One Plus One

[Belial]

One Plus One is a Chinese smartphone with specs comparable to current flagships from other brands, but with a very competitive price tag. It's sold through an invite system.

Anyone else here trying to get an invite?

[Technician]

I would much rather pay an inflated price for the exact same device made at the exact same factory but with an Apple logo, thank you.

[Maes]

Wow, so a chinese manufactured managed to slap togheter yet another Android phone with better nominal specs and a lower price tag than Apple? Hold the presses!!! This is a r-e-v-o-l-u-t-i-o-n in consumer electronics!

Irony apart, the ZTE Blade was similarly touted as "the smartphone for the people" back in late 2011, as it offered features like 512 MB RAM and a -relatively- HD screen at a price under $200, which was no little thing back then. Still have and use mine, though it looks TERRIBLY outdated, even with Cyanogenmod on it.

[Doomkid]

The only question I have: Does it equal one on a bun?

Technician said:

I would much rather pay an inflated price for the exact same device made at the exact same factory but with an Apple logo, thank you.

The fact that so many people actually feel this way is painful. Apple is a money drainage tube attached to the side of America (and Australia).

[Cupboard]

Smartphone? I only buy dumbphones, exclusively.

[Doomkid]

Dumbphones are roughly 5 million times more durable - The transition was harder to make then I expected, and honestly I liked having the excuse "I don't have a smartphone!" when people ask why I didn't respond to their email within 5 minutes.

[Cupboard]

Ain't that the truth? I wouldn't mourn the day we all went back to a landline. I have no compulsion to feel constantly available to my peers or family.

[Obsidian]

Amen to that! I see way too many people with phones smarter than them nowdays.

[geo]

Technician said:

I would much rather pay an inflated price for the exact same device made at the exact same factory but with an Apple logo, thank you.

I think it was Jimmy Kimmel that did a segment on having a $20 Casio watch with an Apple logo on it.

[geo]

Doomkid said:

Dumbphones are roughly 5 million times more durable - The transition was harder to make then I expected, and honestly I liked having the excuse "I don't have a smartphone!" when people ask why I didn't respond to their email within 5 minutes.

Yeah I miss my old Razor 2. I 'upgraded' to some awful LG flip phone 4 or 5 years after that and it was sad to see my 5 year old Razor 2 was so much better.

Anyway, I just dropped my Samsung Galaxy something. Shockingly it survived. No case or anything, just light damage to a corner. It was thrown to me from a car and hit pavement. Back cover came off. Somehow survived.

One person I met over the summer asked me. Oh you have a Samsung? Is the screen cracked? Everyone she knew with a Samsung had a cracked screen.

Also, I've had my Samsung 8 months now. 0 scratches so far, but I know how to take care of my phones.

[Maes]

And then there's the Sony Ericsson p990i:



Best of both worlds ;-)

[DooMAD]

Still rocking the Nokia 2760, except that mine's scratched to fuck and most of the silver and blue has worn off.

[Technician]

TheCupboard said:

Ain't that the truth? I wouldn't mourn the day we all went back to a landline. I have no compulsion to feel constantly available to my peers or family.

I don't have a cellphone let a long a smartphone. I was happy when my contract was up and I cancelled my service.

I may one day get an iPad or equivalent, but I sure as hell won't be paying for phone service.

[Aliotroph?]

My cell plan is cheaper than my mom's land line service and has more features.

I don't see why people equate smartphones with an obligation to be connected all the time. If I want to tune out the world I'm happy to turn the thing off and fuck what everybody thinks.

[printz]

I want to have Internet access at any moment, especially when alone in public transport. Rather than waiting doing nothing, why not browse the internet and learn new stuff on the go? You people without cell phones at all are especially weird. I wouldn't like to deal with someone who can't be reached when needed.

Smartphones are kinda expensive and fragile, compared to rock feature mobile phones, that's good to say. But physical buttons suck, especially for navigating the internet. Touchscreen is versatile, durable and easy on my fingers.

Too bad with this trend of oversized smartphones, they look dumb and like a step backwards in miniaturization. Mine is as small as a feature phone, but its performance is abysmal. At least I can (fairly easily) browse the net, hey.

[geekmarine]

I'm with printz... When you're taking the bus to work or whatever, a smartphone is nice to have - check up on the news, play a game, read twitter... I don't see what's so bad about that.

As for no cell phone at all... are you mad? I... guess... you can get by with a land line, but a cell phone gives you so much more flexibility I can't imagine why you'd prefer a land line. I'm just saying - if I need to get ahold of someone and I'm out, or I'm waiting to hear back from a job interview, or whatever, I welcome the convenience of being able to take my phone with me.

[Doomkid]

It's true, having the net while out and about (on bus, train etc) is very convienient and honestly makes it a whole lot less boring. I do what Aliotroph does, I often have mine switched off if I'm not in the mood, I just have this annoyance with certain friends/family members who jump on me for not being "connected" 24/7.

It's well and truly a cultural expectation to NEVER miss a minute of the online buzz, that's what I dislike about it. As a result, many people don't understand the personal importance of meditative time and in more extreme cases are 100% oblivious to the world around them, because their neck is at a 90 degree angle staring at their phone. I worry that this trend will only get worse, but like with anything it comes down to employing self control, which, quite frankly, people as a collective are horrible at.

[Maes]

Are all of your bus commutes so long and boring that you REALLY need to have internet on the go?

Doomkid said:

It's well and truly a cultural expectation to NEVER miss a minute of the online buzz

Is it? Really? -_-

What will happen if you miss a minute? Girlfriend will leave you?

[geekmarine]

Well, you gotta have something to pass the time. Back before I got sick, my commute was roughly an hour each way, give or take. Granted, it's not the end of the world if I spend two hours a day staring off into space, but two hours of commuting a day is plenty of justification for having something to do on the way to work. Some people read a book, or check the newspaper, I had my phone to read the news online or listen to music to pass the time.

And yeah, I got along with that situation perfectly fine before I got a smartphone, but my God did I dread it. I would've just taken a book, but due to the nature of my work, I didn't really have anywhere to keep it once I got to my job, so the one time I did try to bring a book, I ended up losing it.

[Technician]

Maes said:

Are all of your bus commutes so long and boring that you REALLY need to have internet on the go?

I used to have to take a bus, ride the subway and take a tram to commute. I just sat quietly and looked out the window or listened-in on others conversations. Or on rare occasions found someone to talk to.

[Mr. Freeze]

Maes said:

Are all of your bus commutes so long and boring that you REALLY need to have internet on the go?

My job is, and I sell the fucking things. I need to read something at work or I'll go crazy on slow days.

[Doomkid]

Maes said:

Are all of your bus commutes so long and boring that you REALLY need to have internet on the go?

Certainly not, like I said, it's good meditative time.

Maes said:

Is it? Really? -_- (about having constant internet being a cultural expectation)

I'm not saying I like it - but for us 21-and-under's, all of our dumbass peers think it is and thus I'm sure the trend will grow over time.. Sadly.

[geo]

Maes said:

Are all of your bus commutes so long and boring that you REALLY need to have internet on the go?



Is it? Really? -_-

What will happen if you miss a minute? Girlfriend will leave you?

I like not being connected, I always do, because as a programmer, i sit in front of a PC or laptop 24/7. Its unhealthy. When I was a beach bum living out of a tent, I didn't miss the Internet or a phone. Girlfriends will leave you if you leave Facebook. Looks questionable.