Smartphone Recommendations for Novices

Fire_Fox

grumbler wrote: »

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

By hands free kit you mean a headset or earpiece? I thought people on the smartphone adverts and some taxi drivers were not using ear pieces, I thought it was just all voice activated.

Guys_Dad wrote: »

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.

We really need one gadget, my mother can't fit a separate satnav and a mobile in her handbag, and it isn't any less complex than the mobile-bluetooth earpiece combination she doesn't use at present. I was hoping for one gadget and a cradle thingy.

grumbler

Fire_Fox wrote: »

By hands free kit you mean a headset or earpiece? I thought people on the smartphone adverts and some taxi drivers were not using ear pieces, I thought it was just all voice activated.

No, there are many devices with loudspeakers, some are possibly voice-activated. Many car audios have this feature built in. I dont' think that voice activation is an essential feature as you have just to press a button to accept or to start a call. When making a call it can be possible to speak the number or the name instead of dialling it.

Guys_Dad

Fire_Fox wrote: »

We really need one gadget, my mother can't fit a separate satnav and a mobile in her handbag, and it isn't any less complex than the mobile-bluetooth earpiece combination she doesn't use at present. I was hoping for one gadget and a cradle thingy.

You keep the sat nav in the car! Now unless your mum has a Renault Twizzy and a large handbag, where's the problem ?? :rotfl:

T_T_2

Guys_Dad wrote: »

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?

It doesn't negate my opinion, particularly as I haven't yet expressed my opinion. My opinion in fact is entirely at odds with current legislation. As for the conflict that you rightly mention with regards to mating a phone with a satnav, it's fairly easily explained. As it is across the legislative body, changes to legislation are slow, infrequent and don't always cover every eventuality. As such the existing legislation states that it is not legal to use a hand-held communications device, but that satnavs fall outside of this description and are therefore legal. Yet as we all know if you have a satnav that can be paired with a phone then your satnav has in effect become a hand-held communications device in it's own right. But then this brings us back to legislation as a whole and the purpose of legislation. The reality is that legislation is to be interpreted, it isn't black and white. It could be interpreted that as satnavs are excluded then a paired device would not satisfy the criteria of a hand-held communications device. Conversely it could be interpreted that by pairing the satnav with a phone it has become a hand-held communications device and does satisfy the criteria.

In other words the real determining factors that matter are a) whether you get caught, b) what policeman you get, c) what the judge says if you challenged it in court. And for the last part it's all about precedence.

Guys_Dad

T_T wrote: »

It doesn't negate my opinion, particularly as I haven't yet expressed my opinion. My opinion in fact is entirely at odds with current legislation. As for the conflict that you rightly mention with regards to mating a phone with a satnav, it's fairly easily explained. As it is across the legislative body, changes to legislation are slow, infrequent and don't always cover every eventuality. As such the existing legislation states that it is not legal to use a hand-held communications device, but that satnavs fall outside of this description and are therefore legal. Yet as we all know if you have a satnav that can be paired with a phone then your satnav has in effect become a hand-held communications device in it's own right. But then this brings us back to legislation as a whole and the purpose of legislation. The reality is that legislation is to be interpreted, it isn't black and white. It could be interpreted that as satnavs are excluded then a paired device would not satisfy the criteria of a hand-held communications device. Conversely it could be interpreted that by pairing the satnav with a phone it has become a hand-held communications device and does satisfy the criteria.

In other words the real determining factors that matter are a) whether you get caught, b) what policeman you get, c) what the judge says if you challenged it in court. And for the last part it's all about precedence.

You did state your opinion

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..

That is an opinion - albeit one that is incorrect.

The bit I quoted from your link paragraph 6(a) contradicts that.
And the reason is simple. Look again at para 6(a) wording

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;

Now, if your phone book has been downloaded to your sat nav and you receive a call, and the sat nav is set up to automatically accept a call, then you have no need to touch it.

Equally, if it is voice activated or the passenger initiated the call from the downloaded phonebook, again it has never been touched. Even the wording says that the phone is handheld if it "is, or must be, held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call".

Well, a mounted sat nav does not need to be hand held.

T_T_2

Guys_Dad wrote: »

Not trying to pick a fight

I guess we are both guilty of negating our previous posts. You win, all kudos to you.

Guys_Dad

T_T wrote: »

I guess we are both guilty of negating our previous posts. You win, all kudos to you.

No one wins. We are all trying to help as best we can. :beer:

Humphrey10

Fire_Fox wrote: »

The precipitating factor is my mother placing or accepting calls whilst driving

Accepting calls is terrible, making calls whilst driving is even worse. Can't you just say to her "stop breaking the law"? Seems an easier and far cheaper solution than buying a smartphone.

Fire_Fox

Guys_Dad wrote: »

You keep the sat nav in the car! Now unless your mum has a Renault Twizzy and a large handbag, where's the problem ?? :rotfl:

Don't satnavs get nicked out of cars and motorhomes? I don't drive but was under the impression people removed car stereos/ control panel and satnavs.

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Accepting calls is terrible, making calls whilst driving is even worse. Can't you just say to her "stop breaking the law"? Seems an easier and far cheaper solution than buying a smartphone.

Way ahead of you: the Bluetooth earpiece was my epic fail at persuading her to stop. Like most drivers she doesn't like criticism or nagging, least of all from 'young' upstarts who don't even drive! I believe she is generally in slow moving/ stopped traffic - I've certainly never seen her do it when whizzing along - but it's still unsafe and illegal hence trying to find a solution.

Guys_Dad

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Don't satnavs get nicked out of cars and motorhomes? I don't drive but was under the impression people removed car stereos/ control panel and satnavs.

Sometimes. But you put them in the glove compartment along with the holder when you leave the car.

My mate had a car whose spare wheel got nicked as it was mounted under the car. Now he has a solution, but it doesn't half make his suit pocket bulge.