Cell phones aren’t only designed for those with bottomless bank accounts, obsessed with having the latest technologies and remaining in constant contact with friends and family while on the move.
Okay, in recent years the advancement in technology have brought us to an era where the smartphone is the must have gadget, with the likes of the iPhone and Blackberry leading the way.
However, this doesn’t mean that the traditional cell phone is dead or confined to the store closet, with boxes of unwanted cells gathering dust in a corner while the shelves are no sooner filled than emptied again of smartphones.
For many customers, the first time they get their hands on their own cell phone is an exciting one, opening up a whole new world of communication without having to ask the parents to use the family phone; or allowing an elderly person to contact their family while they’re out at the shops.
Many don’t need the expansive features associated with the modern day “must have”, they simply want to remain in contact and have a way of calling for help in the event of an emergency.
Nobody wants to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere while out walking and twisting an ankle, just like nobody wants to go hours without hearing from their children because they’re out playing – anything could happen – and kids and the elderly in particular require nothing more than a device that lets them ring home or call the emergency services.
A lot of potential cell phone customers are put off even before they enter the shop, purely because they feel that they cannot cope with all the technology inside, thinking they only need to make a few calls a year to check family are okay or as an emergency contact method, but there are plenty of cells on the market made especially for these people at highly reasonable prices and on a variety of plans.
Sure, in the case of kids they might pester the parents for the very latest model that all their friends have got so that they can update their Facebook status or chat on Skype, but – from a parental perspective – giving them the opportunity to prove that they can be trusted to have their own standard T-Mobile cell phone, (to name an example), could potentially lead them to being rewarded further down the line with the very latest device.
There are obviously numerous advantages to owning a cell phone, ranging from social benefits to ensuring help is close at hand in an emergency. Professionally, you can kee pin touch with work or clients at all times, meaning you can always keep in contact with work if you’re out of the office.
Socially, you can call your friends for a chat or arrange to go for a drink or something to eat, and maybe most importantly, should there be an emergency, you can contact someone.
You certainly don’t want to be going out for a long walk in the country only to fall and injure yourself and end up without help.
So while you may remain sceptical of handing a cell phone over to your child, or even investing in one yourself, there are a number of benefits.
Chris White is an experienced technology blogger currently working around fields such as cell phones, tablet computers and the very latest gadgets on the market