There's an App for That
If you've never experienced life before the rise of smartphones, it's probably hard to imagine exactly that. After all, that flat-screen brick in your hand doesn't just connect you to your family and friends—it bridges you to the rest of the world. Whatever task you want to do, whether it's banking, shopping, or gaming, there's an app for it. It should come as no surprise that smartphones have revolutionized how we live our lives—and here are 20 different ways they've done just that.
1. Taking Photos
Remember when taking photos used to be a hassle? We had to bring an actual camera with us wherever we went if we wanted to capture our memories, and then we had to manually upload them on a computer or get them physically printed somewhere. Nowadays, we can just take out our phones and click the shutter.
2. Calling
Making phone calls back in the day was a little trickier. Not everyone had their own personal cell, and if you wanted to dial a specific business, you had to look up their number in a dedicated phonebook. Now? Almost everyone has a phone with them, and it's easier than ever to search up a contact before you make the call.
3. Video Calling
Before the likes of FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype (now obsolete), and other platforms rolled out, we were pretty limited in our options to see our callers. Back then, we had to rely on webcams, which few people had, and the quality was grainy and choppy at best. In our current digital age, you can quickly hop on camera with a friend if you ever want to see each other's faces.
4. Getting Directions
Whew, remember when we had to take physical paper maps with us on trips? How did we ever survive getting by with only that and not getting lost? Thankfully, with apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps, you won't need to worry about not being able to find your way, even when you're across the world in the middle of nowhere.
5. Staying Connected with the World
With on-demand access to practically everything—social media, news, weather, and more—you're always a tap away from seeing what's happening on the other side of the world. This convenience has made it easier to connect with our loved ones as well, whether it's our relatives from back home, or a partner in a long-distance relationship.
6. Texting
Remember pagers? Sending a quick message used to be a hassle, and even in the 2000s, we had such tiny keypads that we'd often have to click a number three times to get the correct letter. Smartphones have now made it so much easier to communicate with our friends and family, not to mention with touchscreen keys instead of a physical keyboard.
7. Dating
Online dating websites existed back in the day, but in our current digital age, there are dedicated apps that allow single people to conveniently mingle by creating matches and messaging through the platform. Some people have even found their spouses through dating apps!
8. Sharing Photos
Physical cameras, SD cards, and printed photos used to be the norm. Now? Just message your photos to your friends and family, or create an album online with a shareable link that allows other people to access it. Easy peasy.
9. Banking
Online banking has made it so much more convenient to deposit checks, check your balances, send e-transfers, and open a new account. Whereas you needed to do all these actions in person back then, now you can just log in to your bank's dedicated app and go.
10. Artificial Intelligence Assistants
Sure, Siri on the iPhone has never really been the sharpest tool in the shed, but AI assistants still help us out a lot in our daily lives, from reading out notifications to sending text messages. Plus, with more advanced AI tools now, apps like ChatGPT allow for even better, tailored assistance.
11. Ability to Work Remote
Need to hop off your laptop real quick to catch the train? No worries—just use your smartphone. With apps that allow for team collaboration, video conferencing, and work communication and management, you can now update an important document and join a department-wide town hall meeting—while being on the go.
12. Making a Quick Search
Searching something up back in the day was possible, sure, but it required that you had a computer at home, an internet connection, and someone else was not using the phone. But if you ever need to look up a quick fact now, just pull up the browser on your smartphone and type in your question.
13. Listen to Music
Remember Walkmans? Remember iPods? These portable music devices were all the rage back in the day, when they were pretty much the only means of taking our music with us. But with smartphones being an all-in-one tool, you can easily listen to your favorite tunes no matter where you are and what you're doing.
14. Read Books
Some of us might still prefer going to the library to secure the physical copy of a title, but if you'd much rather be able to read wherever without having to lug around an actual book, eBooks have been a game-changer. You don't need a dedicated device, either, like a Kobo or Kindle—you can easily download apps to read novels directly on your smartphone.
15. Email
Whereas emails used to be the main form of communication back in the day, they're rarer now, except in work contexts. But that means it's easier than ever for you to keep connected to coworkers, collaborators, and other connections, and you can send responses on the go.
16. Setting Alarms
Honestly, now that setting alarms on our smartphones is a thing, there's a sense of nostalgia when you see physical clocks for sale. Yet even then, we can't deny how convenient this has been, because for one, it's one less device, and two, our smartphones are always with us, anyway. (Plus, you can set multiple alarms!)
17. Tracking Fitness
Need to track your fitness goals? While some might prefer smartwatches over smartphones for this, the types of metrics that the latter can record have still been a game-changer. Plus, you can set other details about your health as well, which can come in handy in the case of an emergency.
18. Shopping & Paying
Want a new pair of shoes or a new hat? You don't need to step foot into a mall or a physical shop—you can just do it at home from your couch! And because smartphones have changed the way we pay now (think Google and Apple Pay), you can order straight from your screen and have items sent right to your door.
19. Gaming
Back then, we had Game Boys, PlayStations, Xboxes, and Nintendo DSes; in fact, it was hard to game without these kinds of devices. But now? You can play plenty of cool games just by downloading apps onto your phone! Even the games you grew up with, like Super Mario and Cooking Mama, have smartphone versions for you to enjoy.
20. Setting Reminders & Events
Physically marking important reminders or dates on a calendar is no more (well, except for the people who prefer it this way); nowadays, you can easily create these events on your phone. Plus, they can remind you surprisingly well, with custom alerts that ensure you don't forget.
