Addiction

Devices Galaxy 2

Haiku 201

Total addiction

My Smartphone just died on me

Withdrawal symptoms!

.

 

I got my first Smartphone three and a half years ago. I quickly became accustomed to using it constantly throughout the day: to check the weather, read my emails, do my Duolingo language exercises, play games and keep in touch with people via WhatsApp. Apparently people check their devices on average 150 times a day! I can believe it. Ref.

The storage on the phone filled up over the years, with each new software upgrade, so I knew I’d have to look for another phone soon. Also, the battery was on its last legs; always needing charging and actually bulging quite alarmingly! Search as I might, I could not find a genuine replacement battery.

I was in the process of gathering info and looking at new phones in March, but then came Corona and Lockdown, putting a stop to that. Finally, my poor old phone gave up the fight and died.

That first day without it I definitely suffered withdrawal symptoms!

My daughter ordered me a new phone online and it was delivered to my door a few days later. Hooray!

However, it took another week to get the phone up and running. It uses a nano sim, but my old sim card was too large and I didn’t want to cut it down and risk damaging my brand new phone. So I needed to get a new sim card and change it to my old number.

Here in South Africa you have to RICA your sim card; register it online with proof of ID and address. (RICA stands for The Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act; to help prevent criminals from using cell phones for illegal activities.) You simply cannot use the sim until it is RICA’d.

Unfortunately, it was the end of the month and even though I got to the cell phone shop early so didn’t have to queue too long, their system was overloaded and extremely slow. After trying for an hour, I gave up and returned the following week, when the sim swap was done in all of ten minutes!

Though slightly bemused with the advanced technology of my new phone and taking time to set it up how I like, at least now I am back in the land of the living!

 

For those who’d like to know; my new phone is a Samsung Galaxy A50 LTE. The photo is of Little Monkey on my old phone. 

 

28 thoughts on “Addiction”

  3. Garfield Hug

    Wow, we are on Samsung Galaxy 10s now! Your trusty Samsung 2 has kept on going and going for a long time! Glad you have a new phone now. I need to upgrade my Galaxy 9s too. But with the lockdown just lifted, I am not venturing out anytime soon as our community cases are up. I am a Samsung fan and I suppose I need a new plan too. Here our telco charges us a lot for a plan. I pay almost $100 for a plan for a month and this is purely for cell phone. My home plans are charged separately.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. scifihammy Post author

      Yes, Samsung Galaxy make good phones. 🙂
      Did you mean A10s or S10? Because the S10 is available here in SA, but is about twice the price of the A50. I don’t buy the latest but rather one that meets my needs, as I already have a good laptop. 😀
      Also, I buy the phone outright and use Pay As You Go for Airtime – no contracts. Mostly I use my phone at home with the wifi I already have. But it is useful to have a smartphone, as I can still access the internet during a power cut, or when out, by buying data.
      It’s taken some getting used to my new phone and I still have a lot to learn – such as how to get the best out of the camera – but I am happy with it and it is much faster than my old J3 2016. 😀
      Happy Saturday! 😀

      Like

      1. Garfield Hug

        I meant Galaxy 10s. It costs more than SGD1,800 here without a plan. Agree that one should buy to meet needs and you are right and I should follow your think thoughts. At work snd at home I have wifi. These days people hardly use voice calls and use wifi enabled calls if necessary. But in SA with power cuts you will need some data plans. I use my phone camera alot too. Enjoy your new gizmo as it will get you going to appreciate its functions. Sunday here now at our end. Garfield hugs and am glad we are going to see more fun pics from you.😁

        Liked by 1 person

      2. scifihammy Post author

        Converting your SGD to SA Rand – yes, your 10s must be what they call S10 over here! haha 😀 Funny they call the phone differently. And that is a very nice phone you’ve got yourself! 😀
        Yes, we’re back on power cuts again, but only 2 hours at a time, so you work around it. I’ve filled my thermos and got my Blog out (Pic from my new cell phone, as you predicted!) 😀 – so I’m prepared for this afternoon’s blackout!
        Have a good start to the week. 😀

        Like

    2. Sabiscuit

      That sounds just about right for a developed country. I have a WiFi plan that gives me a discount because I use an iPhone from the provider and I get a further discount every month if I don’t use my cellular network all. I’ve been curious about Samsung but iPhones have made themselves effortless to upgrade. You put the old phone next to the new phone and your data gets transferred into it.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. paulsprepping

    Oh, scary. A new phone, lots of new bits on it.
    Things to learn, ARGH.
    Just the thought of that and sent me to the kettle.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. mistermuse

    Would you believe I’ve never owned a smartphone and never will (unless someone gives me one for a Christmas present, in which case I will try to resist saying “BAH! HUMBUG!”). If I weren’t retired, I might feel differently, but why be connected to the hurly-burly of the daily rat race, when living quiet as a mouse is so relaxing?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. scifihammy Post author

      This was my first smartphone and bought so I could keep in touch with family overseas via WhatsApp etc. I am not on any social media such as facebook and only a select few actually have my number! 😀
      I also like the quiet life! 😀

      Liked by 2 people

  9. Murphy's Law

    Love your Haiku…..and of course the photo of Little Monkey!! Cell phones have become part of daily living. Those that use them immediately become dependent upon them. They are a fact of life now.

    Despite the hassle to get your new phone up and running, I’m so glad you are back in business!! Here’s hoping you and your Samsung have many happy years together! 🤗
    🐾Ginger 🐾

    Liked by 1 person

    1. scifihammy Post author

      Thank you 😀
      You;re so right! We have become totally dependent on our devices – probably why having to work from home because of Corona actually wasn’t too much of a problem for many people. 🙂
      And I’m quickly becoming used to my new phone! 😀

      Like

  10. long4h2o

    It’s amazing how our daily lives are so dependent on our cell phones. I forgot my phone at home one day until I got to work and it was too late to get it. It was a loooooonnnnggg day. I couldn’t even email my wife because two factor authentication required a code from my phone. I had to break down and call my wife on her work phone to let her know that my work phone was the only way to communicate with me.

    Glad you are reconnected.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. scifihammy Post author

      Thank you 🙂
      Yes, we are so used to being able to contact people immediately! The first thing I do when no internet etc is sms my kids so they know we’re OK! 😀

      Like

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