Do you believe in having a spare phone?

I've never broken or lost a phone in the decades that we've owned them. We usually donate our old ones to groups who pass them on to overseas soldiers or women's domestic victims groups.
 
Never lost or broke my phone and I don't need to have a spare phone and paying for the service that is barely used. There's no reason to waste money that is not being used much.
 
Calvin said:
Never lost or broke my phone and I don't need to have a spare phone and paying for the service that is barely used. There's no reason to waste money that is not being used much.
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Didn't you see any of the other posts about NOT keeping the spare activated? Just keep it on hand to activate ONLY if something happens with the phone you are currently using.
 
Jane B. said:
Didn't you see any of the other posts about NOT keeping the spare activated? Just keep it on hand to activate ONLY if something happens with the phone you are currently using.
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Is reactivating an old phone any easier or cheaper than buying a throw-away phone in a pinch?

That is, if one hangs on to an old, de-activated phone, and loses the primary phone late on a Saturday night, how soon can it be re-activated? Can it be done on-line or does the customer need to buy a new SIM card? Once it's activated, unless the customer removes the primary phone, wouldn't they be charged for two services? :dunno:
 
Regardless, I don't like to keep so much "stuff" around. I'm trying to downsize at this stage of life. :)
 
Whether or not to use old phone as spare... you'd need a sim card and if something happens to your primary phone. One thing is that sim card might not work for the spare phone as it has to be registered with the current phone you're using.

You could try prepaid phone but still a waste if it's not being used much. I had someone make calls for me in case and never been issue for me. So for me, I don't need the spare phone and one mobile phone is enough for me.

Jane B. said:
Didn't you see any of the other posts about NOT keeping the spare activated? Just keep it on hand to activate ONLY if something happens with the phone you are currently using.
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I would never sell a smart phone because it might still contain some personal info even after cleared. I use them until they don't work. Then I get to have a fun party with a hammer and the broken phone before it goes in the garbage.
 
Konijnen said:
I would never sell a smart phone because it might still contain some personal info even after cleared. I use them until they don't work. Then I get to have a fun party with a hammer and the broken phone before it goes in the garbage.
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who cares??? it's not like they're gonna waste their time trying to recover a lost data.

just wipe it and wipe it again.
 
Spare phone? Why the hassle of keeping track of it? A spare battery makes more sense.
 
Another disadvantage of keeping spare de-activate phone, when need to activate, it MIGHT not be compatible anymore. There are few phones in the past that already become so obsolete that no network system would work with it.

Just like trying to save spare analog TV, will it work again in future? Only if your lucky to have converter or use it with VCR, oh man! Thats too obsolete. Other example Wyndtell RIM 950, is it going to work with present networking? I don't think so.

The sooner you sell your old smartphone the more money you will get. When it gets old, it is not worth the trip selling it.
 
Phones are like super small, they don't take up much room. iPhones don't even have sims cards. Just back up your contacts and data into a cloud. You can reset a phone back to factory settings, voila no more stuff on it. I've only had them set phones up at the store, not sure if you can do it online, but probably. If you get a replacement phone you don't have to take it to the store to activate it.
 
We keep our old ones for spare and for friends/family who get service, but may not be able to afford a phone. Not to mention an iPhone can be used like an iPod which can be useful to keep the kids busy.
 
Konijnen said:
I would never sell a smart phone because it might still contain some personal info even after cleared. I use them until they don't work. Then I get to have a fun party with a hammer and the broken phone before it goes in the garbage.
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I recycled all of mine. The Wyndtell pager I had I sold on eBay. The talkabout pager I stuck in a box for recycling (link below to where I sent it). Can't remember what I did with my Sidekick 3 though...

Electronics Recycling Services CD Recycling Services DVD Electronics Video Tape

I did a massive clean up of tech stuff when I left SC and sent it all here. Privacy is respected and they do clean off everything (after I cleaned up any personal info). Didn't have to worry with the poor iPod (since i destroyed it pretty good trying to change the battery...:( ). Well worth it. Got rid of a TON of VHS tapes lmao.
 
I had no problem swapping SIM cards to different phones that were compatible. I did it quite often. That was with T-Mobile.
 
Angel1989 said:
I can't be 100% sure but in the past I was told that any cel phone as long as it has battery life can call 911 even without a service company. That to me would be a good reason to keep a old phone once you have upgraded.
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This is the only reason I've kept an old phone. About once a month I will check it and make sure it is charged and has update to date family and friends information. I keep it strictly for 911 emergencies or if my current phone gets stolen/broken. The only problem with a phone that isn't being used to call 911 is being used is that it can take longer for the 911 operators to locate the signal and so forth.
 
We still have our old two iPhone 4 as backup. We don't really need VZ's insurance and save money. If something happen to our iPhone 5 as stolen or broke then switch to iPhone 4 right away and re-sync contacts from Apple icloud. Very simple and easy. So soon We will buy new iPhone 6 when it come out then we will keeps old iPhone 5 as backup and destroy the iPhone 4. I won't selling our old iPhone to someone like ebay or CG because you never knew IF they knew how to recover delete files.
 
KikLove said:
This is the only reason I've kept an old phone. About once a month I will check it and make sure it is charged and has update to date family and friends information. I keep it strictly for 911 emergencies or if my current phone gets stolen/broken. The only problem with a phone that isn't being used to call 911 is being used is that it can take longer for the 911 operators to locate the signal and so forth.
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Good, I am not only the one.
 
No, that's what I pay $9.99 a month for insurance on my current phone for. Just in case something happens, like I throw it at a wall... or I run it over... :ugh: Weirder more violent things have happened to previous phones... :ugh:

I do however have a stupid pager and a phone for work... :mad: So it's like an extra phone? :mad:
 
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