I don't know about the Galaxy flip but both my wife and I have Iphone 12 mini with exactly that spec. I bought them from John Lewis in July 2021 and so far they've been faultless and we've seen no reason to change. Still being supported wit OS updates though I won't allow auto updates and wait a week or three before doing it manually.
We'd had Iphone 7s previously and the size was one of our main choice reasons. When buying s/h check the battery health in the settings,(battery / health / maximum capacity). My battery is currently 82% compared to when it was new.

Bob, thanks. I need to chew a bit. What cables do they use compared to Android phones? Can I hook it up directly to my laptop (not Apple)? Charger?
Not sure what the recon phone has with it.
Presume they use the small sim card? That will be another challenge moving from large card and transfer of data.

Appreciate that you are not in the U.K.
My phone (like previous ones) are hand me downs from my sons.
I took out a pay as you go with Lyca that cost me £1.49 a month for the first year (introductory) and is now just under £5. I have had absolutely no issues with them and frequently use it in Europe.
Her majesty has a contract with Vodafone but no phone supplied. Her apple phone was from Amazon Renewed which I think is a good way of getting a decent phone with a guarantee.

Wife used to get the hand downs from the kids and one from my work (Nokia that I still use for fotos)
We both only use pay-as-you-go. Not interested in a contract.

 

[Lons]

Bob, thanks. I need to chew a bit. What cables do they use compared to Android phones? Can I hook it up directly to my laptop (not Apple)? Charger?
Not sure what the recon phone has with it.
Presume they use the small sim card? That will be another challenge moving from large card and transfer of data.

Iphone needs it's own cable with a lightning connector to the 'phone end and USB A or C at the other to plug into a standard charger. It should come with one but they are cheap to buy and plenty of aftermarket ones available. The standard Apple charger which they stopped supplying with the 'phones years ago are I think about £20 or £30 (GDP) from Apple but again you can use any.

Small SIM card. You would have to set up the 'phone from scratch anyway as it will have been reset to factory settings, doesn't take long. The way I'd probably do it with old data such as 'phone numbers etc is to send from old to new 'phones or download on to my laptop but I can't remember tbh as it's a very long time since I've had an android 'phone. Someone on here will be able to tell you an easier way or more than likely will be tutorials on youtube.

Yes you can plug into your laptop no problem just use the cable and plug into a USB port. You'll get a message on the 'phone "do you want to allow...." click yes then open your 'phone storage and copy or move files to your desktop or wherever. Transfering files in the other direction is a bit more fiddly but I've only found the need a couple of times and it can be done via bluetooth anyway.

I regularly delete the cr*p from my 'phone and back the whole lot up on to the laptop.

 

[Phil]

Thanks Bob, good information.

If no Sim card, how do you connect to a network?
Getting info from old Sim to new phone will probably be done then by a smart kid at the phone shop?

 

[Lons]

Thanks Bob, good information.

If no Sim card, how do you connect to a network?
Getting info from old Sim to new phone will probably be done then by a smart kid at the phone shop?

Sorry Phil I edited that before you'd replied as I had a brain fart and confused with memory card. Dozy git.

 

[Spectric]

Just don't go there, these phones for some reason are addictive and turn people in zombies who just cannot stop looking at that screen. They are not social in any way and just isolate people who live in some other fictitious world.

 

[Phil]

Sorry Phil I edited that before you'd replied as I had a brain fart and confused with memory card. Dozy git.

Thanks, it comes with age!

Just don't go there, these phones for some reason are addictive and turn people in zombies who just cannot stop looking at that screen. They are not social in any way and just isolate people who live in some other fictitious world.

I fully agree, when watching the people out walking in our estate reading their phone or talking.
Sitting in a restaurant looking at couples or family at tables, all on their phones. Our rule is no phone out unless expecting a call.
I need a phone that I can at least read e-mails while away on holiday. Then there is also the forum.

 

[Distinterior]

Ever since the advent of mobile phones, I've never understood how some people's lives can revolve around them so much?
I bought my first in the early/ mid 90's, ( mainly for work purposes...) but even to this day, I very rarely take mine with me if I'm going to a social event with friends or family.

I remember an instance 22 years ago whilst on a Christmas holiday down in Cornwall.
My wife & I, along with 3 other couples, had booked a week in a fabulous cottage in Menabilly, just a couple of miles along the coast from Fowey.
It was like stepping back in time, as the cottage, practically on the beach, was pretty basic with regards to technology.
No TV, no internet access,.....and no mobile phone signal!!!

We spent the week reading, playing board games, walking into Fowey and up to Gribben Head and obviously eating & drinking too much.
At no time during that holiday, do I remember any one of the eight of us, complaining about not having use of their mobile phone.
However, it did come as a bit of a shock to us all to find out on our way home, about the Tsunami out in the far east that occurred on Boxing day.....

Dont get me wrong, I'm no technophobe, as they certainly have their place in the modern world we live in but I do feel that some Individuals place such a reliance on their phone, that they will be at a complete loss without them.

 

[fuse]

Sitting in a restaurant looking at couples or family at tables, all on their phones. Our rule is no phone out unless expecting a call.

We weren't even allowed elbows on the table

 

[Phil]

Ordered and paid yesterday morning.
Delivered this afternoon.
iPhone 12 Mini, pre-owned, mint condition, good price.
Bought from TakeaLot, local e-commerce. (Bought wife phones from them.)
On charge at the moment.
I will visit the Vodacom shop in the morning for a Sim swop (large sim to mini sim) and they will also move the Sim information across. Contacts.
Then start doing the installation.
Already connected to our WiFi without an issue.

 

[HappyHacker]

You can get an electronic SIM on may new phones so no physical SIM needed. Don't ask me how as I am an old fogie with a physical SIM.