I Don't Have a Smartphone

At some point, if you say something like that you'll probably be just given one.

I wonder if the author has actually tried the QR code menus. It's actually incredibly convenient and some even let you pay right on the website so you ever are having to wait on some server to come by your table. You can get more information about the items on the menu than a physical menu and it is just more pleasant to read in general.

> "I don’t have a smartphone," is what I tell people and professionals nowadays

I did this today too. I happened to walk past a branch of my bank, and remembered my debit card is playing up due to wear-and-tear, so I popped in to order a replacement. I made the request and the first response was "do you have our banking up, you can do it on there?". "No".

It wasn't even busy.

(I also happen to have my mortgage with my bank, so paying quite a lot of interest to them each month...)

So what do you do if your flushing app breaks? Or the manufacturer goes out of business and flush tracking servers go down? Or google decides to suspend it while you're on the toilet?

if the Buddha had a smart phone, it would be a Mudita Kompakt.

Not having a smartphone is a new status symbol flex.

The poorer you are, the more of your life you must waste looking at a screen instead of beautiful landscapes and friendly faces.

[dead]

I don't eat meat or watch television. I'm whiter than you.

No one actually believes you if you say that. Even if it is true.

> 1. That person owns a smartphone (which is at least a couple hundred dollars).

I live in South Africa, and even the poor townships are full of smartphones these days. My gardener has a fairly recent Samsung. They literally borrow money to buy these things. So if they can afford it, so can you.

It's not that I don't get your point though - it could easily be seen as unnecessary spending when you have all kinds of expenses. But sooner or later, smartphones have become a necessity to get on with life.