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unreliable cell phones....decisions

3K views 19 replies 18 participants last post by  Jackie 
#1 ·
I've debated posting this for awhile, as I'm sure there are no clear cut answers besides buying another cell phone, but a) maybe some people havent realized there could be problems with touch screen phones and b) you all always come up with things I havent thought of.

I have an Android cell with a touch screen and have an iTouch (iPhone without phone) so I am familiar with 2 of the more common touch screens.

Both have settings for when their screens go dark...to preserve battery power. This means that they can go dark when you most need them...it can go dark when you are talking on it....it should light up again when you move it away from your head (this is by design) but doesnt always and it's not necessarily fast.

There are certain finger actions you need to take to activate/re-activate touch screens and touch isnt always as precise or fast as buttons.

It can mean there are 1 or 2 more actions before you dial 911, even if you have it on 1 touch speed dial. If you are down injured, you may not be able to manage it one-handed (you should be able to but you need to practice) or if you are shaking, etc you will also have problems. Moisture/blood on the phone can also compromise that screen.

I have called 911 with shaking hands more than once.....I am concerned that my smartphone is not all that smart for self-defense.

I know I can probably find most of the features I want in a phone with a real keyboard (email, navigator, browser).....this may be the path I take....but have others run into issues with touchscreen phones that they've worked out?
 
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#2 ·
iPhones have a voice dial feature for any number in your contacts list. Just hold down the home button and tell it what you want to do. It even works for the iPod part of the phone. They also have an emergency call button on the lock screen that brings up a dial pad after the initial finger swipe. Using it one handed is also not a problem.
 
#3 ·
Ack! Of course. So do 'droids. (voice feature)

And yes, my 'droid can be operated with one hand, but there are still some times when the handling must be fairly precise.
 
#5 ·
BLUE TOOTH is the solution!

Check out the voice-activated/voice controlled blue tooth headsets made by Blue Ant.

I've had several headsets of theirs, over the years, I love their products and they keep getting better and better as time passes.

FYI, I have an iPhone 4 (Verizon is my carrier) and the setup and functioning is flawless.
 
#6 ·
I have an Android & A Jawbone Icon bluetooth device. The Jawbone is amazing & voice dialing with it rocks!

Jawbone has outstanding customer service. I had an old jawbone go through the washer & dryer and it still works.... The folks at jawbone were as surprised about that as I was.
 
#7 ·
I have a Blackberry and if I drop it the back flies off and the battery flies out. It takes a while for it to go through the "re-boot" process. I have put a piece of tape on the back so that in case of an emergency and I have butter fingers and drop it I won't have to go through the 5 minute process of putting it back together and waiting on it to fire up. Something to think about.
 
#8 ·
sorry took so long to reply, my shoe was ringing.

for 3 generations of these mighty mites i have been able to say 'phone xxx' and it does.
why is yours behaving different?

It can mean there are 1 or 2 more actions before you dial 911
which is why i carry my phone in a prompted mode.
the danger of carrying it unprompted is in the extra steps necessary to dial 911.
and those moments are what seem to trouble you. as some have suggested it can be pre-prompted with a few advanced keystrokes....or touches to the screen.
or perhaps this is a an issue that will be corrected by the manufacture with the nect model.

-------------------

phone and phone, what is phone??

....mccoy, care to field that question?
 
#9 ·
Can't dial a number with a broken screen.

Voice command with a physical button is a must.
 
#10 ·
Who knew that the type of phone that you have could be detrimental to your 911 capability? :blink:

I never even thought about it before. If your touchscreen failed, yeah that could be a problem. But, like anything else, they all can fail.

My wife had a standard flip phone; the hinge broke for some odd reason and rendered the phone inoperable.

I have had a BlackBerry freeze on me; rendering it inoperable until a reboot (a lengthy process as BugDude pointed out)

Any phone can freeze, break, whatever at random. I suppose we should start carrying BUPs :hand5:
 
#12 ·
What did you do for personal defense before cell phones existed?

My personal defensive plan is the same as its always been, if at all possible get the heck out of the area, if not, well then things will get a lot more serious in short order.

If my primary plan works, I'll call as I'm leaving the area.
 
#13 ·
I have a Bluetooth headset and all I have to do is press one button on it and say "call 911". I don't need to tie up my hands and eyes dialing. :image035:
 
#14 ·
Thanks very much, very helpful.

Some comments tho, indicate that people havent really thought about less than optimum conditions...like when the SHTF and things drop, you're on the ground, there's blood on the screen, it's not on your normal setting for some reason, your earpiece pops out, etc.

Sure my phone works just fine...under normal conditions when my life doesnt depend on it.....that's not what I'm concerned about :smile:
 
#15 ·
I get where your coming from,I have a Samsung Seeker,seems like a little moisture on my fingers etc make the touch feature a pain,being wounded/injuredfrom a fall or attack and being able to call for help can be the difference between life and death sometimes.The odds of you being in a situation where u are hurt and unable to get a call out are pretty slim,but could happen.Just think what it was like 30 years ago before cell phones
 
#16 ·
ahhhh yes. The frustration with modern technology.

Remember the old days when you had to try and remain conscious while you crawled to the corner trying to hold your guts in with one hand, and reach up to put a dime in the pay phone.

Now those were the good 'ole days.
 
#17 ·
Remember the old days when you had to try and remain conscious while you crawled to the corner trying to hold your guts in with one hand, and reach up to put a dime in the pay phone.

Now those were the good 'ole days.
Man, it was a nickel in my days ! :wink:

The night I had my shop fire, I had a Blackberry Storm (click-touch screen only). FD in route, but I called 911 to get their ETA and help with directions. The BB worked alright; after the fire was contained I tried to use my Storm to call the utility company and restore the electrical. My hands had been wet and cold for a couple of hours and the touchscreen would not respond. I got rid of the Storm and went back to the old reliable Motorola flip phone. Those are durable and hard to beat and what I'm using now, but I sure would like a Droid or iPhone for all the other features.
 
#19 ·
My Motorola I1 requires 5 steps just to get to the last called number. My Motorola I710 required 2. Next phone I get will probably be a Jitterbug. I don't ned to figure the square root of sales tax or watch TV on a cell phone.
 
#20 ·
I haven't upgraded to a smartphone yet so I can't vouch for these but I've been doing research and these look pretty good for minimizing damage done in a situation where the phone may get dropped and banged around. Short of dropping the phone in a puddle or having it hit by a bullet, something like this and the voice dialing suggestions may help with most of your original concerns.

Verizon iPhone 4 Case, AT&T iPhone 4 Case, iPhone 4 Defender Series // OtterBox.com

They make them for many models/brands.
 
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