I have several friends who have opted to keep their flip phones because they are happy with what they do (call people!).
I have other friends who, while happy with their flip phones, wanted and needed smartphone features that their current flip phone does not allow.
For our Boomer friends and clients, this choice is rarely one of “keeping up with the Jones’s” or having the latest and shiniest device. It is all about functionality. What do we want to be able to do with our devices? For example, how do they allow us to communicate with others in ways that are timely, safe, productive, and fun?
When you have adult children and grandchildren living some distance from you, being able to have face-to-face chats at the touch of a button suddenly becomes essential. And when you are sharing photos with family and friends, having the ability to do so on your iPhone or iPad becomes more of a “need” than a “want”.
If you have a friend, parent, or grandparent who is holding back on a smartphone, here are 10 reasons why an iPhone, is the way to go.
1. GPS and directions. It is as easy as telling SIRI that you need directions from your current location to the address you are headed. Step-by-step directions spoken to you as you drive! This feature is so useful that you will never leave home without it…on.
2. Instant communication. Yes, you have email access, but more importantly you will also have texting (iMessage) and FaceTime, your own video conference connection with other Apple users. Texting is how the world works now and it is useful in so many different ways. FaceTime that new grandbaby in Walla Walla and you will be one happy grandma or grandpa.
3. Photos and sharing. No more transferring photos from phone to computer and then emailing said photos to their final destination. 
Now you just send them directly from your iPhone through the PHOTOS App and receive photos from others in the same way. And the FOR YOU tab in Photos gives you custom-made slideshows all done for you. This may be the best feature of this bunch!
4. Notes App. I love this easy-to-use app that comes with iPhones and iPads. I use it everyday to keep track of life’s details—addresses, passwords, names, and much more. You can even scan in shots of receipts or notes, write on photos you take, and generally keep your life organized. Find the Notes icon (like the one to the left) on your phone or in your Control Center.
5. Online calendar. While I still use a paper calendar for my own schedule, I couldn’t get along with the online calendar for adult children and grandchildren. Always available, always with you, always ready to go.
6. Back to the camera! Use your camera app to take pictures of where you parked your car, notes from a meeting, or a picture reminder of what kind of yogurt to buy at the grocery store. Your camera is much more than a way to keep a photo record of your vacation. Think daily use.
7. A whole batch of useful devices. From the flashlight that will light up your way when you say, “Hey Siri, please turn on my flashlight.” And don’t forget the 
alarm clock, stop watch, compass, and magnifier (see photo to the left). All right there in your Control Center (swipe up from your Home Screen). (On the iPad, swipe down diagonally from top right-hand corner of your screen.)
8. Health and Wellness. Your iPhone comes equipped with so many good apps (and some you won’t ever use). But your Health app (this app with this heart icon is easy to see) is one of the best ones with essential features in four categories—activity, mindfulness, nutrition, and sleep. Also a spot for your health records, body measurements, thorough test data, and much more. Really, this is one-stop shopping for much of your health information. The Health App also links to other wellness/health apps you use. Most useful is an invaluable Medical ID setting. (More on this in an upcoming blog.)
9. Scanner. Your phone is now its own scanner, no need for a separate machine. Go to your Notes App, touch and hold and then select SCAN DOCUMENT. Follow directions to “position the document in view” and take your picture when ready. Follow further directions to save or re-take. Great for documents others need. Scan and send from your phone.
10. Internet access. Of course this is important and essential to many of us in today’s world. Could we wait until we get home to our computer to look something up? But who wants to. Access to podcasts and music, special apps that identify birds and plants, information about historical sites., museums, symphonies, and so much more. How about apps like Just Watch that tells me where I can get the latest movies and TV shows whether on Netflix, Hulu, and other sources. Hint: Take a look at Acorn TV for some excellent Australian and British shows like “A Place to Call Home” (the Australian “Downton Abbey”) or “800 Words”.
The Moral of this Story: These 10 reasons only begin to enumerate the benefits of an iPhone over a flip phone. There are dozens or even hundred of other reasons. The flip phone is perfectly fine for making (some) phone calls. It is a model of how things worked in the past and that is just what some people want. An iPhone allows us to do so much more and lets us see how things work now and in the future. How we respond to our digital society is critical. Come on, Boomers, let’s lead the way!
Pro Tip: Don’t scroll through your pages of apps on various home screens. To find an app go to the Search Bar (pull down from the middle of any home screen) and type the name of the app in your Search Bar.
Want to learn more about your iPhone so you can get the most out of it and do the 10 things mentioned above? Click the button below to get our FREE Guide.
More from Our Blog
Vision Issues? Check Out iPhone & iPad Vision Accessibility Features
Here are some age-related statistics related to our vision: 1 in 10 people over 50 have an early form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 3 in 10 folks over 80 have an early form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Glaucoma affects over 3,000,000 Americans. By 2030, it is estimated over 4,000,000 American will suffer from […]
Find My…A Must Have App!
There I was…on a bus, halfway to Boston’s Logan Airport when I discovered I didn’t have my phone. Panic! I was going to be gone for two weeks and needed to communicate with people. Fortunately, Concord Trailways busses have Wifi and I had my iPad. I opened the the app Find My and immediately located […]
