Feature Phone vs. Smartphone

Hi guys, I want opinions about the feature phone vs. smartphones (Android, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone) in terms of security.

In my opinion,

feature phone >Windows Mobile > Windows Phone > Android is the strength of security, but what do you guys think?

-stingraze

and maybe iPhone comes in front of Windows Mobile or Windows Phone...

Curious...exactly what do you mean security?

Reason I ask is my brother-in-law sent his daughter a video that she couldn't play. She told him that and then he sent her a file to her Android phone that he told her would allow her to play it. Well, what he really sent was an application that changed the video file name into something that was recognized and then it played fine. At the same time, it installed software that sends copies of all her text messages to his email account. It runs invisibly in the background and she never knows what she is texting is being copied to her dad.

He says it he isn't so much interested in spying on her as he is concerned that she will make some bad choices that might endanger her now that she is college age...hence he feels better. He also justifies it to himself that he pays for her phone bill.

Now that doesn't seem too secure to me, a device that you can do that with and not be known about...at least by the average user... She has a Galaxy SII.

Yes. THAT is what I'm talking about.

And also another thing. My HTC EVO WiMAX (variant of HTC EVO 4G) reboots for no reason when I'm in Tokyo. Kind of scary.

Windows CE NEVER does that.

iPad mini for my case is pretty secure, but Android.... although I use Android...

I don't think it makes any difference what phone you use, they can all be hacked...

<link removed at request of administrator of linked site>

http://gizmodo.com/5863849/your-android-phone-is-secretly-recording-everything-you-do

At least, if you have important or private documents, you can easily encrypt them so that even if they are obtained, no one could look at them.

Edited by CE Geek 2/11/14 07:30

well, yes, but definitely TRON running feature phone is safest. Or Nokia.
I want to use Nokia phones in Japan, but it's rare to have it.

Edited by stingraze 2013-05-25 3:38 PM

Man, Rich, that's a story. I have a 17-year-old daughter and can understand well your b-in-law's angst. But if his girl finds out, especially when she's college-age and considered an adult by any court, it'll make for awkward Christmas vacations or rupture everything outright.

I'm about to drop big bucks on a IPhone 5 for my daughter, probably worth more than all my H/PCs together, and she is no angel, but I don't think I could muster the chutzpah of your b-in-law.

Jake

That's why he opened a generic gmail account....deniability...nothing to link him to it...

The truth is you can't protect your kids forever and they need to make their own mistakes and learn from them just like we did...on the otherhand, I don't think the environment was so sinister in the '60s when I was a teenager as it is now...

All we did was smoke pot and have sex for 15 hours a day...and look how we turned out...

I know this whole thing about remote watching and stuff... I understand if I were a parent of 5-10year olds, who allows those kids to use smartphones but for college age people?

If I were an adult with children, I wouldn't do that.

I started my cell phone life when I was 16, and it was a feature phone by Toshiba. Good old days... But it still creeped me out having an in-camera in 2005....

Edited by stingraze 2013-05-25 7:38 PM

I'll be honest with you...cell phones need to be given to kids in stages.

Their first phone should have only emergency numbers and essential phone numbers for dialing...no camera, no texting, no nothing. Then when they get to be teenagers, maybe start adding texting and the ability to add games and such. Then cameras later on and all the other features.

As a teacher, I used to confiscate phones from students on a regular basis...at least one every other day it seemed. First time I held it until the end of the day...second offense they lost it for a week...last offense, until the end of the semester. If a parent came in for a conference, they could get it back...but only then and in person.

I would find all kinds of pictures on the phones...girls taking pictures of other girls in the locker room showers...copies of tests or answer sheets...the usual run of pornography...and of course the typical "let's be cruel to the unfortunate wall flower..."

I would rather the kids carried pocket knives than cell phones on their person...so much less painful for other kids.

But the point I'm am attempting to make is parents really need to educate kids on the proper use of a phone, how it should be used, and how it can be just as dangerous an any weapon.

As far as college age kids Stingraze...I probably agree with you...once they have left home they are expected to behave as adults...but then, how many college kids do that? Ever been to a frat party? I was invited regularly to them by the students I taught when I was teaching at the university. Drunken orgies and crazy music. I could handle the orgy...but any party without Merle Haggard is no party at all...

I highly respect your opinion on giving phones to kids in stages. I will do so if I get married and have kids of mine.

Back in 2005, when I was just a sophomore, I rarely used the internet on the browser it had. It had 320X240screen I think. The packet cost wasn't even limited, so I could have gotten into a lot of trouble if I spent time online.

I only texted to a couple people back then, took a lot of pictures for blog and stuff. My phone was like a PDA.

Now... all these apps in the market, I don't know who to trust you know!

And in my Junior year at highschool, somebody teased me for having 2006 model in phone in 2008!

P.S.
I've never been to a frat party.



Edited by stingraze 2013-05-25 9:51 PM

If anyone deserves to be laughed at it is me...

Last month I just turned 3 old Motorola i265s to Boost Mobile. They gave me a free upgrade to an LG Rumor Reflex. Plus they gave me credit of $20 for each phone and $5 for each phone in the buyback program...so now I have over $100 in my account that I can use up at a pay as you go rate of .20 cents a minute.

The phone is touchscreen, non-Android...and works very well. I feel state of the art...though everyone else will be laughing at me...

But it is only for traveling anyways...and in a week I'll be fishing in the gulf coast and then everyone can see what a 2.0 megapixel camera will do!

I would be one person who will not be laughing at you.

you know, even VGA size camera comes in handy to save space (remember the time we had 32MB SD cards? wait... we had 8MB!)

I have a couple of 2 MB CF cards - they come with the A-10.

Larger capacity than floppies

Edited by stingraze 2013-05-25 11:03 PM