Smartphone Recommendations for Novices

T_T_2

Be careful, touching buttons on your phone at all whilst driving is considered to be illegal. If you are using speakerphone then it is assumed that at some point you pressed a button to make/answer the call.

I've never a used a phone in this context so I'm not entirely sure of the voice command features, do you need to press a button at any stage before giving voice commands?

Guys_Dad

I got a Sat Nav with bluetooth so that my mobile can use that for calls. No wires or headset.

Much better sized screen than a handset as well and no bills for the satellite either.

grumbler

Fire_Fox wrote: »

..Hence thinking a phone she can 'speak to' would be better. The calls she makes and receives are short - say exactly when and where to pick me up (I live in a city centre), or my father asking her to buy some onions - so it doesn't need to be the greatest quality conversation.

I think 'speaking to a phone' in a car without a hands-free kit (wired or bluetooth) is a pretty unrealistic expectation.

grumbler

T_T wrote: »

Be careful, touching buttons on your phone at all whilst driving is considered to be illegal.

Really? When using most (all?) hands-free kits you have to touch some button to accept the call.

Guys_Dad wrote: »

.... no bills for the satellite either.

:huh:
...................

Guys_Dad

grumbler wrote: »

:huh:
...................

I am never sure if GoogleMaps or equivalent incurs data use. Sat Navs certainly don't incur any data charges.

T_T_2

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I am never sure if GoogleMaps or equivalent incurs data use. Sat Navs certainly don't incur any data charges.

You are right AND wrong. As you say SatNavs don't incur data charges, but neither do phones when they are just using the GPS unit. Most mobiles however have an AGPS (A for assisted) which does use 3g to improve the accuracy of the positioning, it can generally be disabled however.

T_T_2

grumbler wrote: »

Really? When using most (all?) hands-free kits you have to touch some button to accept the call.

:huh:
...................

It is illegal to interact with a hand-held communications device whilst driving. Pressing the button on your wired or wireless earpiece isn't interacting with the hand-held device directly, nor is pressing the button that you might have built into your car steering wheel (or in retro-fitted car kits the separate console device that is added. Interacting with your phone directly when it is resting on your lap, the passenger seat or even in it's cradle is illegal.

grumbler

T_T wrote: »

It is illegal to interact with a hand-held communications device

I think it stops being hand-held when placed in a holder.
It's not different from pressing a button on a car radio or on a satnav.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if our lawmakers made yet another blunder and forbade touching specifically mobile phones - that makes no sense really.

T_T_2

grumbler wrote: »

I think it stops being hand-held when placed in a holder.
It's not different from pressing a button on a car radio or on a satnav.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if our lawmakers made yet another blunder and forded touching specifically mobile phones - that makes no sense really.

You could stick it inside a turkey and it will be a hand-held communication device. A sat-nav and a radio does not allow you to communicate with others which is why they are excluded.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2695/regulation/2/made

It's all stupid of course. Just having a conversation with your passenger is distracting enough.

Guys_Dad

T_T wrote: »

You could stick it inside a turkey and it will be a hand-held communication device. A sat-nav and a radio does not allow you to communicate with others which is why they are excluded.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2695/regulation/2/made

It's all stupid of course. Just having a conversation with your passenger is distracting enough.

From you link, I have extracted the following

(6) For the purposes of this regulation—

(a)a mobile telephone or other device is to be treated as hand-held if it is, or must be, held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call or performing any other interactive communication function;

When I start the car and mate the handset with the satnav, I have no further need to touch the handset and keep it in my pocket.

That seems to (a) meet the legislation and (b) negate your opinion in the previous post.

Not trying to pick a fight, but where have I got it wrong?