What do you do with your high-end smartphone that makes it worth having?

pwurple

Mine isn't super-expensive, it's the one+1. About 1/3 the price of an iphone.

I use NFC tags, which I love. So, I touch the NFC tag on the car to pair the phone to car bluetooth, turn on satnav, log my location (for tracking where I am for work). Touch it again on the way out to turn all that stuff off and log location again.

Tag by the front door to turn up the volume on the phone ringer, and switch on the wifi. Off on the way out.

Tag by the bed to turn on my alarm (depending on day), adjust volume down and switch on my phone select list (take a call during night from set numbers, not from others).

Nice camera on it, used for both work and family. I've it set to autobackup to online storage, which is a nice feature, as I can access those at my computer then easily for putting reports together or whatever.

Music and audiobooks, play through the car.

Dictation. My phone has a good mic. I dictate a lot of my emails.

Otherwise, used like a good old-fashioned communication device. But with viber, skype etc going for keeping in contact with friends and family around the world.


What I'd LIKE to do with it, is hook it into a home automation system. And maybe use it for a car, like the Leaf, where you turn it on with the phone to de-ice or cool down in summer 5 minutes before you head out. Just need the house and the car.

eamonnq

I use it for email
I use it for calendar
I use it for GPS
I use it as an mp3 player
I use it for taking pictures (and video)
I use it for FB
I play games occasionally.
I use it for betting
I use it for watching premier league football when I am not at home
I use it for checking the news
I have XBMC on it for movies/music also
The odd phone call or text as well.

and it keeps the 4 year old entertained when out and about too.

It cost me less than 150, from China

QuizUp, crosswords, Reddit Now, calls, messaging, boards.ie

SMJSF

i've a HTC 510
I use it for:
Social media (FB, twitter, reddit, boards, pinterest) email, banking, calls/texts, games, online shopping, calendar, alarm, recipe books, bus timetables, a map.

_Kaiser_

Currently have a Note 4, but tend to change phones fairly often (have had every previous Note, several upper-end Windows Phones, and a few HTCs back in the day).. although this one might last me a year

- Calls
- Texts (SMS/Whatsapp/Viber)
- Email
- Camera/Photos
- Internet Banking
- Some Web (I'm never far from a laptop so don't use the phone for heavy browsing)
- News/Weather/Football results
- Not into social media
- Don't play games on it
- Don't need it for music as I drive everywhere

Probably the biggest benefit to me is the big screen and customisation options. Would never buy an iPhone though. Nothing to do with "hating" Apple.. I just don't like how the phones work and I'm reliant on MSFT/Google services

take everything

Besides obviously browsing, radio, gmail, GPS with a HUD, spotify, netflix etc:

Mobile banking, eBay, amazon (very handy).

Cooler stuff: Air traffic control/police scanners, tracking flights.

Audio books (great while driving), kindle ebooks (have switched almost completely to ebooks now).

Stuff like memrise, khanacademy for languages, learning stuff etc.

Pulse for feeds of favourite websites etc.

NFC tags are cool for stuff like GPS, radio (connecting to speakers etc).

Alf Veedersane

I use mine for gigs so I can hold it up in the air and block as many views as possible.

I'm saving for a tablet to replace it with.

Sciprio

I want a smartphone that's quick and not sluggish. My next phone will be cheaper but will have to be faster than my current and seeing as i got my phone in 2011 i shouldn't have a problem.

DoYouEvenLift

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I use mine for gigs so I can hold it up in the air and block as many views as possible.

I'm saving for a tablet to replace it with.

Wait a while, I'm pretty sure I heard something about an even bigger iPad than the current ones being released, I think it'd be the most optimal view blocker to date.

Alf Veedersane

DoYouEvenLift wrote: »

Wait a while, I'm pretty sure I heard something about an even bigger iPad than the current ones being released, I think it'd be the most optimal view blocker to date.

I'll probably have upgraded to a smart tv by then.

ygolometsipe

I have used the hand grenade feature ....

blade1

Lidl app loads wicked fast on iphone 6!:D

coffee_cake

I don't think mine is high end. I've had it a couple years. I'd love to replace the battery but apparently you can't just do that on an xperia like some older ones.
gps navigation on it is a lifesaver for me.
I wish theyd fix the google maps navigation thing so it stops crashing though. I use a different app for it now but it' not quite the same in some ways

5rtytry56

I have a HTC 500 and Huawei G630 smartphone, which both sport 8 megapixel cameras.
Taking and uploading photos straight to flickr
Recording videos.

mikemac1

Samsung S4 that I bought for 100 euro from a girl in work.

I hated it at first but then a lad changed the interface with some google interface or something and I like it now. Still find it bloated with stupid Samsung apps I'll never use

Once I booked a Ryanair flight and a few hours before I got a notification about departure time, how many km I was from the airport and buses to get there.

I was freaked out :eek:

I later learned google reads my email interary in my gmail and discovers all this and gives me notifications. I find that amazing!!

ancapailldorcha

I'll never understand the appeal of high-end models.

I've a fairly old Sony Experia on which I spend about £80-£100 a year in credit. It can do most, if not all things the high end models can; maps, Kindle, most games, Tinder, etc... Not one person has been able to explaining to me why iphones and their Samsung equivalents are worth the money.

Iranoutofideas

mikemac1 wrote: »

Once I booked a Ryanair flight and a few hours before I got a notification about departure time, how many km I was from the airport and buses to get there.

I was freaked out :eek:

I later learned google reads my email interary in my gmail and discovers all this and gives me notifications. I find that amazing!!

So do the NSA.

starlit

I still have my first smartphone I use it till its at the last legs but its acting up a bit lately so may need to consider a new one before the year is out...with a similar spec or slight upgrade. Still look into the Samsung's though prefer them to the iphones which are pure hype and marketing ploy. The only iPhone i'd be interested in similar to the Samsung I have be the lower market one the iPhone 5c. Samsung just seems to win out a bit more for me!? The Sonys have got very good specs now lately. The latest Samsung is to be announced today and released at a later date.

starlit

mikemac1 wrote: »

Samsung S4 that I bought for 100 euro from a girl in work.

I hated it at first but then a lad changed the interface with some google interface or something and I like it now. Still find it bloated with stupid Samsung apps I'll never use

Once I booked a Ryanair flight and a few hours before I got a notification about departure time, how many km I was from the airport and buses to get there.

I was freaked out :eek:

I later learned google reads my email interary in my gmail and discovers all this and gives me notifications. I find that amazing!!

I find that creepy? Google Analytics/Data analysis fair enough but all that? Its a bit weird, google knows where you are!? Bit weird some apps like that can do that with the likes of 'tinder' can check location of someone or how far away they are from you, spotted where they can see if you are at an airport at one occasion...too much info.

hfallada

I use my iphone 6 Plus to record me at the water protests. It makes it so much easier to upload them onto youtube, to the people of the world the great work we are doing by stopping water meter installations.

Tin Foil Hat

DoYouEvenLift wrote: »

I had an S4 and lost it. When it came to replacing it I thought whether or not I really needed another expensive, and large, smartphone and pretty much decided I never used it for much aside from texts/WhatsApp and short uses of the internet and emails because I tend to use my tablet more when I have it and free time. In the end I decided to go with a smaller and cheaper phone (S3 mini) and my choice seems wise so far since, as I expected, it's only used for the very basics. The thing is, I can't help but feel like I wanna spend the money on a high end/large smartphone again just to have it, especially since I'm about to change networks and the new S6 and One M9 are on the way and will be tempting buys.


What do you, owners of high end phones like the S5, Note 4, One M8, 6/6+ etc., do with yours to justify the prices?

Note 3 user. Big battery is essential, as is GPS. I don't own a tablet. They're stupid yokes. I much prefer to have a large screened phone and a laptop.

starlit

Internet security and cloud storage be the only concern I'd have about the iphones. Its features are very ordinary on the phone. I don't know why people pay more for it in comparsion to a Samsung or sony. You paying more for storage for the iPhone for simple specs even though its a bit easier to use than samsungs I'd say that much but the specs for the samsungs and sonys are a little bit better depending on the models you buy in comparison to the iphones. You'd need a certain amount of storage for photos, videos, music and apps.

DoYouEvenLift

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

Note 3 user. Big battery is essential, as is GPS. I don't own a tablet. They're stupid yokes. I much prefer to have a large screened phone and a laptop.

I thought so too until I got one as a present and ended up using it more than the computer and phone, for casual internet browsing and entertainment they're the handiest

mzungu

I take hand me downs of old iPhones when folk I know get theres upgraded. Completely free thankfully because all I use it for is WhatsApp, other than that I could not justifying paying that sort of money for a smartphone.

Calibos

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Currently have a Note 4, but tend to change phones fairly often (have had every previous Note, several upper-end Windows Phones, and a few HTCs back in the day).. although this one might last me a year

- Calls
- Texts (SMS/Whatsapp/Viber)
- Email
- Camera/Photos
- Internet Banking
- Some Web (I'm never far from a laptop so don't use the phone for heavy browsing)
- News/Weather/Football results
- Not into social media
- Don't play games on it
- Don't need it for music as I drive everywhere

Probably the biggest benefit to me is the big screen and customisation options. Would never buy an iPhone though. Nothing to do with "hating" Apple.. I just don't like how the phones work and I'm reliant on MSFT/Google services

Did you order a GearVR for that Note4 yet?😃

Mint Aero

Truly astonishing thread Very little mention of sh*tty iphones and it's mostly in a negative light Is their sad cult finally over :D

For me, I'm still on Galaxy SI yes I can smash the f*ckers glass face into a concrete pavement on a drunken night out every weekend and not so much as a scratch on her after all these years, truly amazing phone.

DoYouEvenLift

doovdela wrote: »

Internet security and cloud storage be the only concern I'd have about the iphones. Its features are very ordinary on the phone. I don't know why people pay more for it in comparsion to a Samsung or sony. You paying more for storage for the iPhone for simple specs even though its a bit easier to use than samsungs I'd say that much but the specs for the samsungs and sonys are a little bit better depending on the models you buy in comparison to the iphones. You'd need a certain amount of storage for photos, videos, music and apps.

I think iOS runs a bit smoother and more reliably than android, for a lot of people that's probably worth the extra.

uck51js9zml2yt

I make coffee with it and tell people I got a 120 euro discount code from the retailer.

Tin Foil Hat

DoYouEvenLift wrote: »

I thought so too until I got one as a present and ended up using it more than the computer and phone, for casual internet browsing and entertainment they're the handiest

My wife has one. An Ipad. I hate it. It serves no purpose whatsoever. She's more or less stopped using it herself since she got the S5.

starlit

DoYouEvenLift wrote: »

I think iOS runs a bit smoother and more reliably than android, for a lot of people that's probably worth the extra.

I suppose from an OS point of view the IOS is less buggy and less likely to crash unlike an android. Both need constant updates though.