My Dumb Smart Phone

It has to be a setup from the phone companies to force us to buy a new, more expensive phone. I mean, two months before my two-year contract on this phone is up, it suddenly decides that it doesn’t have enough space to do what it has been doing for the past two years. I haven’t added anything new, I don’t store pictures on my phone, and I use my iPod for music. So what is suddenly taking all of my storage space?

As I said, it started about two months ago. Actually it was longer than that, but my memory isn’t the best so we shall stick with the two month mark. I know about when it began because the girls had all gone and bought the new Galaxy S4, which I’m still paying on. I had the biggest phone in the house before that and now it suddenly feels as if I am back to holding the Palm Pixie.

I know you’re probably thinking I have phone envy, but I assure that is not the case. I am quite happy with my current phone and I don’t believe size really matters. I use mine for texting and a few social media apps, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I also make notes occasionally as well actual phone calls. Oh and emails. Every so often I would play Angry Birds, but when all this madness started that was the first thing that had to go.

One morning I had a warning that I was running low on phone storage and that I wouldn’t receive anymore video voicemails. I didn’t realize I was receiving video voicemails to begin with. Who sends those except lovers trying to be kinky on the phone? Okay, maybe I would have, but I didn’t know I had the option and now they are taking it away from me.

I ignored the message at first, figuring it was a screw up because, as I said, I hadn’t added anything new to my phone. However, what the warning did not tell me was that the video voicemails were not the only thing I would not receive. It stopped everything else from coming in to my phone, such as those important emails and texts that I actually use the phone for. So I started deleting things. Angry Birds. Goodreads. Pinterest. I can use those on my laptop and not lose anything. If I used my phone to take a picture, I quickly emailed it to myself and then deleted it as well. For awhile this worked and by for awhile I mean one week. Then I received the same message again. Back to the delete drawing board.

I went to the manage apps page and started force stopping some apps and uninstalling updates on others. Wallpaper went, ringtones, were scratched, and I made sure the things I wanted to keep were sent to my SD card. Another week went by. Then another message. More deleting.

Finally, I gave in and called T-Mobile about upgrading. I was two months away.

“I thought you folks had that new jump program that I see that guy getting hurt in the commercials for?”

“We do, sir, except you’re still in your contract and have to finish it first.”

I could give up my phone and buy a new one except it was going to cost me more money. I went back to deleting apps and uninstalling updates I didn’t ask for anyway. I tried to delete apps that I didn’t want on my phone, such as Monopoly, which came with the phone. Does anyone play that game on their phone? You can’t get rid of those factory apps, I found out. I think they should ask us before sticking things on our phone we don’t want. I would have much rather had Frogger than Monopoly.

For two more weeks I am stuck with an ignorant Smart Phone. At least now I have an excuse for not answering the texts I wanted to ignore. Sorry, out of phone storage.

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