Today I took the plunge that I have long been avoiding – I switched from my regular old run-of-the-mill cellphone to a smartphone.  I avoided this transition because I was not sure if I possessed the brain power, time, and energy to pull it off gracefully.  Alas, I began to notice that everyone else and their grandma had smartphones and I started feeling like a dinosaur.   I did not like that feeling…particularly since dinosaurs are extinct.

When one goes from a basic phone to a smart phone there are many factors to consider.  With the level of cost and commitment involved in a smartphone I was sure to do my homework.  I casually read reviews here and there for months before I got serious and started to look at specific options with Verizon.  Size, cost, battery life, ease of use, features, display, user reviews – so many choices…so many things to consider.

Then it was multiple conversations with my son Cory who is acutely aware of my limitations, an extended phone conversation with a Verizon agent, and three hours at the Verizon store – all to get to the end of this day and my new status as a former dinosaur.

Of course, the mere acquisition of a smartphone does not mean one immediately becomes a savvy smartphone user.  Ah, but I devised the perfect plan to help speed my adjustment to this new phone – I got the exact same phone for Cheyenne.  Hence, I got a new phone and an in-house reference point for how to deal with it.  And the squeal of delight from Cheyenne – well that was just a bonus.

Here is my status at this point.  I can make and receive calls, send and receive text messages, take photos, do basic programming, and I have locked in my home wifi.  I think that puts me at about 10% on the learning curve with a solid 90% to go.  Hopefully, before I move on to a new phone in a couple of years I will reach 100%. 😉