Why Are Our Device Choices So Limited?

[lgem13]

The majority of the phones we get to choose from are smartphones. Not everyone wants a smartphone. The phones that are not smartphones are older models &low quality. They are phones from over 2+ years ago &/or have features from 2+ years ago. Its hardly a fair choice for someone who can't afford to pay more. The plans available just for owning a smartphone is too much. Especially when I'm able to do a lot of the same things on a regular phone that can be done on a smartphone. I dont need all the features available from a smartphone, yet my choices otherwise is ridiculously limited. Why is that?

[xdunlapx]

I feel the same way. I just want a basic phone with some bells and whistles. I resort to buying a "go phone" from amazon if I can't find it on ATT's website. In fact I just bought the AT&T Z221 on amazon today. I like switching it up sometimes and I find it easiest to just get a go phone. I had a smart phone for about 6 months and hated it so I called up att and had them cancel my data plan and texting plan (both super expensive I might add!) and am just using a go phone, with a "senior citizen" (200 anytime minutes, 500 night/weekend minutes) plan. I don't usually ever go above 200 minutes on my phone so why spend more?

I thought I'd like a smart phone but the more I used it the more difficult it got to do simple things like calling any old number which you have to turn the screen on, wait for it to work, touch the dialer icon, dial the number, hit the send button, etc... Where with a regular phone all I have to do is open the screen (if it's a flip) and dial the darn number and hit send. It just takes too long for the phone I had to wake up from sleep (Motorola Backflip) it was awful and it was so slow! I used my moms verizon Droid Incredible before and liked it  more but it was still annoying to use. 

So anyway, I prefer a regular phone, a dumphone as some people call it. If I do get a smart phone sometime in the future (not likely as money is an issue currently) I'd use a blackberry bold or something with a physical keyboard on it. No typical touch screens fo rme. Hated it.

I don't understand why ATT refuses to update their equipment, or ask for more updated equipment. Though the Z221 I just got has a 3 mega pixel camera and takes a normal micro (or mini?) usb cable. I'm not sure if it has a microsd card slot or not but that's fine, I don't need a whole lot of music or anything on it. I simply use my mp3 player for that.

I wish the selection of phones was better. That's why I buy elsewhere. I did hear that the phones that are online and the phones in the store differ so maybe your local store would have a better selection of regular phones, that I don't know. Since I have mobility issues I don't tend to go shopping in brick and mortar stores anymore. Not unless they have a wheelchair available. 

Sorry for the long winded response that probably didn't help much. But I feel the same way about the situation. I think the dumbphone market is waning since many people are demanding smart phones. I guess we could always cancel the att service and shop companies like Net10 or Walmart's brand of prepaid service. Or other more specialized companies that offer free or low cost phones to senior citizens or those with limited income. I've seen a few commercials for them and am thinking of switching, but I'll have to do more research. I plan to go back to a gophone plan when my contract is up. 

[Wild Banchi ACE - Master]

With the way technology in the cellular industry is constantly advancing, eventually smartphones will be the only phone choices available. AT&T wants their customers to purchase smartphones (specifically the iPhone) because they can charge them for data plans, thus, making a lump sum more money from them year after year.

I agree, the feature phone lineup needs to be re-inforced.

[Kerry78]

Its also the case here I ask myself these days what is a standard phone cos there isn't alot around

you can purchase very low cost cheap phones though from many manufacturers that have standard text, 3G

but these days the Touchscreen handsets are taking over in vast amounts!

I own some vintage phones from way back to 1999 my most cherished one is my Old nokia 8210

kid me not ive used this for a week or so when my phone was in for repair and i didn't miss alot of my smartphone

[crkcallie]

I feel the same way.  Everywhere I look it's smart phone this or smart phone that.  When it came right down to it, I just wanted a phone that had bells and whistles, a great battery life and physical buttons, not the touch screen stuff you see nowadays.  I hope they start making more smart phones with the physical buttons on them.

[ilikewireless ACE - Professor]

I like to buy a smart flip phone like the one Samsung makes http://m.engadget.com/tag/flip+phone/