From the S8+ to the S24+...

 ... Is a long way!

I mentioned needing to get a new phone - after almost 7 years and 3 months mileage on the old one. Talk about "ride it til the wheels fall off", I wish I had as a good a relationship with any person as I did with that phone!

My biggest concerns when looking for a new phone were the usual: cost and features. Well, I chose the S24+ and it's only adding around 20-some dollars to my phone bill for a while. However, 20 dollars to someone on my budget is more than it is to someone else...

Now that I actually have the new phone, I am having to learn how to use all the new Android features. A lot of things have developed over 7 years. My brother joked that I must feel like someone going from using a  horse and buggy to learning how to drive a stick shift. That's funny but kind of true.

Back in the old days, whenever I upgraded a phone, all I needed to do was insert the SIM card into the new phone and power down the old phone. That's changed. I had to actually go online and go through a deactivation-activation process.

Another thing that upsets me is that my poor old Gear S2 watch won't work with the new phone. It won't work with any 2024 device. So now I have no smart watch. That's not a big loss since I took it off my phone plan at least 4 years ago. Since then, I'd only been using it on the home wi-fi and for the Samsung Health features. I don't really have any other watch except one I got from one of my brothers but the battery on that died. 

My cellphone carrier was really annoying when I was buying the phone. I couldn't get to the check-out page until I'd gone through several "do-ya-wanna" pages. I was ready to scream as I skipped past the offers for adding another line, getting a deal on a smart watch, temptations of fancy phone cases and other accessories. I just wanted to get checked out and get the financial hit over with as quickly as possible.

I have to tell you that I was really tempted to go for the S24 Ultra - only because it has the S-pen and I haven't had a pen for my phone since my Note died... But I noped right past that more expensive phone and I'm pretty happy with the one I got. I'm still learning how to use some of the features, but I am happy with it. After all, I'm still going to need food and medicines every month more than I need a pen.

One of my online acquaintances ragged on me about picking the Cobalt Violet color over the Amber one they like so much. It really doesn't matter what color my phone is and it never has. When I get a phone, it immediately goes into a protective case and I never see the color of the phone again. I did pick out a case in a pretty shade of red. I'll be looking at the case from now on.

By the way, this is one phone that needs to be in a case. It's so slippery... 

Hilariously, when I first unboxed the phone, I was ready to make an irate call to someone in customer service. That's because when I thought the included cord had a defect. Both ends are USB-C type and it's called a "reversible" connection. I never saw that before and all my charging bricks are for cords with a different connection. My brother (when he got through making another horse-and-buggy joke about me) explained that this is the way things are now - "in modern times". So I had to order a brick for the "modern" cable.

Anyway, after I get up to speed with the phone, I have some iPhone humor to throw at my brother. 

When I want to really irritate him, I refer to iPhone users as "iPhonies". Yeah, he hates that one.

I will never tell my brother (and a nephew iPhoner) that, for 2 seconds, I thought about joining their cult this time. The price gave me pause and, really, I don't like change and going from Android to iPhone (or the opposite) is too much change for me.

Peace

--Free

So Glad I Cheaped Out on Electronic Accessories

I will never tire of bragging that I kept a cellphone intact for over 7 years - especially to my iPhone buddies. My next brag is going to be how I cheaped out on some accessories.

When I got the S8 Plus way back in the olden days, I also got a Gear watch as a "bonus freebie". The watch was not much of a freebie since in order to fully use it, I had to pay for a line. I did end up getting rid of the line after about a year and just used the thing with wi-fi. That watch still works but it won't work with any devices newer than 2023...

As I was trying to chose a phone this time, I was momentarily tempted to get the S8 Ultra instead of the S24 Plus - just because the Ultra comes with the S-Pen. I realized how silly a decision that would be. I loved having the S-Pen with the Galaxy Note - this was a really long time back - but while I did use it to take notes, I mostly used it to play games and to, well, just have the fancy pen. So silly.

Well, I did not get the Gear watch or the S-Pen. But I did get a watch and a stylus. All together, the two cost me under $35. Guess what? I love them both. I think I love my cheap smart watch more than the Gear. The stylus works as well as the S-Pen (for my needs) and I actually got a 3-pack with extra nibs. (Side note: the cheapest Gear watch is currently running about $350 for the watch and at least $7/month for the line.)

The watch is what I use the most. It does everything the Gear did and it works smoothly. I mainly use it to track my fitness, read messages, monitor sleep patterns - you know, snitch on myself to Big Brother.  It does keep me motivated to move more during the day. I am also going to be able to show my doctors how poor my sleeping routine is. I don't think they realize how bad my insomnia has gotten.

I love having a stylus (or 3) only because of all the freaky AI stuff that is on the new phones. I think I spent more time the first day playing with the AI drawing apps than I did using the phone for anything else. I'm such a child. (And, yes, I know that this whole cool AI thing is another stage in the boiling frog situation that will be our demise as citizens.)

Honestly, I am tempted to stand right outside a cellphone store to warn people against getting expensive watches and pens for their devices. Most phone accessories are "Gotcha" buys or temptation buys - especially when you get them from the service providers.

When I was checking out during the phone purchase and having to nope through all the teaser sales, I noticed how expensive everything was. An Otterbox case cost more that part of my monthly grocery budget. The extra chargers and cables and SD cards... All so ridiculously priced. The first thing I buy for a new phone is a case and the second thing is a screen protector. I got both for under $40

Going back and looking at the accessories from the service provider (and this is with their "special sale pricing"), the total for a phone case, 1 screen protector and 1 charging block (cable not included) is $98 (or $135 without the sale). 

I have not gotten everything I need yet (I will stagger the purchases for my budget!), but the total for:

• the case (I got it) with a sliding camera cover
• 2 charging blocks with 2 cables
• 3 multi-nib stylus' with additional nibs
• 2 screen protectors (from the IQ Shield brand I used with my last phone)

... that all comes to around $65. My brother gave me a charging block and the phone came with a cable so I don't have to sweat that for now.

Once I get everything I need for my phone, I am at the very least about $500 ahead of what my provider would have charged me. I'm already mad about having to pay off the phone in installments. The next time one of my credit cards makes an offer, I will be paying off my provider and making the payments to my card...

As always when I think about the cost of things, I come back to dear Katt Williams.

You have to laugh about it to keep from crying.

Cellphones are no longer optional. They are no longer something that people get just as a status symbol (well, I can't speak for my iPhone brothers and sisters!); they are a necessity. My phone is my connection to my family, doctors, creditors, etc. I can't even buzz visitors into our building without a phone.

I prefer a chunky look over a girly style

Even though I have to have a cellphone, I realize that I don't need the fanciest one. I don't need the cool watch or pricey earbuds or blinged out case. I need the phone and for everything else I want, I can cheap out. For instance, if I have to, I could replace the cheap watch at least 10 or 11 times for the cost of the Gear. And that's if I get a really decent budget watch... To be fair, if the watch lasts me at least a year, I will be happy.

I am really glad that I cheaped out on everything about my phone this time. Here's looking forward to another 7 or 8 years!

Peace

--Free