Considering Drastic Action

So, the one lasting unfortunate mishap from my recent overseas trip was the loss of my iPhone. The silver lining is that I intentionally put off upgrading my phone out of an abundance of caution that something like this might happen. So while I lost a perfectly good phone that I probably would have kept using for some time (or at least passed on to another worthy user), I didn't lose a brand new phone.

But now I have a dilemma.

Yes, it was a perfectly good phone. But my 14 days with no very little connectivity (not that it would have been improved by having my iPhone - it probably would have been shut off and left in my suitcase) has made me wonder if I really need that phone.

Yes, I should have a phone. For safety purposes, at the very least. Yes, and iPhone or other advanced smartphone is nice. iPhone in my case is good  because it is compatible with my MacBook.

But not having it was also somewhat freeing. I had to make an effort and a conscious decision to check my e-mail, and I wasn't able to just Google "The Cremation of Sam McGee" when I forgot a stanza. I had to pick my brain to remember it.

On the flip side, I was also minus a handy flashlight, a calculator, my reflex-check clock (had to resort to checking the watch I intelligently remembered t pack), and a nifty handheld GPS unit. I also missed having a more incognito camera than my point-and-shoot, and the iPhone camera is a good camera for capturing quick informal moments. And yes, for travel selfies.

All-in-all, that little phone is convenient.

But is it necessary?

I have my MacBook. But now that I've gotten used have something smaller to take with me.

So I have a tablet. And if I had a tablet with 3G/4G capability, then I would have the internet-anywhere that I've gotten used to having with the phone. And with this tablet I can pick up my text messages and do pretty much everything I used to do on my phone, except make phone calls.

So, if I had a 3G tablet and a regular dumbphone (with a calculator, flashlight, and maybe even a halfway decent camera?), I could survive pretty well, right?

So, the choice is:

1. Spend the money to upgrade to a 3G tablet and pitch into a dumphone...
2. Go, spend the money to replace the cell phone and rejoin the rest of the kitted-up 1st world?
3. Move back to the land where the internet is near non-existent?