Dave, WHS, I share a lot of your feelings about 'smartphones', but consider
this...
There is a HUGE 2nd hand market for these devices, both from individuals
and from consumer points of sale (as old stock closeouts and from trade
ins). I use a MVNO service provider who allows you to bring your own device
to their network and have gone through a number of phones that were one
generation old. I've never paid more the $100 for a as-new device that
12-18 months before was retailing for $400-500.
All of these phones are GPS enabled and WiFi capable and do not have to be
activated on a cell network to operate. Matter of fact, I recall a report
from a few years back, probably when the iPhone was in Gen 3, that said
almost 50% of iPhones sold had never been activated with phone numbers.
They were being used as WiFi devices only (or as bling ;) ).
So, one can have the utility of a "smartphone" without the downside.
Jay W9RM DM58
Keith J Morehouse
via Droid Inc2
_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
|