Getting Smart with Phones
A missionary friend of mine was recently shocked to discover that his phone bill was five times its usual amount. The culprit turned out to be a picture message that a friend had sent him. The charge was exorbitant because my friend’s plan had a very low data allowance.
Smartphones used to be the most expensive option among two-year keitei (mobile phone) contracts, but their prices have dropped significantly as companies compete for market share. The rise of smartphones is causing headaches for people who have conventional phones with low data plans. This is because many people with smartphones and large data plans tend to make fewer phone calls, while using email, texting and social media more. Consequently, recent phone plans are more focused on data, and smartphone users are gradually changing the way they interact with others as a result – the picture message story above is one example. Surprisingly, a cost effective way out of this predicament is to consider getting a smartphone yourself.
Smartphones can do many things your PC or home phone can do. For example, you can use smartphones to talk with family, friends and supporters back home via Skype or FaceTime. And the data networks in Japan are so fast you can do this on the go—you can show your grandkids the rice-planting machine at work down the street or your supporters the view from Skytree as they contemplate praying for the vastness of Japan. These calls are either free (as they use data) or much cheaper than a regular phone call.
If you enjoy texting, why pay ¥100 per text back home when you can do it for free with WhatsApp, iMessage or Line? These are all free apps that offer free messaging since they use data.
A few other things I regularly use on my phone that I now find indispensable:
- Facebook—great for keeping up with family, friends and supporters in far-flung places
- Maps
- Taking and sharing photos
- Checking and writing email
- Drafting documents
- Using GPS to record my cycling; my wife records her running routes and times
- Calendar
- Storing contact details and sharing them with my wife’s phone
- Shopping on Amazon
A couple of dangers to be aware of:
- The first two years are likely to have a significant discount—ask what the monthly rate will become after the two years. Since ours is set to double, we’ll be changing companies for another round of discounts.
- You may need to exercise self-control as smartphones can be dangerously addictive if they are always with you and switched on. Whereas now you might check Facebook once a week, you may be tempted to spend every spare moment on it when you get a smartphone! The same goes for games. Turning off notifications can be very helpful as it lets you control when you look at certain apps.
It’s worth finding out what’s available because there have never been so many good options for communicating at a competitive price. It’s also worth upgrading our own wisdom, too, as our culture morphs around this powerful technology.