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Apple Watch 7 makes me think bigger upgrades could be coming next year

Apple Watch 7 makes me think bigger upgrades could be coming next year

The Apple Watch Series 7 has some new features, a bigger screen and upped durability. It charges a bit faster, apps load quickly and is fitted with WatchOS 8. But as I flick through it and its watch faces, I have to ask myself: Has anything really changed? 

Of course things have changed, a bit. But the newest Apple Watch feels like a careful polish on the same ideas the Series 6 had. Or, the Series 5 before it. There isn't one big new thing that stands out. Now that the Apple Watch feels like it's cleared the experimental zone of wearable tech and become a mainstream product like the iPhone and iPad, maybe this is the watch's destiny. I still see some clear areas where the Apple Watch should evolve, and the larger-screened, quicker-charging Watch 7 makes it more obvious than ever. Maybe the rumored Apple Watch Series 8 will bring some larger upgrades. 

Read more: How the Apple Watch 7 compares to the Apple Watch 6  and why you might want the Apple Watch SE instead.

Better battery life

There are clear limits on batteries and small devices. Some fitness trackers last up to a week, but make sacrifices when it comes to performance and features. High-powered smartwatches tend to never make it past two days, max. Still, the Apple Watch has hovered at about a day and a half of battery life for years. When will better battery life finally happen? That 18-hour-plus range keeps getting bonuses in performance: an always-on display, a larger screen, faster processor. When will the scale tip and allow longer battery life, like what's been happening on recent iPhones and MacBooks?

Some people are fine with daily charging. It seriously hampers the Watch's use as a sleep tracker, though. Apple suggests a quick recharge in the morning or a top-off at night to make it through a night's sleep. But a lower-power sleep mode seems like a clear need, or some other way to get the battery through to a couple of days (or more). Turning off the always-on display or other features could help the watch extend its battery life, sure. I think about that Apple Watch battery more than ever as something that needs to evolve.

The Apple Watch has lots of watch faces. But they never feel like enough, and their customization has limits.

Scott Stein/CNET

A watch face store

Apple's watch face collection is extensive and customizable, and the watch faces look good. But it's also limited. With Apple investing so much in larger displays and high-performance processors, the lack of a watch face store is a wasted opportunity. I keep trying to find watch faces to show off the larger Watch 7 screen and use it in all sorts of new ways, and I hit limits. I want to show just how many bits of info I can layer (complications, they're called), for instance.

One of Apple's new Watch Series 7 faces, Modular Duo, shows two rows of rich information for apps that support it: a heart rate graph and a weather chart, for instance. There aren't that many apps that use larger complications like this. I'd prefer a way to show a bunch of smaller ones, but also lay it out the way I'd like. There's room on the screen now, so why not? I can't, though, not really.

I've said this a ton of times : Apple Watch is the only major smartwatch that doesn't have an open watch face store. There could be so many more interesting designs on tap, but right now Apple still hasn't made it happen.

Full watch independence

The Apple Watch is nearly a self-contained device, now: a fast wrist computer. It does a lot more than it did back in 2015. But you still need to pair it with an iPhone.

Recent Apple Watch updates allow you to pair a watch for someone else and have them wear it on their own, but you still need an iPhone for it to link to at the start. 

Opening up the Watch to Android would be great, but there's an ever simpler path: It should just work on its own without a phone. You should be able to set it up and fully operate it as its own device. And then, optionally, pair it with whatever phone you have.

The Apple Watch Series 7's display is so large, it wraps around the side a bit. But the sensors on the back are the same.

Scott Stein/CNET

More sensors, or a more complete sleep-to-wake awareness

The Apple Watch's fitness and health features keep expanding, but it still doesn't have a feature that I've started appreciating on a few other watches and rings: a daily health score.

Fitbit and Oura wearables both have a morning score that can be interpreted as a sort of barometer of wellness or stress levels. The scores can seem arbitrary, sure. They're dependent on multiple readings ranging from sleep quality to resting heart rate to even heart rate variability and daily activity the day before. And yet, over weeks and months, I came to love the idea. I find that these scores help remind me of some things I haven't been tending to (not getting enough sleep, not getting up or being active enough), but in ways that are more proactive than the end-of-day activity ring goals the Apple Watch has. 

Sometimes these scores remind me to take it easy, too. They can feel, at times, like a form of subtle alert system that can sometimes (not always) correspond with not feeling well.

The Apple Watch doesn't have onboard temperature sensors, and it still doesn't break down nightly sleep in as detailed a way as other trackers do. Sleep tracking is an imperfect science on smartwatches right now, but I still find sleep scores to be helpful reminders (and motivators).

The more I might wear an Apple Watch all the time, the more I'd expect a little more awareness of my health than the three-ring fitness metric I've started to ignore since being at home a lot.

Series 7 is the perfected Watch as we know it, but what's next?

I can see the Apple Watch as a fast, large-screen wrist successor to the iPod, and going a lot more places next. I love the bigger screen, but it also feels like an opportunity that's not being taken advantage of enough. And that makes me more frustrated than ever that I still have to take it off every day for a charge-up.

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https://nichols.my.id/how-to-make-a-paper-airplane.html

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How the Apple Watch Could Become an Even Better Fitness Tracker

How the Apple Watch Could Become an Even Better Fitness Tracker

The Apple Watch, like many modern health trackers, can measure an almost dizzying number of statistics. It added blood oxygen saturation measurements to that growing list in 2020, and reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg suggest a temperature sensor could be next. But what I really want is more ways to make sense of that data... and more context to go along with it. 

Who knows whether any of these capabilities will ever arrive on the Apple Watch. Apple is doing a lot of things right, but there's room for improvement. 

More customization for daily goals

A day doesn't feel complete if I don't have at least one Activity Ring. But not every day is the same, and the Apple Watch shouldn't act like it should be: I want different move and exercise goals depending on the day of the week. On days when I'm commuting to the office and know I'll have time for a long workout, I'd like to set higher goals for my exercise minutes and burned calories. 

I also imagine setting a schedule like this could be helpful for building a regular exercise routine. While you can change your activity goals anytime on the Apple Watch, there's no way to customize goals according to specific days. – Lisa Eadicicco, Senior Editor

Apple Watch's Workout app.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

Scores for readiness and sleep

After living off and on with the Oura Ring and several Fitbit trackers for the last few years, I've gotten really used to having both sleep tracking and a holistic type of daily "readiness score" as part of my daily watch feedback. A readiness score indicates whether your body is rested enough for a heavy workout or if you should skip the gym. The score takes a variety of factors into account, such as sleep, recent activity and heart rate variability among other metrics. 

Similarly, a sleep score indicates the quality of your slumber through statistics like time spent asleep and whether you were tossing and turning, along with other elements. Both Oura and Fitbit offer their own versions of sleep and readiness scores. 

To be sure, readiness scores and sleep scores aren't necessarily perfect predictors of anything, but neither are daily activity rings. I find the calculation of activity, sleep, heart rate and other factors boiled into an overall score interesting as a correlative snapshot of how I might be feeling. 

Both Fitbit and Oura also fold temperature into the mix: Changes in body temperature, resting heart rate and breathing rate could possibly flag a change in how well I'm feeling. Again, it's not perfect, but Apple seems well overdue to add these features to the Apple Watch. – Scott Stein, Editor atLarge

The Apple Watch could improve how it tracks rest.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

More focus on recovery

I'd love to see the Apple Watch lean more into recovery and rest. If the past couple of years have taught me anything, it's the importance of listening to my body. The activity rings are a great way to motivate me to move, but some days it's just not practical to close them -- especially if you feel unwell. Let's have a flag or toggle on the watch to signal when you need a rest day. And perhaps adjust the Move circle to instead reward that recovery or mindful rest.

With all the health data the Apple Watch already gathers, like heart rate variability, sleep and overall activity, it makes sense to consolidate this all into an easy-to-understand metric. Maybe it's a score like Scott mentioned. Or it could be another ring that is automatically filled with how "ready" you are and changes daily based on your body's responses. 

With the mindfulness app in WatchOS 8 and meditation activities within Fitness Plus, Apple already has the tools to support rest and recovery. Let's see it come full circle. – Lexy Savvides, Principal VideoProducer

The Apple Watch could perhaps do more with AirPods.

Sarah Tew/CNET

AirPods health tracking with Apple Watch

There's huge potential for AirPods to pair even more closely with the Apple Watch -- beyond just music. Perhaps it's measuring heart rate or blood pressure from the ear to complement the existing heart-health features on the Apple Watch. Maybe it's even more robust with your ear acting as an additional lead for the electrocardiogram app. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities known for his Apple product predictions, sees promise here, too. He pointed to the addition of health management functions as a potential way for Apple to grow AirPods shipments in the future, according to an investors note MacRumors viewed. – LexySavvides

The Apple Watch could also try out weekly goals as seen on Amazon's Halo app.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

Weekly fitness goals

The Apple Watch's Activity Rings are an excellent reminder to get up and move every day. Unfortunately, I haven't found an equivalent that's as motivating for quantifying progress on a weekly basis.

Amazon's Halo app and fitness tracker made me realize the value of setting activity goals by the week instead of by the day. Instead of a daily goal, Amazon sets a weekly objective of 150 points that you earn by being active. (Points are subtracted if you're sedentary for too long, too.) Measuring weekly activity gives me a better snapshot of how active I generally am throughout the whole week. I could have an extremely busy day and exceed my Apple Watch's move goal, but that might be a fluke. A weekly target may make it easier to establish consistency. 

Plus, measuring weekly activity makes every bit of movement feel like it counts. A brisk walk to the subway won't be enough to close my Apple Watch's daily Activity Rings, so it almost feels pointless. But it's comforting to know it's contributing toward my weekly Halo activity goal. I'm not saying Apple should replace daily goals with weekly ones, but it would be nice to at least have the option. 

There are other ways to track weekly and monthly progress on the Apple Watch, but none of them have felt as rewarding as closing an Activity Ring. For example, you can view your weekly and monthly activity in Apple's Fitness app. There's also a section in the app that shows how your last 90 days of activity are trending compared to the previous 365 days. Apple also rewards you with special app badges for meeting certain milestones, like working out all seven days in the same week or reaching your move goal 500 times. – Lisa Eadicicco

The Amazon Halo View.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Apple never discusses product plans before publicly announcing them, so there's no telling whether any of these wish list features will become a reality. We're expecting to learn about the Apple Watch's next major software update at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and the company typically announces new Apple Watch models in the fall. If Apple's history is any indication, we can expect health and wellness to be a large part of both announcements. 

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https://nichols.my.id/how-to-repair-dyed-damaged-hair.html

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The iPhone 14's Future May Be Hidden in iOS 16

The iPhone 14's Future May Be Hidden in iOS 16

This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET's complete coverage from and about Apple's annual developers conference.

Apple's next major iPhone operating system, iOS 16, was previewed at WWDC and is now available to download for developers. The new iPhone update will work on the iPhone 8 and newer and likely launch alongside the rumored iPhone 14 this fall. iOS 16 offers a bunch of heavily requested features, such as the ability to customize your lock screen or edit sent iMessages. But if you look closely, iOS 16 might also reveal some clues about the iPhone 14.

While Apple told us a lot about new features coming to current iPhones, it lacked any specific mention of what to expect from the iPhone 14. That's not surprising; Apple never discusses new products before announcing them. Sometimes the company reserves certain software announcements for its annual iPhone event so it can debut these features as exclusives for the latest iPhone. 

For example, Cinematic mode was absent from Apple's iOS 15 announcement and instead launched as an iPhone 13 feature in the fall. Though if you look closely, there were some subtle hints sprinkled in iOS 15. Since Apple launched Portrait mode for FaceTime calls in iOS 15, it's easy to imagine Apple creating a Portrait mode for video recording -- which is essentially what Cinematic mode is.

iOS 16 seems to be no different. Several features look like they have the potential to offer hints as to what we might expect for the iPhone 14 series. One of these clues is actually buried in the code for iOS 16.

The iPhone 14 might have an always-on display

I was disappointed to see that Apple didn't add an always-on display to iOS 16. It's a handy feature found on numerous Android phones, and even the Apple Watch. An always-on display shows basic information like the time or weather while your phone is asleep. Instead of lighting up your entire display like your lock screen does, an always-on display only activates a portion of the screen to save power. It's a great convenience and would make the iPhone more glance-friendly.

The Apple-focused site 9to5Mac reports it discovered multiple references in iOS 16 that suggest support for an always-on display could be in the iPhone's future. The blog found references to backlight management tools as well as hidden flags for engineers that could allow them to test the feature on an iPhone 13 Pro.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro has an always-on display that shows the date, time, battery life and an avatar of an astronaut.

Sareena Dayaram/CNET

But always-on display support might be limited because the screen's refresh rate would have to dip down to 10Hz or even lower to use less power; way below the regular iPhone's typical 60Hz refresh rate. The always-on display for the Apple Watch works at 1Hz which isn't supported on any current iPhone (the 13 Pro can go as low as 10Hz) and that could mean that it debuts on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max since it would likely require new hardware.

Even without these clues in the code, the revamped and customizable lock screen also hints at an always-on display. Specifically, the way iOS 16 notifications are corralled at the bottom of the screen makes me wonder if Apple is experimenting with ways to preserve screen real estate. That's important for an always-on display since that feature only uses specific portions of the screen to preserve power.

iOS 16's new lock screen widgets are another potential clue, since they feel more akin to Apple Watch complications and are therefore more glanceable. Some Android phones have similar widgets on their own always-on displays.  

During the WWDC, Apple showed someone tapping and holding on the dog in a photo and lifting it from the background to share in a message. It's part of a revamped Visual Lookup.

Apple

Visual Lookup could mean a more powerful Cinematic mode

One of iOS 16's more subtle features is revamped Visual Lookup which can identify objects, people, pets and landmarks in photos and provide additional information or context. A nifty addition this year is the ability to tap on any photo to remove the background. You can literally tap-and-lift a foreground subject like a person or a dog away from the background and add the "cutout" to other apps to share or create a collage.

I could see Cinematic mode getting a boost from the machine learning that powers the new Visual Lookup tap-and-lift tool. That machine learning acceleration combined with a likely new A16 Bionic chip could make Cinematic mode videos look better. Subjects could be more reliably "cutout" and backgrounds have more of a consistent out-of-focus look. Apple could also use the separation technology to make Cinematic mode do more things akin to Portrait mode like replace the background for a black color or place your subject against a white backdrop.

Cinematic mode made its debut on the iPhone 13 series and is basically Apple's take on a Portrait mode for video. While Cinematic mode is fun to use, the results can be hit or miss. It's reminiscent of when Apple introduced Portrait mode with the iPhone 7 Plus: Initially it worked but wasn't great. Over several years, Apple improved Portrait mode to the point where it's actually quite wonderful.

A Pro mode for the Camera app

Without even reading a single rumor, you could guess that the cameras on the iPhone 14 series will be better than those on the iPhone 13 lineup. A lot of those improvements will likely come from computational photography-powered features such as SmartHDR and Deep Fusion, which directly correlate to the chip powering the phone. So an iPhone 14 running on an A16 chip would theoretically have new camera features or improved photo processing techniques that the iPhone 13 lacks.

Apple's addition of a customizable lock screen in iOS 16 has me hopeful for an overhaul to the Camera app on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. New professional features like ProRaw and ProRes video recording can make the Camera app interface feel a bit cramped. Perhaps there could be a Pro mode that can be toggled on and off and provide shortcuts to tweak camera settings on the fly. Or maybe Apple will clean up the Camera app's interface to make it more visually appealing. 

Apple ProRes debuted on the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max in 2021.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Don't get me wrong, the iPhone still has one of the best Camera apps on any phone sold today. But much like a family can outgrow a house, the number of features and modes is starting to grow past the app's original intent.

This is all speculation, however, and we won't know anything about the next iPhone until Apple announces it. But if there's one certainty, it's that it will run iOS 16.

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https://rorospax.kian.my.id/

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Apple's 2022 iPhone SE Has 5G and a New Chip. But We Wanted These Features, Too

Apple's 2022 iPhone SE Has 5G and a New Chip. But We Wanted These Features, Too

Apple's 2022 iPhone SE represents a notable upgrade over its predecessor: It has 5G support, the same processor as the iPhone 13 and longer battery life compared to the 2020 model. But there are still some features we hoped to see that didn't make it into the third-generation iPhone SE.

Apple announced the new iPhone SE during its first product launch event of the year on March 8. It hits stores on March 18 and starts at $429, making it slightly more expensive than the 2020 version. 

The iPhone SE hasn't become part of Apple's annual product cycle yet, but the company is closing the gap between release dates. Apple introduced its original iPhone SE in 2016 as a low-cost alternative to its marquee iPhone, but didn't release a new version until 2020. Now, the newest model has arrived just two years after that, in 2022. It's the latest sign that smartphone-makers like Apple are increasingly catering to budget-conscious customers. 

While it's a shame the iPhone SE is missing the features below, Apple's new phone does include other upgrades that were on my wishlist like 5G support and longer battery life.

More storage in the base model

The 2022 iPhone SE got its debut at Apple's Peek Performance event.

screenshot/Apple

Apple increased the iPhone 13 lineup's base storage capacity up to 128GB from 64GB. Unfortunately, that approach didn't trickle down to the new iPhone SE, which starts at 64GB of storage. You could argue that the 128GB iPhone SE, which costs $479, is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the base iPhone 13. But Apple is still behind its competitors in this regard: Samsung's $400 Galaxy A42 5G, comes with 128GB of internal storage, as does Google's $449 Pixel 5A with 5G. 

A sharper front camera for selfies and FaceTime calls

FaceTime gets a bunch of significant upgrades in iOS 15, such as a Portrait Mode.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Like its predecessor, the new iPhone SE has a 7-megapixel front camera. Apple's new A15 Bionic processor will bring some improvements to the selfie camera, like the addition of Deep Fusion, which processes individual pixels to improve detail and reduce noise. But still, it would have been nice to see a bump in resolution to go along with these improvements. 

Read more: Best Apple SE Case for 2022

Samsung's phones that come close to the iPhone SE's price range have Apple beat when it comes to resolution. The $500 Galaxy A52 5G has a 32-megapixel front camera, while the $400 Galaxy A42 5G has a 13-megapixel front camera. Apple introduced several new FaceTime features last year in its iOS 15 update, so it's surprising that the front-facing camera wasn't a bigger area of focus for the new iPhone SE. 

Night Mode for taking better photos in the dark

Night Mode on the iPhone 11.

Apple

Given the iPhone SE's cheap price, I wouldn't expect it to have a camera that's on par with the iPhone 13 or even the iPhone 12. But if there's one feature I would have appreciated, it's Night Mode. Across the industry, smartphone cameras have gotten a lot better at taking photos in the dark. I hoped Apple's low-cost iPhone would reflect this progress, too. 

It's possible that it would have been too challenging in terms of size and cost to include the iPhone 11's upgraded wide camera sensor in the new SE. (The iPhone 11 family was the first of Apple's phones to get Night Mode.) But Google has found a way to bring Night Sight to its similarly priced Pixel 5A with 5G... and considering the iPhone SE lacks a secondary ultrawide lens, the quality of the standard wide-angle camera is more important than ever. 

That said, Apple says the iPhone SE should be able to take better videos in low light thanks to the A15 Bionic's newer image signal processor. And the camera is getting other upgrades, such as the pixel-by-pixel Deep Fusion processing technique.

Overall, the new iPhone SE reiterates the different ways Apple and Samsung view what matters most in a budget smartphone. Samsung's cheaper phones usually have more camera lenses, sharper selfie cameras and larger screens. Instead of those, Apple's iPhone SE gets the latest mobile processor, which should hopefully keep the phone feeling relatively fast for years to come.

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How to Watch Apple's September Event: iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8 Expected

How to Watch Apple's September Event: iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8 Expected

Apple's getting ready for a Sept. 7 event , which is very likely to be the moment we learn about the company's next iPhone line. 

The newest version, expected to be called the iPhone 14, is rumored to include an always-on display similar to what's on the Apple Watch now, allowing for constant glanceable information without ruining battery life.

Apple hasn't really said what it plans to announce at its event, only sending out a cryptic invitation to the press, with an Apple logo seemingly set in a night sky, suggesting potential camera improvements or last year's rumored satellite emergency calling. The image looks like something we might see from the James Webb Space Telescope, whose stunning photos have already begun changing how we view the cosmos since first being released earlier this summer. In its announcement, Apple included the teaser words "Far out." 

Read more: Apple Makes 'Far Out' iPhone Launch Event Official For Sept. 7

The iPhone 14 launch will also mark the 15th year since the original iPhone's debut, in June of 2007. Back then, the device wasn't the sure hit it is today. Many tech industry watchers were enthusiastic about Apple's prospects of course, but it hadn't proven it can build reliable phone technology before then. It was also up against massive competitors such as Microsoft, Palm and Research in Motion, whose Blackberry devices ruled the business world at the time. Within a decade though, Apple -- as well as Google's popular Android software -- had bested all three companies.

While the iPhone will be a key product we see at Apple's event this year, and likely what most people focus their attention on, the company's expected to hold other events later this year with other devices to show off. Those include new Mac computers with upgraded chips and new iPads.

Read more: Everything We Know So Far About the iPhone 14

When is the Apple event?

Apple's online-only event will be Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. PT, which is 1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST and 3 a.m. AEST. (Sorry, Australia.) Here's a handy time zone converter to help find what time it'll be where you are.

Where can I watch Apple's livestream?

You'll be able to stream Apple's event straight from the company's website. Meanwhile, we'll be reporting on the event live here at CNET.

What can we expect, besides the iPhone 14 launch?

Apple's digital events are fast paced and slickly produced. And even though Apple's now trying its hand at in-person events again as coronavirus pandemic-era health concerns slowly recede, the company still seems to be applying what it's learned about how to make its events more compelling. During its last event, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple held a livestream but then offered in-person demos for the press afterward. 

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Back to cell phone basics: Buying a non-smartphone

Back to cell phone basics: Buying a non-smartphone

For some people, smartphones and their always-on Internet connections and apps is a waste of money.

If you don't need apps or games and you can live without fast, robust access to the Net from your cell phone, then a smartphone might be expensive overkill. All four of the major U.S. wireless carriers still offer basic feature phones, which don't require expensive data plans. In this Ask Maggie, I offer some advice to a reader who is looking for one of these phones.

I also offer some advice regarding the new all-in-one desktop computers.

Going retro with a basic feature phone

Dear Maggie,

I have an AT&T iPhone 3GS. It's the worst telephone I've ever owned. And I'd say it wasn't even worth the $0 I paid AT&T for it at the time (a year ago). I have no intention of going to the iPhone 5 regardless of what's written about it. Although I get ok service here in the house I don't need a "smartphone" (I have 2 computers - one PC and one Mac laptop) and I have WiFi, so I don't need a handheld device to find places or play games or watch anything on the Internet or Google while I'm in restaurants or in the car. And I'm tired of paying AT&T for data I don't use each month just because I have an iPhone or a "smartphone" and "must" have data.

I might add that I was in the telecom industry for nearly 25 years (I worked for Sprint and MCI when there was an MCI) and the carriers are among the most rapacious greedy corporate enterprises I've ever gotten close to!

Stepping off my soapbox now. In your opinion, what's the best phone that's just a phone? I don't need to do anything but make and receive calls and do texting. I don't care about browsing or email or anything else. I just need a telephone that's simply a phone thank you very much!

Regards and thanks for your response,
Mark

Dear Mark,

While there are definitely more people switching from basic cell phones to smartphones these days, I know there are lots of people out there in your same shoes. Smartphones offer tons of functionality that many people now feel like they can't live without, but the reality is that all that functionality and that ubiquitous access to the Internet is pricey. In some ways, I think it's kind of surprising that there aren't more people asking me for this same advice.

The good news is that all the major carriers, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA, each continue to offer basic cell phones and what they call quick messaging devices that do not require data plans. The carriers recognize that there is a subset of customers who have no interest in a smartphone because it's either too complicated or too expensive. But the reality is that each of these carriers see their future in data. And they will do everything in their power to encourage as many customers as possible to sign up for smartphones that require data plans.

Overtime, I expect to see fewer of the more basic devices. But for now, carriers still offer a handful of basic phones that are either free or cost very little when you sign up for a two-year contract.

The great thing about these basic phones is that they are inexpensive. The carriers either give them away for free with a two-year contract, or you pay a minimal amount for the devices. But it's not just the upfront cost that's appealing, as you mentioned in your question, but it costs much less to own a basic phone than it does a smartphone, if you keep your services to a minimum.

For example, on AT&T, you could pay as little as $40 a month for your phone service. Compare this to the $80 a month you'd pay for the lowest amount of data you could get on AT&T's new Share Everything plan. Under that plan, the data service costs $40 a month for 1GB of data and it comes with unlimited text messaging and voice service.

Using a basic phone with no data or text messaging, could save you half. But as you start to add additional services, like text messaging and data, the cost difference is not as big. Adding unlimited texting to AT&T's basic feature phone plan is an additional $20 a month. And if you also wanted to add data, it would cost an additional $10 a month. (Data for feature phones is $15 a month if you subscribe to that without unlimited text messaging.) In total, if you wanted 450 minutes of voice service, unlimited text messaging and unlimited data for a feature phone, you'd pay $70 a month. That's only $10 less a month than you'd pay for smartphone, and you'd be getting much less in terms of the service and functionality of the device.

That said, it can offer some savings. And if you don't plan to subscribe to the data or you are not a heavy text messaging user, a basic phone that doesn't require a data contract is a good option.

My colleague Jessica Dolcourt recently updated her "best of" list in this category.

Here are her top choices:

• Kyocera DurXT (Sprint)
• Samsung Gusto 2 (Verizon Wireless)
• Samsung +159 (T-Mobile)
• LG Rumor Reflex (Sprint)
• Samsung Entro (Virgin Mobile)

If you want more information on each of these phones, check out her story and the reviews of these devices.

As you can see from her list, none of these devices are available for AT&T. Since you are an AT&T customer, I have listed a few devices here that I think offer pretty good value and functionality.

Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Swift

The Pantech Swift has a QWERTY keyboard that slides out and has an angled screen. It also has a touch screen that offers some icons for accessing some of the basic features and functionality. But CNET's reviewers Jessica Dolcourt and Lynn La were not impressed with the processor speed. And they said the touchscreen is unresponsive. Even though they don't recommend this device highly, they seem to think the Pantech Swift is the most appealing Pantech handset on AT&T with a keyboard. AT&T is currently selling it for $0.99 with a two year contract.

Pantech Renue Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Renue

The Pantech Renue is another touch screen device with a slide out QWERTY keyboard. But CNET reviewer Jessica Dolcourt said she isn't a fan of the speakerphone or the mediocre camera. What's more, the Renue has a short battery life that many consumers have complained about in their own comments and reviews of the device. While the keyboard is nice for heavy texters, she said that the short battery life and underdeveloped camera are setbacks. AT&T sells this device for $49.99 with a two-year contract.

LG A340 LG

LG A340

The LG A340 is a standard flip-phone from AT&T. This is one of the most basic, barebones devices on AT&T's network. It's equipped with enhanced audio technology for users who are hard of hearing and it has Bluetooth so it can be used with a wireless headset and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Other features include "Text to Speech" functionality that lets you listen to your text messages as they're read aloud to you. It also comes with AT&T radio. With a two-year contract, this phone is only $19.99.

LG Xpression AT&T

LG Xpression

The LG Xpression is another touch screen phone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It has a 2-megapixel camera with video, a personal organizer, Bluetooth 2.1, messaging and e-mail, 3G support, microSD card support (up to 32GB), voice dialing, a Web browser, and a basic music player. The device runs LG's standard operating system, but it also includes some social networking apps, as well as AT&T Navigator and LG Instant Note, which allows easy one touch updates to Facebook, Twitter or for sending a text messages. The Xpression is now $29.99 with a two year contract.

I hope this advice and the device suggestions were helpful. Good luck!

New computer advice

Dear Maggie,

I want to buy a 27" Windows 8 All-In-One for my parents, but don't really know which one is best for them. They're not tech whizzes (though they do like to experiment and learn new things), but they need it to work well and perform smoothly for the next five or more years. Which one(s) would you recommend on a $1500-$2000 budget?

Thanks a bunch,
Josh

Dear Josh,
The CNET Reviews team likes the Dell XPS One 27 the best. You may also want to consider Apple's 27 inch iMac. It's a bit more expensive, but with a budget of $2,000, it's doable.

CNET Reviews editor Rich Brown also has written about finding the best 27-inch all-in-one desktop, where he compares the Dell to the models that Apple offers. So you should check out his story, as well.

You might also want to consider the Lenovo IdeaCenter all-in-ones. Right now they only support Windows 7. But if you wait a few more weeks, you'll likely find more all-in-one computers available running Windows 8.

I hope this was helpful. And good luck!

Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggie's advice. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page.

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