For about 7 years, I had been purchasing my mobile phones outright and then buying phone credit every month. The logic behind that was, it’s better to not be locked into a contract for 2 years in case anything should happen. It’s also good to be able to upgrade your phone at any time.

Well, I resisted getting a smartphone on contract until the end of 2010. What the hell took me so long?

Within weeks of purchasing my Blackberry Bold I was well and truly hooked. More hooked than when I got into playing Civilization III back in 2007.

Without sounding too materialistic,I felt as though for the first time I had a tool that I was thought was inaccessible to me. Back in 2008 when I first became aware of Blackberry, I thought that you had to be a lawyer or at least work for a large accounting firm to own a Blackberry smartphone. I heard that they used a separate network and that you’d have to create an account with the company before you could even use the device. Then in 2010, it was as easy as filling out a form, declaring your income and “hey presto!”, you could start using it out of the box.

I figured out how to use it’s features very early on and it changed the way I worked and fulfilled my commitments outside of work.

I use it’s functions on a daily basis and because of the plan that I’m on, I never pay more than what my monthly fee is. My phone came in handy today when I offered to help a friend move house. I had forgotten to take down the address so with a quick navigation of the white pages on the phone’s web browser and a google maps search, I was able to find the place in minutes!

I never forget appointments thanks to my phone’s calendar reminding me hours in advance of any commitments – not that I don’t check my diary a day in advance! It syncs with my email calendar so any appointments that I enter either on my phone or through my email, get displayed on both services.

One smartphone feature that my phone doesn’t have – thanks Skype – is functional on my wife’s Iphone. Thanks to the Skype app she video calls home every Sunday morning in real-time!

The best feature of all though is email and group texting. Coming from a traditional phone, it feels like a first class communication device.

Summary

I would have loved to own a smartphone back when I was at university. It would have made managing my time a lot easier. I wish I had started using one much earlier than when I did but I acknowledge that perhaps it wouldn’t have been affordable. You don’t need an iphone or a blackberry, you can buy touchscreen smartphones for as little as $140 and it will have the same functions that I’ve described above. Thanks to the ever-advancing technology and the lively competition, most people can afford to have what I consider a communication luxury. Again, hesistant to sound overly materialistic but the smartphone has impacted upon my life for the better.