Saturday, March 31, 2012

a smart phone for the confused

It wasn't quite unanimous, but by far the majority of my people recommended an Apple iPhone for my phone of choice. Yes, they are kind of expensive, IMO. They are even breakable. But they are very, very cool. And artsy. And I do aspire to be both.

I thought I wanted black. But when the little salesgirl put her last iPhone 4 (white) in this nifty blue Otter Box case, I fell pretty hard. I'm a sucker for blue and white anything, whether sailor dresses on little girls, or a phone in its case. That's perpetuating the pathetic stereotype of women who buy a car based on color, but who cares? Here's what else sold me:

1. Fabulous camera. On the back AND front! I just drool thinking of the photos of my granddaughters. (Oh and my kids ... sorry, kids.) Large and clear! Instagram, too. I can't exactly explain what that is, but it's a neat way to share your photography.

2. Face time. Like skyping on your phone.

3. GPS. Suffice it to say, there are times when a GPS would have saved me time, headaches and gas.

4. Weather at my fingertips, in case I don't want to step outside.

5. I got the "bottom of the line" iPhone 4. "Slower, less memory" some say. That sounds very compatible for me! And after a little flip phone, this one feels like I've gone from the Flintstones to the Jetsons.

I had another thought as we left the phone store. There might be a real niche for middle-aged phone sales people. Twenty-somethings try very hard and they know their stuff, but I'm not sure they know MY stuff. There came a time in our conversation when her eyes told me she just didn't quite understand my questions, needs and overall confusion. And I feel silly saying, "Wait, can you repeat all that again? Because I didn't understand any of it." Baby boomers need other baby boomers to sympathize with their confusion when it comes to technology. Remember this post?

So how about it, Verizon? Hmmm?

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