Yeah, you read it right.   I went to my provider (AT&T) to get a new phone, believe it or not my Nokia ain't working so good. I was told I haven't had an upgrade in over eight years. I was all set to close an agreement on an I Phone but I would have to go to a "corporate outlet", they were an "authorized outlet" to do so. I now am considering just getting another flip phone. A few months ago at an HDF Range Day, during introductions, I was the only one who couldn't answer the question "what was the last thing you googled on your phone?" Does any one here still prefer a flip phone?

  is  a Nokia?
and how does a phone flip?

NO , never really called anyone in ages. VoIP nowadays.

racist phone....

I, too, rock the flip phone.  I spend under $100/year on my service.  It places calls, receives calls, receives texts, and with a little effort on my part, will even send a text.  It's a Samsung of some model. 

My last Nokia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_6230 was a what some refer to as a brick I prolly got in 2003ish, it had basic smartphone ability at that time. I have never owned a flip open type phone (happy ren) so I can't say that I don't prefer them. My mother in law still runs a flip phone she only makes calls though. I have had one iPhone or another since 2008.

Modern smartphones are like a Swiss Army knife they can be both aids to productiveness or hindrances it depends on the user. The little I know of you dog I'd say that once you got an iPhone after you figured how it worked that you would like it and you would get all kinds of nifty apps to use at the shop to make your work easier.

Does any one here still prefer a flip phone?

Is the bear Catholic?

I rarely turn my ancient Motorrola RAZR flip on other than when driving away from home.

I have absolutely no interest in enriching the cell companies for data packages that do not do a damn thing for me.  Do not do Facef*ck or any social crap (I suppose you could call 2AHawaai that, but youse guys are not cute enough and once a day is plenty) and can wait until I get home for usual computer crap.

NO , never really called anyone in ages. VoIP nowadays.

I had to google "VoIP" (on my desk top), you still need a device don't you, or is it one of those telepathic things?

I, too, rock the flip phone.  I spend under $100/year on my service.  It places calls, receives calls, receives texts, and with a little effort on my part, will even send a text.  It's a Samsung of some model.

If Tom rocks a folding type phone with a hinge that's all the endorsement I need . I hardly carry the thing around any way, and the smart phone being larger I might have it with me even less.
You are probably right Ed, I may find a smart phone very usefull. . . if I carried it around.

If you travel much, a smart phone can be a life saver. 

Checking into your airline,
Getting updates on airline delays.
Contacting the airline for schedule changes.
Car and room reservations: having the reservation numbers in emails, dates, times, locations, rates ...
GPS maps and Garmin-style turn-by-turn trip assistance.
Quick look-up of anything you might have questions on while away from a PC.
Use as a hotspot for your laptop when a trusted WiFi connection is unavailable.
Texting someone driving to pick you up -- which gate, etc.  Cars with Bluetooth phone connections can display and read texts for the driver -- safer and not risking a ticket for having a phone in hand driving.
Bluetooth connection to make or answer calls safely while driving.  Some flip phones have Bluetooth but may not integrate fully with the vehicle's radio.
Able to do banking on a device you own.  Avoids having to pay bills or check balances on an unknown computer or connection while traveling.

Smartphones are like computers used to be.  We never knew how much we would become dependent on them until we owned one.  Simple things like being able to record video can save you from all kinds of bad.

There's alot to be said for having someone text you an address or phone number so you have it for reference.  Or sending a picture of something you need to buy on the way home so you get exactly the right thing.

Convenience is something that's hard to sell someone on.  Either you are resistant to change, or you embrace time-saving, efficiency tools that make life a little less difficult.

Of course, if you're an old dog(man) that refuses to take the time to learn new tricks, that's another story!

Old phones do have advantages over smartphones...can go for days without charging it. 

If you have a business or your company demands you stay in touch and up to date during the work day (Hopefully not after hours) then a smart phone is the right choice. My wife is one of the least techie people I know. But our family stays in touch on Whatsapp which is group messaging system that you can post pics, videos and voice recordings as well as text messages to the whole group. She asked for the smartphone so she can stay in touch with our family. Now she text messages me, e-mails me and yes she even calls me on the smartphone. She does not know how to install apps so she doesn't know she can play the same games on her phone that she can on her iPad.

If Tom rocks a folding type phone with a hinge that's all the endorsement I need . I hardly carry the thing around any way, and the smart phone being larger I might have it with me even less.
You are probably right Ed, I may find a smart phone very usefull. . . if I carried it around.

I like my phones like I like my shotguns... hinge action!

Rocky? Where are you?
Why don't you tell everyone about your flipphone torture test at the range today.

I have bought two Alcatel brand cell phones to replace the phone I got from my contract. $60 and they work quite well. Got one from best buy and one from walmart. I don't know what models they make for AT&T but for $60 it is a pretty damn good smart phone.

My iPhone 4s died a couple of weeks ago. It is fixable but not worth the money to fix it. Because I couldn't keep the phone alive long enough to erase the memory, a lot of my personal information is on it. So in order to dispose of it properly and not have to worry about my personal info getting into the wrong hands...

I have bought two Alcatel brand cell phones to replace the phone I got from my contract. $60 and they work quite well. Got one from best buy and one from walmart. I don't know what models they make for AT&T but for $60 it is a pretty damn good smart phone.

So, how does a pre-paid smart phone work?  With my phone, I pay $0.10/minute for calls, and $0.10 per text.  I buy minutes by the thousand, and they're good for a year.  How does that apply to data and such? 

Thanks for the list MD, not a thing there that I need or care much about.  Luckily I do not travel much at all or I might reconsider.

That GPS thing and the Feds/NSA would bother me a lot though.

If you travel much, a smart phone can be a life saver. 

Checking into your airline,
Getting updates on airline delays.
Contacting the airline for schedule changes.
Car and room reservations: having the reservation numbers in emails, dates, times, locations, rates ...
GPS maps and Garmin-style turn-by-turn trip assistance.
Quick look-up of anything you might have questions on while away from a PC.
Use as a hotspot for your laptop when a trusted WiFi connection is unavailable.
Texting someone driving to pick you up -- which gate, etc.  Cars with Bluetooth phone connections can display and read texts for the driver -- safer and not risking a ticket for having a phone in hand driving.
Bluetooth connection to make or answer calls safely while driving.  Some flip phones have Bluetooth but may not integrate fully with the vehicle's radio.
Able to do banking on a device you own.  Avoids having to pay bills or check balances on an unknown computer or connection while traveling.

Smartphones are like computers used to be.  We never knew how much we would become dependent on them until we owned one.  Simple things like being able to record video can save you from all kinds of bad.

There's alot to be said for having someone text you an address or phone number so you have it for reference.  Or sending a picture of something you need to buy on the way home so you get exactly the right thing.

Convenience is something that's hard to sell someone on.  Either you are resistant to change, or you embrace time-saving, efficiency tools that make life a little less difficult.

Of course, if you're an old dog(man) that refuses to take the time to learn new tricks, that's another story!

Rocky? Where are you?
Why don't you tell everyone about your flipphone torture test at the range today.

OK OldFart,

  I too roll with the flipper. 
Dropped em, kicked em, got them wet, chewed on by dog and actually left one on the ground overnight in a puddle of rain and they keep on tick'n
All Iv'e carried for years and they last for years.
Heck, you got 9 years out of yours ! 
Who do you know that has had one of those fancy phones for over 3 years 

   Like Tom, I can places calls and receives calls.
I think it an even take a picture !

    I pass on sending or receiving text because I would have to put on a pair of reading glasses every time.
I spend enough time at the PC that I'm thankful when I can escape the cyber world. 
    If my phone accepted text, notified me of Email, Twatter or FaceSpace along with making and receiving calls, I would have no life.
    It would be filled with so much info, it would be a MASSIVE security risk if lost or stolen and besides, they be "tapping that $#!t "already.
    The only advantage of "wearing" one of those units on your hip is to prep you for the weight and fit for CC.

    Like Zip sez, I charge my phone about every 4-5 days (just as a precaution) but it has gone for 7-10 days already.
But when the charge bar changes, the battery dies within 6-10 hrs.

  But back to OldFart.

    Next time somebody is showing and bragging about their fancy new I B Smart-@$$ phone, take your $10-$60 little flipper out of your pocket and drop kick it across the gravel, grass, down the driveway or across the street.
Walk over, pick it up and call the person. 
When they answer, ask them to see if they're $$$ phone can do the same.

FYI
Wikipedia
A telephone, or phone, is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be heard directly.

merriam-webster
: a system that uses wires and radio signals to send sounds (such as people's voices) over long distances

: a device that is connected to a telephone system and that you use to listen or speak to someone who is somewhere else

I work construction so I also purchase an Otterbox case for my iPhone. It enables my iPhone to survive drops of 20' to 30'. My iPhone 4s survived drops from these heights and the Otterbox protected my iPhone from damage. The nice thing about the case is that it also kept my phone looking as new even after the torture I put it through.