Stupid Dumbphone

Packerjohn

Packerjohn
Location
Canada
So, far so good; no cancer, no Alzheimer's, no dementia, no heart attacks, no strokes & for sure no Covid19 or all those exciting variants. Finally, there is something that will probably kill me faster than all those diseases that seem to get all those folks wearing those cloth masks. That terrible thing is the stupidphone.

For the last several I was a happy retiree with a nice flip phone that always worked well and never failed me. Then came the day my daughter gave me her old smartphone which is going to kill me pretty fast. I always said that "technology will eventually kill the human race" and it seems to be happening faster than climate change.

This Saturday I need to pick up a parcel from Amazon. To do this I need the Amazon app. I have spent 3 hours and still no app. It seems not to like my Apple ID or maybe it doesn't like the Apple password. So, no downloading of that darn app from Amazon.

The stupidphone is unbelievably stupid. No wonder 95% of North Americans are walking around and starring at their phones all day. They too are trying to figure the darn thing out. My contact list on the phone has double entries and I just can't figure out how to delete 1 of the entries.

I don't want the crappy Amazon music, not their movies and I couldn't care less about some so called "star" with thorn jeans pretending she is poor. I just want a phone that works. Unfortunately, I have moved from a nice flipphone to a god awful stupid phone.

Only solution to a rather crappy situation is another stiff drink of rum. Maybe some nerd out there might give me some help because if I die soon that blood stupidphone will be the cause of my death.
 

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No disrespect intended, but if you are having trouble with basic functions on your phone, you should share that information with your doctor. He (or she) may want to evaluate you for your risk of dementia.

I say this because I have a dear friend who in the past year has started to have issues with the smart phone and apple watch and ipad. Testing (MRI of the brain and a SLUMS test) indicates that the friend is in fact now in the early stages of dementia. My friend denies it but it is apparent to me and others.

I sincerely hope I am wrong.
 
Nobody here is "stupid" or otherwise impaired. The smartphone can be a handy tool, does have a learning curve but patience will rewarding.
Edit: But yea, I feel your pain, try to keep the frustration impulse in check, and instead redouble your determination to master the simple gob of plastic and precious elements known as the cellphone. ;)
 
So, far so good; no cancer, no Alzheimer's, no dementia, no heart attacks, no strokes & for sure no Covid19 or all those exciting variants. Finally, there is something that will probably kill me faster than all those diseases that seem to get all those folks wearing those cloth masks. That terrible thing is the stupidphone.

For the last several I was a happy retiree with a nice flip phone that always worked well and never failed me. Then came the day my daughter gave me her old smartphone which is going to kill me pretty fast. I always said that "technology will eventually kill the human race" and it seems to be happening faster than climate change.

This Saturday I need to pick up a parcel from Amazon. To do this I need the Amazon app. I have spent 3 hours and still no app. It seems not to like my Apple ID or maybe it doesn't like the Apple password. So, no downloading of that darn app from Amazon.

The stupidphone is unbelievably stupid. No wonder 95% of North Americans are walking around and starring at their phones all day. They too are trying to figure the darn thing out. My contact list on the phone has double entries and I just can't figure out how to delete 1 of the entries.

I don't want the crappy Amazon music, not their movies and I couldn't care less about some so called "star" with thorn jeans pretending she is poor. I just want a phone that works. Unfortunately, I have moved from a nice flipphone to a god awful stupid phone.

Only solution to a rather crappy situation is another stiff drink of rum. Maybe some nerd out there might give me some help because if I die soon that blood stupidphone will be the cause of my death.
If you are able to make posts on this forum and download attachments believe me you can use that smart phone. You just need someone to sit down and explain some basics to you. We all have had to learn and adjust. You can do it!
 
Apple products have always been counterintuitive for me. I've never used an iPhone, but I suspect they're consistent with other Apple products or Mac (whatever the hell they're called). Some people love their products, others hate them. I'm in the latter category, although I do have an old Macbook Pro, but it has Linux on it — not a Mac OS.
 
I simply can not figure out the damn cell phone.........so I really don't care. I watch people everywhere with cell phone in one hand and who knows what is in the other hand. Frankly if they want to call me they can call my home phone. If I am not home they can call back or leave a message, and I will get back to them. I can't see me carrying a cell phone cause I wouldn't want to get phone calls while I am out. If that is a sign of dementia I don't care!
 
We all know that the OP is a smart fella, but if he is having trouble deleting an unwanted contact, maybe something else is going on. I just expressing a concern, and didn't mean to offend.

To delete a contact on an iPhone:
Open up the contact app (or the phone app and then select Contacts)
Selected the contact you want to delete by touching it
At the top right corner there will be, in blue, the word "Edit". Touch it
Scroll to the bottom of the contact, and there will be, in red, the words "Delete Contact". Touch it
At the bottom of the screen, two little bars pop up, one, in red says "Delete Contact". Touch it to confirm you wish to delete the contact
The other little bar says "Cancel", which gives you a chance to change your mind
 
So, far so good; no cancer, no Alzheimer's, no dementia, no heart attacks, no strokes & for sure no Covid19 or all those exciting variants. Finally, there is something that will probably kill me faster than all those diseases that seem to get all those folks wearing those cloth masks. That terrible thing is the stupidphone.

For the last several I was a happy retiree with a nice flip phone that always worked well and never failed me. Then came the day my daughter gave me her old smartphone which is going to kill me pretty fast. I always said that "technology will eventually kill the human race" and it seems to be happening faster than climate change.

This Saturday I need to pick up a parcel from Amazon. To do this I need the Amazon app. I have spent 3 hours and still no app. It seems not to like my Apple ID or maybe it doesn't like the Apple password. So, no downloading of that darn app from Amazon.

The stupidphone is unbelievably stupid. No wonder 95% of North Americans are walking around and starring at their phones all day. They too are trying to figure the darn thing out. My contact list on the phone has double entries and I just can't figure out how to delete 1 of the entries.

I don't want the crappy Amazon music, not their movies and I couldn't care less about some so called "star" with thorn jeans pretending she is poor. I just want a phone that works. Unfortunately, I have moved from a nice flipphone to a god awful stupid phone.

Only solution to a rather crappy situation is another stiff drink of rum. Maybe some nerd out there might give me some help because if I die soon that blood stupidphone will be the cause of my death.
you know you could try googling the information on how to use it
 
Well I have an Iphone..the ultimate smart phone, have had for years .. and I probably wouldn't have been able to work it if my techi husband hadn't set it all up, and shown me how to use it..

Now he's gone, if there's something I can't do on it I just find the how to..on Youtbe.. and at the very worst I'd take it to the apple store..

I wouldn't be without the smart phone.. it's far from stupid... as they say, a bad workmen blames his tools..
 
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Well I have an Iphone..the ultimate smart phone, have had for years .. and I probably wouldn't have been able to work it if my techi husband hadn't set it all up, and shown me how to use it..

Now he's gone, if there's something I can't do on it I just find the how to..on Youtbe.. and at the very worst I'd take it to the apple store..

I wouldn't be without the smart phone.. it's far from stuoid... as they say a a bad workmen blames his tools..
smart phone.jpeg
 
We all know that the OP is a smart fella, but if he is having trouble deleting an unwanted contact, maybe something else is going on. I just expressing a concern, and didn't mean to offend.

To delete a contact on an iPhone:
Open up the contact app (or the phone app and then select Contacts)
Selected the contact you want to delete by touching it
At the top right corner there will be, in blue, the word "Edit". Touch it
Scroll to the bottom of the contact, and there will be, in red, the words "Delete Contact". Touch it
At the bottom of the screen, two little bars pop up, one, in red says "Delete Contact". Touch it to confirm you wish to delete the contact
The other little bar says "Cancel", which gives you a chance to change your mind
Perfect example of my issues with computer programs:

To delete a contact on an iPhone:
Open up the contact app (or the phone app and then select Contacts)
[Why have a special app for what should be a common procedure?]
Selected the contact you want to delete by touching it
[Okay]
At the top right corner there will be, in blue, the word "Edit". Touch it
[An unnecessary step when touching the contact should have immediately offered the option of call, change, or delete.]
Scroll to the bottom of the contact, and there will be, in red, the words "Delete Contact". Touch it
[Okay. Should be done now.]
At the bottom of the screen, two little bars pop up, one, in red says "Delete Contact". Touch it to confirm you wish to delete the contact
[Why do I have to tell it everything twice?]
The other little bar says "Cancel", which gives you a chance to change your mind
[This drove me nuts when I started using computers. I would push "cancel" thinking I was, for the third time, telling it to cancel that contact This is right up there with computers asking a yes or no question, with the answer options being neither yes nor no, but something and cancel. Someone should take the word cancel away from programmers.]

Just another reason I don't have a cell phone of any kind.
 
{sigh} Again, I am just expressing a heartfelt concern about the OP. If you don't want a smart phone, for God's sake please don't get one. Or is that too complicated for you, too?

My work here is done.
 
So, far so good; no cancer, no Alzheimer's, no dementia, no heart attacks, no strokes & for sure no Covid19 or all those exciting variants. Finally, there is something that will probably kill me faster than all those diseases that seem to get all those folks wearing those cloth masks. That terrible thing is the stupidphone.

For the last several I was a happy retiree with a nice flip phone that always worked well and never failed me. Then came the day my daughter gave me her old smartphone which is going to kill me pretty fast. I always said that "technology will eventually kill the human race" and it seems to be happening faster than climate change.

This Saturday I need to pick up a parcel from Amazon. To do this I need the Amazon app. I have spent 3 hours and still no app. It seems not to like my Apple ID or maybe it doesn't like the Apple password. So, no downloading of that darn app from Amazon.

The stupidphone is unbelievably stupid. No wonder 95% of North Americans are walking around and starring at their phones all day. They too are trying to figure the darn thing out. My contact list on the phone has double entries and I just can't figure out how to delete 1 of the entries.

I don't want the crappy Amazon music, not their movies and I couldn't care less about some so called "star" with thorn jeans pretending she is poor. I just want a phone that works. Unfortunately, I have moved from a nice flipphone to a god awful stupid phone.

Only solution to a rather crappy situation is another stiff drink of rum. Maybe some nerd out there might give me some help because if I die soon that blood stupidphone will be the cause of my death.
I feel your pain 😂

One of the many things I do for my clients (and often for my husband to lol!) is help them figure out technology, how to use their various devices, and troubleshoot problems and issues.

Cellphones are amazing, relatively intuitive pieces of technology, but even so, they can’t run themselves. Most of the problems my clients run into has to do with user error and a little grasp of basic phone functioning. I mean even the simplest of things like the manner in you touch your phone screen (called haptics) will tell it to do different things, depending on the pressure and length of time.

There IS a learning curve no question, but if you can persevere, you will find it to be a helpful life tool! My clients certainly have!!
 
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I can empathize with you, John. You're not wrong!

I too had to make the switch from a flip phone to "smart" phone. After retirement my flip phone was rarely used. When 3G went away in this area my carrier sent me a free "smart" phone. I learned to do what I needed it for (i.e, to make and receive calls, send and receive texts). I can see little benefit to bother with learning more.

Cell phones have become a fairly necessary annoyance since the demise of pay phones. To me, "smart" phones are an even bigger nuisance than flip phones. Their touch screens require keen eyesight and tiny fingers, neither of which I have. Something in my skin chemistry isn't compatible with them so when I "touch" something it often doesn't register. Their programming is not intuitive and it's awkward. And compared to a flip phone they're big, clunky, and basically inconvenient to carry.

I recommend that you get your daughter to teach you the basics. Then put your phone on the charger in an out of the way place and leave it there unless you'll be traveling and think you might need it.

You're old enough to know how to live your life perfectly well without "apps" (it's just the current term for additional programming). There are many better things to devote your attention to than this.
 
My iPhone was part of the deal with being on my daughter's family phone plan ...... they gave me the phone, and I got to figure it out!
When you are left in that predicament, you somehow learn ;)
I would be lost without it now.
 
Update on Stupidphone:
1. Since my Apple ID and password do not match; I tried to find out my password.
2. To do this , the stupidphone insists on sending a verification code to a flip phone I no longer have.
3. To put in a new phone number, it wants to first verify who I am by sending a verification code to my old phone that I no longer have.

It's enough to make a priest swear. I would like to smash the stupid thing.

Moral lesson: don't give up your flip phone or you might be very sorry. I know I am.
 

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