I’ve been very stressed lately and have been doing some window shopping to calm down. I’m interested in gadgets, but a lot of things can just be replaced with apps. I realize a phone won’t replace very large appliances like refrigerators or washing machines so I’m trying to scope my question to portable devices. So what are some portable devices or gadgets that their specialization hasn’t been replaced by smart phone apps? Extra points if they’re super useful and reliable.
Almost any gadget to some degree.
Mobile phone has a lot of features for sure, you can have anything from cameras to navigation, flashlight, MP3 player etc but none of those features can really match to a purpose built device.
Mobile phones get especially crippled when you’re days out without a chance to charge.
For some reason, US options for large-battery smartphones are limited, but there are a number of manufacturers in China that make very-large-battery smartphones. These are sometimes described as “ruggedized” and also have a large, durable case. There’s a class of “ruggedized” laptops, like the Toughbook, that fill a similar role for laptops (though those are pretty pricey).
https://www.amazon.com/DOOGEE-MAX-Smartphone-22000mAh-Unlocked/dp/B0BRQ3KKQK
https://chinagadgetsreviews.com/oukitel-wp100-titan-rugged-smartphone-with-built-in-projector.html
These have batteries maybe four or more times the capacity of a typical smartphone.
It’s also possible to carry a USB powerstation. That’s a little obnoxious for day-to-day carry, but if you’re going to be away from electricity for days on end, you’re probably going to be carrying some kind of gear anyway, and there aren’t any limits on how much capacity you haul that way.
Sidenote: Last time I tried a Doogee phone there was a Spyware baked into the rom… I can’t trust them now.