Dear Smartphone: Family Plan Matter

DEAR MS. SMARTPHONE:  YOU HAD A POST ABOUT ALL THE NEW PHONES ON THE MARKET THIS FALL AND WHETHER WE  NEED ONE. MY PROBLEM IS A BIT DIFFERENT:  I HAVE PICKED OUT A PARTICULAR PHONE TO GET, BUT MY WIFE AND EXTENDED FAMILY USE A PHONE WITH A DIFFERENT OPERATING SYSTEM. THEY ARE TRYING TO TALK ME OUT OF MY PREFERRED PHONE.   Lemar, Cotati

Dear Lemar: I can relate to this, because the same thing happened to me several years ago. If you are experienced with your phone’s operating system (OS), then you should be able to bridge potential problems like transferring pictures, sharing music, and getting real-time notifications. If text is the vehicle for family communications, maybe you can convince everyone else to agree on IM or a new chat app. But, before you do this, ask yourself if it is really worthwhile to make this change- are you made better off with the new phone? Is the phone a primary way to stay in touch with these family members? Last but not least, does the billing change, assuming you share a family plan?