The revival of 'retro' phones

Be it nostalgia or simply the need to get away from TMI (Too much information), there are an increasing number of young people who sometimes like a phone to just be a phone. And owning a top-tier smartphone and using it to just send texts and make receive calls is like owning a Ferrari only to drive to your local grocery store! So, when was the last time you spoke to someone about cellphone use and they replied with something like, 'I don't really care about fancy features, all I want is a phone that can make calls and receive texts.' Bingo! That's exactly the kind of person who would probably keep a second phone -an 'oldphone' -as a backup. And what is important to note is that this story is not about the older demographic, who generally prefer such phones because of their ease of use, but young, tech-savvy folk who own smartphones, but will also want one sans all the bells and whistles.
Says finance and investment executive Vikram Chopra, "The idea of an 'oldphone'... It completely makes sense. I have a top-end phone, but earlier this year, bought an old phone for days when I feel overloaded. It's amazing. I get about three days of battery use on it. Great to use when in a crunch situation too. And it's also nostalgic, as it reminds me of when I bought my first phone."

Some might counter that smartphone battery life should not be a cause for complaint, because portable battery packs that are now available can charge devices on the go. But that option too, is not the first choice for some. "Why should I drop another few thousands on a portable battery charger when I would want my primary phone to give me its money's worth? And besides, battery packs themselves need lengthy charge times that can sometimes take the entire night. I'm not into the idea of leaving devices to charge overnight while you're asleep, is a good thing from a safety standpoint," adds Chopra.

As mentioned earlier, there's the durability factor. Sid Chatterjee, who has his own event management gig overseas, remembers, "Back in 2008, I remember coming back home from a party. I dropped my phone down a flight of stairs. The front cover, battery case, battery and circuit board all flew in different directions. I became sober in an instant in fear, thinking that it was the end of my phone. However, I put it all back together by just snapping them on again. And it worked fine. I cannot even imagine doing that with my current touchscreen phone, apart from the fact that it is not user-serviceable."

This also brings another factor to light when it comes to 'oldphones' versus the new ones. It's almost asking for trouble if you do not buy a cover for a new phone for when it does (and every phone has that 'first drop'), the phone can be seriously damaged. 'Oldphones' on the other hand have a rough-and-ready appeal.

Interestingly, there are some lesser-known online marketplaces that do sell outdated models for a pretty penny. And even easier than online searches, local shops still stock some old models. An owner of a local store added that he gets young people who visit him with very specific requests of what kind of phone they want. People, he says, ask for monochrome screen phones just for the novelty value. And of course, they are all in full working condition.

However, not all buy into the 'oldphone' rationale. "I personally would never go back to an old phone because I am too used to the apps and the memory size. Having said that, I do see how some people might want a basic backup device," concludes Chirag Khushalani, senior consultant at an accounting firm.

Stay updated on the go with The Times of India's mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

The revival of 'retro' phones

Dengan url

http://cegahkeropostulang.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-revival-of-retro-phones.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

The revival of 'retro' phones

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

The revival of 'retro' phones

sebagai sumbernya