Forced Phone Upgrade

 First, let me assure you, I am not a phone person.

I hardly ever use a telephone if I can get out of it, so my cell phone is just a tool. I only use it for emergencies or when I need to locate someone I get separated from in a mall or large store, or when I'm at an appointment or meeting and need to be picked up when it's time to go home. Even then, I tend to text, not call. I'm hard of hearing and until just recently my hearing aid wasn't capable of having a Bluetooth connection with a phone. My old phone probably couldn't do that anyway. It had no memory and got so I couldn't even update the software. Then my provider decided it was time to update their network. That means my phone is not going to work at all within the next couple of weeks.

My old phone was a simple thing. It cost under a hundred dollars when it was new. I have never had a data plan and pay just $10 a month to keep it operational. At one point I had over $600 worth of credit racked up. They let me use that up but I'm not allowed to accumulate it anymore.

I was shocked by what it would cost me to replace the darn thing. The prices on today's phones are outrageous!  Worse than that, my hubby needs to replace his too. He did some research and asked a lot of questions everywhere they sell phones before coming to the conclusion that we would go for the Moto G Stylus 5G. The 5G won't work on my pay as you go plan, but that doesn't mean anything to me anyway.

It has a lot more memory, a superior camera and even a stylus. I  can apparently Bluetooth it to my hearing aids so I might actually be able to hear if someone does call me. (We'll see about that). It also has a virtual assistant. I was about to set that up and got to the part where Google was telling me to say, "Set the timer for two minutes" but before I could speak a voice from the other room was speaking to the cat. He said, "Are you making a mess?" And instantly, Google popped this up as a response.

(click to enlarge)

That definitely gave me a much needed giggle.  But then I had to wonder if Google just learned to recognize the wrong voice.  It's okay.  I just tested it. 

I discovered I can make a grocery list right on my phone. Big deal, you may say, but this is all new to me! I also decided to test the stylus since the existing list has little boxes to check.  I don't usually draw digitally so excuse the mess while I figure this out. 

Oh, maybe Google was right.  I might have a bit of fun making messes.