Customers Sacrifice for a Better Wireless Experience

Monday, 07. 27. 2009  –  Category: Dial611

Oh, sweet bag phone—where have you gone? With your vinyl exterior, arm strap for transport and a receiver the size of my foot. You were so very cumbersome, and I was pretty sure that your keypad could light up a city block. I never dreamed of calling long distance with you, if I had coverage at all. And yet you were completely indispensable. Why? Because you were portable.

Maybe you too had a bag phone. Perhaps it was a Zach Morris phone, with a 10” antenna and a design that rivaled a 2×4. It did not have any texting capabilities, and it knew nothing of Wi-Fi connectivity. But it worked out your biceps while you made those important calls in places you never dreamed were possible. And all for only $200 per month.

As the last handsets come out on a weekly basis, it’s easy to get lost in the latest features and functionality we see. And while we ponder whether to get a smart phone so we can download a million features, and whether it should be an Apple or a Blackberry; we again unknowingly take that bold leap of sacrifice that so many have before us.

The fact is we’ve never really had a mobile device we’ve liked without fault. Whether we realized it at the time or not, we always had to make a sacrifice because of its design or performance. Looking back at the evolution of wireless devices, it is amazing to think of the things we once could (and couldn’t) live without.

There was a time and a place where I thought the world would end if I gave up my Nextel “Direct Connect” feature. Of course, I looked past that annoying beep you would hear when you were unable to connect with another subscriber. Never mind the fact that it also only worked with other Nextel users.

The evolutions of realization go on and on. Black and white screens were fantastic, until color screens became available. Basic ringers worked fine because we didn’t know that ring tones could be created from any song. We never knew we needed to get a real-time score of the ball game while waiting for a doctor’s appointment…until we had it in hand. Look how many years it took to be able to take our phone number with us when we switched providers. And all along the way, we never knew what we were missing.

The iPhone has its flaws with its touch screen limitations, compatibility and data network availability. But current owners would never give theirs up. Why? Because they can surf the web while listening to music as they check to for directions to the nearest Japanese restaurant with meals under $10. It just goes to show you that we are willing to look beyond some short comings in order to have a more expanded experience.

In the end, it makes me realize how fortunate I am. I have a simple touch-screen phone that I am very happy using. It’s not an iPhone and I don’t have a data plan, but it allows me to make calls and send texts. And it doesn’t require I carry it on my shoulder in an attractive attaché case.

David Fleming works for CornerWorld Corporation, parent company of Dial611.

Tags: Apple, Blackberry, cell phone, David Fleming, innovation, iPhone, Nextel, smartphone, subscribers, wireless