How many of you use a smartphone as your only mobile computing device?

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Gawd
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Aug 25, 2010
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Just wondering how many of you use your smartphone as your only mobile computing device when you are away from your desktop PC (i.e. you don't have an ultrabook, laptop, etc.).
 
Should have mentioned "general computing" (i.e. things you would normally do on a light-weight ultrabook). Stuff like browsing the Internet, posting on forums, watching a movie, etc.
 
I guess if it's a /really/ big phone, or you use it docked to a MHL display, and you have a BT keyboard (and possibly mouse). Still, seems a very niche use case. Are you considering trying this, or do you already?
 
nope. 5" phone, 7" kindle fire for magazines at a minimum. 5" is too small for reading, and anything larger is too big to carry everywhere for me.
 
My phone is all I use. I have a Surface Pro 3 but that is only for recording music or typing documents. I so everything else with my phone. I was talking to one of my customers about this the other day. I never intended to become this way. It just happened. A testament to how powerful and versatile smart phones are these days.

I have no use for any other device. I don't even have a desktop anymore. I'm kind of over PCs. Nothing I do requires one. The Surface Pro 4 keyboard I got for my SP3 is more than adequate enough for any intense typing or other CPU intensive tasks. I really only use it for my guitar to use Guitar Pro 6 lol. And I could even do that on a phone too if I really wanted.

I'm using a G Flex 2 that I got last year for $250. I'm planning on getting the Note 6 or the new Nexus when they come out this fall. A little bigger and higher quality screen will make the phone only situation even more fantastic. I think the stylus functionality would be something nice to have that I might actually use. I'm excited to see specs for the Note 6.
 
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I only have my phone and my desktop computer, and TV if that counts. I can do just about anything I need for work from my phone, it's just a bit of a pain in the ass do some stuff.
 
Phone and tablet for me, though the tablet is pretty much only for media consumption. Working at home has made my MBP feel kinda neglected. Last time I used it extensively was over the 2015 Christmas holidays.
 
Screw that, nothing will be better than working, or even playing on, a decent desktop with 2-3 monitors. I'm a big mobile user/gamer as well, but couldn't imagine using my phone and tablets exclusively.
 
Why don't they just sell a display and keyboard, and the user docks the phone? Plus let it access an SSD as OTG.

I don't want a dual-core Intel processor for a low price.
 
Still waiting for a Surface phone to do just that... it could be the world's true pro phone.
 
I can't stand smartphones. I inevitably end up pulling out my Microsoft Surface because I'm just not satisfied with what phones can offer. Sometimes I use it in tablet mode with a pen, but often with the keyboard. Basically, I end up using lighter convertible laptops rather than phones.

There are maybe four things I can stand to use a phone for... GPS system, receiving texts, phone calls, and a digital camera. I do not like surfing the web, fiddling with dumbed-down, stripped-down apps, playing games, or even writing out texts on a touchscreen.
 
I own a laptop and its basically permanently docked so for all intensive purposes it's my desktop. I habe several tablets and all are gathering dust. The only portable device I use other then my smartphone is my paper ereader..
 
Media consumption only for my smartphone. Anything that requires some input more advanced than a block of text, I'd prefer on something with better input mechanics. I regularly reach for my surface pro3.

For example: Form filling on phones have always been a crappy experience for me, with the popup keyboard covering the text entry fields and dumb/aggressive spellchecks...

Edit: and I totally despise mobile websites and their push for me to get the app. Just show me the damn content! (Yes I do desktop mode for the majority of sites, but I haven't figured how to do it by default).
 
Hmm I've got 5,5" phone, ipad mini, ultrabook and playstation vita to top my collection of mobile devices ;)
 
My wife uses her iPad almost exclusively: web browsing, writing, school work for her online program, etc. The only time she uses her laptop is if there an application or submission that isn't comparable with iOS or if there is a large enough project to warrant booting the laptop.
 
I use my Note 4 for just about everything. I pay bills, do banking, social media, email, write notes down, GPS and navigation. Hell I only use my desktop for gaming. Its gotten so bad I can barely type on the keyboard when Im on my desktop. I actually have thought about downsizing next year when I upgrade to maybe the Galaxy S8 or whatever is out next February. Not sure if I will though, I really do love these Notes even though theyre kind of a pain to deal with sometimes due to their size.
 
Media consumption only for my smartphone. Anything that requires some input more advanced than a block of text, I'd prefer on something with better input mechanics. I regularly reach for my surface pro3.

For example: Form filling on phones have always been a crappy experience for me, with the popup keyboard covering the text entry fields and dumb/aggressive spellchecks...

Edit: and I totally despise mobile websites and their push for me to get the app. Just show me the damn content! (Yes I do desktop mode for the majority of sites, but I haven't figured how to do it by default).


Wow, my experience with forms is great on a phone. Chrome has all my info saved and filling out a form is super easy. Rarely are there forms asking for stuff beyond that. It's literally one tap to complete a whole form.
 
Nexus 6 here. No need or want for a tablet, or especially a laptop ever again
 
Nexus 6 here. No need or want for a tablet, or especially a laptop ever again

I feel free now. At first, I felt some strange type of guilt or inferiority because I wasn't using my desktop or a laptop anymore. It passed and then I was liberated.

I just need to make the move to a bit bigger phone. I had the 6.4 Sony Xperia Z Ultra which was just too big. Now I have a 5.5 G Flex 2 which is just a bit too small. I think 5.7-5.8 will be perfect.

The only thing I wouldn't do on my phone is type long documents or spreadsheets. That type of stuff. Everything else ie my phone.
 
Wow, my experience with forms is great on a phone. Chrome has all my info saved and filling out a form is super easy. Rarely are there forms asking for stuff beyond that. It's literally one tap to complete a whole form.

Yes it is mostly one tap. But I've encountered sites that likes to use dropdowns for some fields and then label those fields as mandatory, but when autofilled the site still errors saying those fields have no info. Not limited to drop down either.
So gotta go back to go into those field to initiate the drop down selection, or go back to delete one character and reinput it to satisfy the mandatory entry requirements. Also on chrome.

Does it happen to you where when the vitrual keyboard pops up that it causes the window to resize and leave you like 1 line of visibility for text entry (because for whatever reason the site decided it was a good idea to just shrink the text entry box instead of just scrolling or whatever)?

I wouldn't say my grievances are "everytime I pick up my phone it is to throw it at the wall" level of frustration. It's probably about 10 percent. Enough to annoy and if I can, I'd just go for the larger screen device when i need more input. (Still rocking an s4) or more power.
 
I have the same drop down / text input form issue with my password manager on various sites. The issue appears to happen in both Chrome and Firefox, Desktop and Mobile. For some reason the page doesn't recognize auto-filled input. I suspect JavaScript witchcraft is the cause (and potential solution).
 
When I'm on the go, I only use my iPhone 6s. It does have some issues with inputting text into forms sometimes as a number of you have but I don't like carrying anything larger. It's just a preference.
 
I feel free now. At first, I felt some strange type of guilt or inferiority because I wasn't using my desktop or a laptop anymore. It passed and then I was liberated.

I just need to make the move to a bit bigger phone. I had the 6.4 Sony Xperia Z Ultra which was just too big. Now I have a 5.5 G Flex 2 which is just a bit too small. I think 5.7-5.8 will be perfect.

The only thing I wouldn't do on my phone is type long documents or spreadsheets. That type of stuff. Everything else ie my phone.

Still keep my sig rig around. A real desktop has its place....but I got sick of the laptop-every-2-years-replacement-game real quick. Cheap laptops universally suck when new, expensive ones suck in 1-3 years depending.

Only time I don't love my 6" Nexus is when I'm off riding the bike, would be nice to have something smaller in that one and only one case.
 
Not yet for me. For media consumption or reading I still prefer a ~10-inch tablet or desktop monitor since I can sit back watch/read at a distance.
 
There are maybe four things I can stand to use a phone for... GPS system, receiving texts, phone calls, and a digital camera. I do not like surfing the web, fiddling with dumbed-down, stripped-down apps, playing games, or even writing out texts on a touchscreen.
Every so often, I break out my Blackberry Curve 9300 when I want to remind myself how good it was to type quickly/accurately on a mobile device.
 
Are screen protectors very useful? Gorilla glass 4 screen and using a case. I know they would take the scratch instead.
 
At one point I did use my phone as my thin client as well. But that requires a server or computer to remote into. The biggest pain point was that I want dual monitors, and, most importantly, the phone's display couldn't shut off while I'm on the remote desktop client killing the display life.
 
I don't use much when not on my desktop. I only watch youtube, netfix, read some forums, and look up pdfs for some info when working on a car. I only have my desktop and my zenfone 2.
 
If given the choice, the larger screen the better. I don't get why I would squint at a 5.5" screen when I have a 27" available at my desk. Obviously out and about is a different story.
 
Nope, I have a Surface Pro 3 to get real stuff done. On my phone, I use it for bathroom trips, texting, email and surfing the web on the toilet.
 
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Nope, I have a Surface Pro 3 to get real stuff done. On my phone, I use it for bathroom trips, texting, email and surfing the web on the toilet.

Remind me not to buy your phone when you list it in the FS thread. ;)
 
Remind me not to buy your phone when you list it in the FS thread. ;)

LOL! :D :) Nah, by the time I am done with my HTC One M8 for Windows, it will probably be worth $5 so I will just keep it. It works well with Win10 Mobile and, although I tried Android and it is ok, it did not give me a reason to switch yet. (I found that all the apps I used regularly were the Microsoft apps but the rest were one and done. Download, install, try them once and never went back.) My guess is, despite all the apps out there, most folks are like me in that one and done category.

Oh yeah, I also use it for phone calls. :D
 
I have a lenovo y40, and the battery software ate the battery twice in a year, the second time unfortunately being out of warranty. So it sits collecting dust. I don't really do anything that warrants a laptop/ultrabook/tablet/anything bigger than my phone. So I only use my phone. When I have a big-boy job next year, that may change, but it also may not. I guess we'll see.
 
Due to the nature of my Job (company policy dictates that I must do overtime instead of taking my work home with me), I have no need for a mobile computing device outside of a smartphone, as I do not often travel far, if at all, and Smartphone is sufficient for travel related entertainment (Music, Movies, light games, etc).
 
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