Flip Phone Advice

[Ramblin Gambler]

My company is going to get me a phone.  I already have a smart phone and I hate virtual keyboards.  So I'm thinking of getting a flip phone for the company number.  I won't be watching movies or surfing the web on it except in an emergency.  But, I would like to be able to use it as a hotspot.  Do any flip phones have that capability?  What do I look for to find that?  From my searches so far, it looks kind of like any flip phone with 4g can be a hotspot, but I'm not seeing any that specifically say it. 

 

I figure if any group of people knows the ins and outs of flip phones it'd be this group. 

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I have a flip phone; an old one. I have no smart phone. I have no idea at all what a hotspot is.

[Cat Brules]

My advice?  Just get the latest iPhone, let them pay for it, learn to use it and be done with it.  Tell them your intentions with no other input from you, and see if they have an issue with that.  Everyone else likely did what I describe above.  My guess is that if you don’t, you’ll be sorry you didn’t.

 

Cat Brules

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Seems to me like an either/or. Ir you want 4G for "emergencies" why not have it full time. you dont have to use it, it has been a while since I had a flip phone and I miss the simplicity, but internet was lame on it.

 

Imis

[Ramblin Gambler]

Because I hate virtual keyboards.  There's only 1 current production smart phone that I know of that has real actual keys, the blackberry keytwo.  I already have that as my main phone.  Flip phones were much more reliable as phones than any smart phone I've ever seen. 

[Pat Riot]

Rambling Gambler,

I cannot answer your question as I am not tech savvy enough, BUT here is what I would do. 
I would read this article (read the whole thing, there some interesting ideas)

https://www.hellotech.com/blog/using-old-smartphone-as-mobile-hotspot
 

After reading that I would go to my cell service and ask a tech about this. If they agree it’s doable I would have them write the exact model of phone would work and I would ask my work to supply that phone. 
 

I do recommend you do a search for “flip phone as hotspot”. There are links that will come up that you should read through. A lot of tech sites recommend against doing this. 
 

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

One thing about texting on an old flip phone: it keeps the texts short.

[Happy Jack, SASS #20451]

I still use a flip phone.  No need for a "smart phone" as I have to drive 50 miles to get a cell signal and I have no need to use my phone on the internet. I have satellite internet here in my office.  I think the only descent production flip phone currently in production is the Samsung Convoy 4. I got mine from Verizon.  You might check on it. Has a much stronger signal than the newer smart phones and the battery lasts at least a week.

[Sixgun Sheridan]

Texting on a flip phone is extremely slow and tedious. If your company is wanting to get you a phone I can guarantee they'll be sending you texts all day long, so you'd better have them give you something that's easy to text on. Virtual keyboards actually aren't that bad once you get used to them. My 76yo mother is about as computer illiterate as they come yet even she figured it out.

[Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022]

I had a hot spot recently... A little calamine lotion and a cortizone cream.. Cleared right up.. Not sure how that tied to a phone but... hey it is the 2020's

 

[Marshal Hangtree]

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2020 at 10:49 AM, Sixgun Sheridan said:

Texting on a flip phone is extremely slow and tedious. If your company is wanting to get you a phone I can guarantee they'll be sending you texts all day long, so you'd better have them give you something that's easy to text on. Virtual keyboards actually aren't that bad once you get used to them. My 76yo mother is about as computer illiterate as they come yet even she figured it out.

 

Sheridan is 100% on the money here.  Your company will also expect for you to keep up with company email as well.  This is nearly impossible with a flip phone.  If your company mandates the phone, and they're paying for it, get the best iPhone or Android that they will pay for.

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

I have a little old emergency cell phone.

It accepts texts in and out.

It will accept voice mail in.

And I can call 911.

That's it.

Oh it costs me $7.30 a month.

Why. Because it is on a 1998 Go Phone account. They really want me to upgrade of miss a payment.

------------

Now the point.

With all my hosptial visits since May 2019.

2 appointments a day twice a week, I was getting lots of voice mail from the various departments I go to.

 

There were so many, it was costing my about $50/ month to keep time on the account.

 

So last month I had to get a new phone.

I looked for months at phones and plans.

Found one I could live with at $30/month. . . .unl;imited talk and text with 1 gig data. (I ahve 3 computers running at home and I do think I need data)

 

Anyway. I too was troubled by the small virtual key board.

I try to use it and it take s time.

But the phone is an android and it came with voice to text. It does voice to search as well.

I use that once in a while and so far it has not given me incorrect words in my texting.

What every phone your are looking at, see if it has voice to text feature.

 

I have not had a phone in my house for years.

I do not use the little emergency phone to call out. I can't.

I have used e-mail only for over 15 years.

 

I have had this new smart phone for 5 weeks now, I think.

I have yet to make a voice call to anyone.

I do use the texting daily now.

 

Mostly. I got this model phone for the camera so I don't have to remember to take my digital camers wich does not fit in a pocket.

 

 

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Bite the Bullet.  Have your employer get you a "BIG MAC"   Get the best iPhone on the market and learn to use it.  Welcome to the 21st Century

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

53 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

   Get the best iPhone on the market and learn to use it.  Welcome to the 21st Century

 

I have no doubt this is good advice. Still haven't been able to bring myself to do it, but I figure I'll have to pretty soon.  But I'm not going to buy a cup of coffee with an app like all of the other geezers at my Starbucks.

[Ramblin Gambler]

Are yall trying to get me to rant about apple products?  Cause I can work up a good one if ya want.  We'll just have to wait and see if it's clean enough to be posted. 

 

[Sixgun Sheridan]

Everyone's opinion will be different, but I have an iPhone and my mother has a Samsung  w/Android, and I think I'll keep using the Apple product thank you.