I made the switch to a smart phone almost two years ago and I was able to get a free iphone from Sprint with a new contract. While my monthly charges for a cell phone have about doubled, it’s been totally worth it. A smart phone has way more than double the features and functions of a regular cell phone. The top five ways a smart phone will benefit you while traveling as it did me on my recent Carolina trip are:
- GPS – When traveling alone and you have no “co-pilot” this feature is invaluable! In addition to watching road signs, I watched the screen as it showed me where I currently was to make sure I was going the right way, and if I missed a turn, it was easy to figure out where I went wrong and get back on course.
- Internet – It’s always nice to have internet available wherever you are. On my iphone “Siri,” the electronic helper is always there if I need to find something – the closest gas station, grocery store, etc. Or if you want to look up something, say the hours or address of a specific place you can do it right away.
- Weather – You will appreciate being able to find out the weather and temperature outside before you even get up in the morning. Or if a storm is moving through the area, you can check the radar to see when it will be past and when you can get back to your outside activities.
- Camera – I think I use my cell phone camera almost as much as I use my digital SLR camera. It’s easy to take out and snap a photo quickly, and one other thing I use it for is to take a photo of my license plate on my rental car because who remembers to look at it and remember it when they go to check in to a hotel? You can also take a photo of the street signs at the nearest corner from where you parked in a city you’re not familiar with.
- Boarding Pass – Some airlines, such as Delta, provide a way to give you an electronic boarding pass. When you do your online check in, instead of printing a boarding pass (you may be at a hotel without a business center and not have access to a printer), you are given the option of an electronic boarding pass which you can direct to your email account and when you get to the airport you just have to open it up and scan the code as you pass through security and at the gate to board the plane.
These are just a few of the features I use all the time while traveling – there are many more. So, if you’ve been thinking about upgrading to a smart phone, I don’t think you will be disappointed in all the added functions!