When it comes to technology, I’m very willing to be at the cutting edge, but I have a strong practical bent.  I don’t run out and buy the latest thing unless I can see a particular practial use for it.  A good example of this is my phone, a “classic” Nokia 3120.  The copyright date in the user manual is 2004, so it is very old by mobile phone standards.

When I bought it, I specifically bought a black and white screen even though most models at the time featured color screens.  I just didn’t see a need to have color as all I did with the phone is place calls and send/receive text messages.  It has no camera, no MP3 player, no GPS.  It does have a nifty silver chrome finish.  At least, it used to.  And it has Thai language capability.

In any case, I’ve been suspecting that the time would come when I would have to cave in and buy a new phone.  That time was hastened thanks to the ticket gates on the BTS Skytrain.  During rush hour yesterday, I passed through and as sometimes happens when there is a queue trying to move through the gates quickly, the closing mechanisms got confused and closed right on my hips.

Oww!  Those things hurt.  In fact, BTS safety regulations ask young children and pregnant women to walk through a side entry gate, precisely because of the danger these fare gates pose.  My first thought is that something that closes with so much force probably is too dangerous for general public use!

My phone, which was in my front left-hand pocket, caught the full force of the blow and the LCD screen (as you can see) has cracked.  So this weekend I guess I will have to cave in and go buy a new phone.

Yuck.  There are too many models out there for me to make sense of.  One trip to the Nokia website left my head spinning.  And that’s just considering one maker.  ‘iPhone! iPhone! iPhone!”  I can hear the chants growing.  It seems like half the people I know have one of these, which are expensive in Thailand.  I don’t know that I really need all the features they offer plus the thousands of apps.

Web browsing might be useful, but I was using Tawn’s HTC web phone the other day and had to give up as I think the little keyboard is too small for convenient use. 

The only features besides phone and texting that I really want: a decent camera and GPS so I can geo-tag the pictures.  That would be useful when riding my bike, so I can map my route more easily.  MP3 isn’t so important as I don’t like wearing earphones when walking about town.  I like to be connected with my surroundings.

Any thoughts or recommendations?