ShopperBob, I resisted the cell phone thing for YEARS. Then my daughter gave me her old one, when she upgraded. Then a couple years later, she did it again. This year I bought a friend's iPhone10 for $140 when she upgraded.
I use Verizon (only carrier available, actually). I pay a flat fee, $60 a month pre-paid, no contract, month to month. This is for unlimited data, texts, and calls.
I've only had it a couple months. It has already paid for itself. How? I did my first Presto (blue pin) shop on it (doable only on the app). I did my very first Customer Impact job on it -- only available on the GoSpotCheck app (earned $100). Did a Field Agent job (another app) for $10, but hey, they add up and pay really, really fast.
I paid $10 at Dollar General for a car charger. Works great.
It also has enabled me to input reports on the road -- something I could never do before. I can do a fast food shop, complete the shop and report in less than half an hour, and be on my way to my next shop. I can e-mail schedulers and pick up additional shops that fit into my route. I can do a USPS shop and complete the shop report in about 10 minutes, and be on my way.
I'm currently consistently doing fast food shops that have a requirement of submitting the report within an hour -- and I'm hours from home. With the unlimited data option, I am able to do the report right after completing the shop. I've done $800 of those shops so far this month, and about the same last month. Couldn't have done a single one without the iPhone.
So yeah, that phone's paid for itself over and over. In just two months.
It seems that the industry is embracing tech, and demanding faster reporting, etc. (I remember MAILING and FAXING reports in!!!)
I now don't know how I functioned without one.
And I'm tech-resistant, a tech dinosaur!
Literally, if I can do it, anyone can.
There is so much I don't know about my iPhone, so much I don't understand. Even with my extremely limited knowledge, it's worth it.
I would advise buying a phone from someone you know and trust. Reach out to friends and family, let them know instead of getting the paltry "trade-in" on their old phone when they upgrade, you might be interested in buying it at a reasonable price. Even a fellow shopper on the forum!!! More trustworthy than some stranger on Facebook, Craigslist, or e-Bay.
I would advise against a "contract". My friend who sold me her old phone asked me what plan I was on; when I told her I paid $60 a month for unlimited data, she about fainted. She said she pays about $280 a month for unlimited data, but hers is on a "contract".
I find the iPhone to be more versatile and intuitive than the Samsung I had previously. I much prefer the iPhone for ease of use and understanding.
There is a STEEP learning curve, but once you've got it, I hope you'll feel like I do now.
Just M2CW.