internet addiction

I can’t believe I actually stuck it out for over TWO WEEKS without any ability to mobile blog, tweet, send whatsapp messages, listen to podcasts from my pocket, look up stuff on the internet while out and about, snap a reasonable photo and share it instantly, and all the other stuff that we take for granted doing on our smartphones. For over two weeks I just used a simple phone for calling & sending simple, painful-to-tap-in SMS messages when absolutely necessary.

It’s like I stepped into a time warp and it was 8 years ago.

Now I have a little smartphone that is a delight in the fact that it is a working android smartphone with all my google apps restored, so I can swype quick messages via whatsapp to my friends and family all over the world, and have a working calendar at the ready and always with me to remind me of appointments (of which I have to say I missed at least one these last couple of weeks). It’s smaller and lighter than my Galaxy s3, and I have to say it’s delightful to move in that direction of smaller & lighter.

I bought a LG optimus L7 ii dual (for being able to add a second sim card, a feature I would have found very handy when I traveled a lot but probably won’t use nowadays) on eBay from a hong kong seller called ” electronic.linked ” and with only 82 feedbacks. I must have gotten a good deal because he nearly doubled the price within the time it took me to receive the phone. I paid about 200 bucks including shipping (about ten working days), and now it’s 370 including shipping. The stores locally were also selling it for the higher amount, so I figured if I use it awhile and don’t like it & re-sell it, I can undercut the current new price by a good 40% for being slightly used, and still not lose any money.

So as of today I’m trying it out and I love the 4.3″ screen size and even with a silicone cover, it feels thin and light and not bulky in the hand, and great size for jeans pockets. The galaxy s3 I’ve been using for 15 months just always was heavy and too big, for my hands at least. It isn’t the most blazingly fast running superphone out there, but I’m only listening to podcasts, instant messaging, checking my calendar, and occasionally looking up something on a webpage, so no big deal to me if there’s the occasional slight lag in performance.

The seller included a screen protector, case, SD card, all for free, and promises to send a free bluetooth piece if I leave him positive feedback. Not bad for customer service from a random asian ebay seller.

I’m really holding out for the gadget I’ve been hearing about for months and totally hooked by, concept-wise, that will be released tomorrow, the Sony i1 new flagship smartphone which is supposed to have an AH-MAZING camera and, more importantly, be waterproof and shockproof. I am heartily clumsy with my phones and this drop-proof feature would come in oh so handy. And so nice not to have to put a plastic cover on a nice looking phone. It’s going to be more like a phablet, but there is supposedly a mini version coming out at just this 4.3″ size I’m loving with the LG, and it will arrive in stores in a couple of months. January at the latest. So, I’m going to use this LG for awhile because I was totally getting lonely and going through smartphone withdrawal and can’t stand it anymore and need something to swype and chat on, and as soon as the Sony i1 mini is available, I’m probably going to run out and get one and sell this one off.