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Opinions of Friday, 9 October 2015

Columnist: Alhaji Alhasan Abdulai

Flip and yam phones getting popular worldwide

Opinion Opinion

Due to the vital features on new phones such as ipad, android and Samsun galaxy and more, many people are seen daily falling over each other in open markets and shops to acquire the newest and fastest phones used in sending messages and pictures. The possession of the best phones in towns is now becoming a mark of success and prestige among students, businessmen and traders. Any other phones apart from the smart phones are called yams in Ghana.

Some other people in Ghana and other parts of Africa who also use the flip phones for convenience are considered old fashioned and poor. But hold it that that belief is no more tenable. Yes it is not wholly true.

Despite the importance attached to the new phone brands very important people among them presidents, bankers and businessmen still use the average so called old fashioned phones.

These men include President Barrack Obama of the United States of America who says that he isn’t allowed to use iPhones.

The information provided by Business Insider Reuters says instead, he uses a Blackberry, although he does own an iPad for personal use. "I'm not allowed, for security reasons, to have an iPhone," Obama said last December.

A visit to our markets in Accra will show that many people who own smart phones are now showing interest in single purpose phones especially the power banks that could last long especially in these days of frequent power cuts. Even those in the US who have no problem with electricity now use ordinary phones for continence.

Apart from president Obama studies have shown that 12 or more prominent men and women in the United States of America who possess smart phones also rely on simple phones for their day to day communications

One of these men whose information was provided by Business Insider is Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of Blackstone Group, who uses his flip phone to make and get phone calls. The flip phone isn't extinct yet. Some even say it's making a very-trendy comeback.

Celebrities, CEOs, sports team owners, and politicians have all been spotted with archaic, clunky flip phones. Some cling to them citing security reasons. Others like them for their functionality.

At a time when everything from confidential corporate emails to iCloud accounts are getting hacked, these successful people might have the right idea by returning to flip phones.

"Steve uses his flip phone to make and get phone calls. It does that better and more easily than any other device. He has an iPad for everything else," Schwarzman's representative told Business Insider.

Business Insider Brock Miller/www.splashnews.com says Though Anna Wintour Vogue editor-in-chief who now flaunts her flip phone has owned both an iPhone and a BlackBerry in recent years; she was spotted carrying an unidentifiable flip phone at the US Open last fall.

Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who is worth $3 billion and he still uses a flip phone.

Last year Jones defended his love of flip phones: "It’s free of hip dialing. You can have some pretty confidential conversations and not get overheard by the camera man by talking into this flip phone.”

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio rocked a flip phone on the campaign trail.
It's been described as an "old and battered Samsung.”. However he has grown to love this simple phone
University of Memphis head coach Josh Pastner upgraded from a flip phone in September.

After running out of space for new contacts on his Samsung flip phone, Pastner finally got an iPhone 5S.
New York senator Chuck Schumer also said he has a hoard of LG flip phones and says he would probably be addicted to email if he had a smartphone.

Schumer said he hates seeing people using iPhones during meetings. He has also cited ergonomics as a reason why he prefers his LG phone.
Rihanna is always seen making use of her flip phone in November 2014. But Rihanna has made a reappearance on Instagram, so she probably also has a smartphone.

As seen in this piece the use of simple phones by many people is in vogue due to their convenience and easy to manipulate especially by busy people

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