Tuesday 2 December 2014

Big Brother

CIMG2657

My “old” phone (to the left), smart though it may still look, has been making more and more complaints lately about its memory being full, and therefore refusing to update apps. Apps on the other hand are sprightly multiplying little things (getting their energy from only-Google-knows-where) which keep on calling for my attention: “Hey, there’s a brand new version of me available!” they take turns reminding me, on a more or less daily basis. “Please update NOW or you’ll soon find yourself ex-communicated…”

Finally I succumbed to the pressure and had to accept that after little more than three years, I have to let my “old” Xperia Arc retire from active service and replace it with Big Brother Xperia Z3 (to the right)…

The Z3 is also on the market in a compact version, more the size of my old one... Decisions, decisions! I’m still not sure whether I made the “right” choice. Time might tell – or possibly leave me undecided for another three years; who knows! The smaller size was/is definitely easier to fit into a pocket or handbag. On the other hand though, I do tend to use the device more as a mini-computer than as a phone... And then a bigger screen does have its undeniable advantages. (So the big one was what I finally bought.)

Until next week I’m actually not able to use it as phone. I decided I wanted to keep my old number, but to do that, I still had to order a new SIM card; as for mysterious reasons, the bigger phone requires a smaller card than the small phone...

As an afterthought it occurred to me that I might still want a new cash card number for the old phone though. That way, I will still have the option to use that one as “safety phone” sometimes when the big one feels unnecessarily clumsy to carry with me. (When I’m only out for a short walk, for example, I very rarely use the phone - I just like to know that I can do so…)

Anyway, I have now received both the new small card with the old number for the new big phone, and a new big card with a new number for the old small phone… But as I found it safer (of course) to set the activation date later rather than sooner, the Big Switch won’t be taking place until next Monday.

In the meantime, I’m getting acquainted with and sorting the wifi settings and apps etc; which so far seem to be to my satisfaction. I’m even almost feeling optimistic that perhaps somewhere down the line it might save time rather than  just consume it. (That’s probably naïve of me, but where would we be without Hope?)

The Z3 is also said to have a really good camera, and  to be waterproof; so when I’ve got the phone part working I’m also looking forward to taking it out for some experimental photo walks!

15 comments:

  1. my friend Diane went with the bigger size and she loves hers.. i think you made the right choice. and always good ot have a back up phone, since we never know when Murphy will stop by for a visit. congrats on your new big phone with old number, old phone with new number... i think i got that right

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    1. Thanks Sandra. You did get it right (I'm impressed, because I'll be glad if I remember myself what is what!)

      It's all the choices before these kinds of purchases really that make it tough to decide - and knowing that one hardly has time these days to get used to anything before one probably needs to update and re-learn once more!

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  2. Good luck. It looks far too complicated for me.

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    1. I don't believe that for a minute Adrian, considering all the other complicated things you do!

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  3. Why didn't you just delete your old photos to release some memory on your old phone? I keep my photos on my computer after they have served their purpose.
    I bought a lovely new phone but it is far too complicated for me to use. Because it is big it is easier for my fingers, but also a bit difficult for my smaller-than-average hands to hold.
    I love some of the apps but the noises drive my husband crazy - and he keeps coming to tell me about that. I really appreciate that the phone book part has photos of my friends and contacts. I spent hours getting that right.
    You are right, it is comforting to have a phone in your pocket. Incredibly useful.

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    1. Photos or music or anything else that could be stored on the SD card was never a problem, Louise. The problem was the limited "internal memory" and the kind of apps-related data that could not be moved to the SD card. (Everything that could be kept on the SD card I did store there.) In the end it did not even help if I deleted the old versions first, I still could not download necessary updates.

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    2. Hello Louise, I am sure you can switch off the noises your apps make under "settings", either generally for all of them or for each app. It would drive me crazy, too!

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  4. This is so funny about the small needing big, and the big needing small, and the number switch! My friend did the same thing. She got her first Smart Phone with her OLD number, then they told her she could keep her old little one as an emergency one, so she got a new number for that. Sooner or later the tech is going to be too smart for our brains! Let us know how you like it! Will you be playing our word games on it? You have very pretty hands, how do you keep them so smooth?

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    1. Yes Ginny, I have now managed to install both Scrabble and the New Words with Friends (which includes a dictionary with definitions! yay!) on the phone. And they are both cooperating with my Facebook account! :)

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  5. Funny, isn't it, how some years ago mobile phones couldn't be small enough; it was almost a competition for the smallest phone ever. Then the touch screens came up and now our phones are getting larger and larger again, and how many people use them mostly for all sorts of things except for making phone calls :-)
    My iphone is still the 1st generation one. I don't have (and don't want) many apps, but if I wanted them, they would not work on this phone because its OS can't be upgraded anymore. Maybe next year I'll get a new one. So far, it has still done its job. The camera is not good, though, so whenever I go somewhere where I think I'd like to take pictures, I have to take my camera with me.

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  6. Exactly, Meike. I suspect there's a good deal of "fashion" involved in this industry as well... "Show me your phone and I'll tell you who you are" ;-) (sigh) Ah well. Just for the moment I'm up to date. For how long, is another matter...

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  7. I too may soon be in the market for a new phone, mine seems to be dropping calls recently....I have to get it checked out.
    The camera works beautifully....I use it to take most of the photos for my blog, so even if I get another phone I will still use the one I have now as a camera.

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  8. Good luck with finding the solution that suits you the besr, Virginia!

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  9. I like the larger phone :) I am looking forward to upgrade to iPhone again soon having a Samsung at the moment but not really happy with it...a habit of using iPhones for so long I think. Enjoy your new one.

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  10. I use my cellphone as a phone and communications device as much as I use it as a mini-computer so after an iPhone 4S for a few years I've gone the middle ground Monica and got an iPhone 6. I am well pleased.

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