The invention of e-books was no doubt a brilliant one, because they allow you to read literally any material you desire on your smartphone. I am, however, a little sad to see traditional books die. Swiping with your finger can never quite replace flipping through real pages nor, of course, that amazing new book smell.
On your smartphone, you can sync your calendar between all of your devices and even other smartphone users, which makes it significantly easier to stay organized than if you used a traditional calendar. I do, admittedly, miss picking out calendars at the store and being able to stare at different photos of cute puppies or gorgeous landscapes that changed every month. Perhaps Apple should develop this feature?
Because of smartphones, there’s no reason to ever fight over the remote again, because now everyone can be holding its replacement in their hands at the same time. Simply download an app, sync it with your TV, and you have all the control you need right at your fingertips. I don’t think many people miss remote controls, because we could never find them buried in the couch cushions anyway.
Flashlights are clunky and cumbersome, so once the flashlight function became a standard feature on smartphones, these little devices were doomed. Plus, you had to change the batteries in those flashlights what felt like every time you used them. (Batteries? We haven’t used those since the Stone Age.) Nope, no nostalgia from where I’m standing.
Smartphone timers are great if you've got lots of dishes cooking at once, but we still miss the old-school timers. The classic design will always be iconic, but there were all sorts of funny design variations you could buy too--from timers that looked like chickens to those designed to look like a ticking timebomb!
I received a pedometer when I was younger and used it for a week or two, and it the first and last time I ever used one. It was annoying and unreliable, so it’s no surprise that smartphone apps have quickly overtaken these devices. The new apps let you track your steps, water intake, heart rate, and so much more, which is significantly more useful than only knowing you took 534 steps in Walmart, which may or may not be right, depending on whether you jostled the pedometer too much.
Answering machines gave way to voicemail, and this is another one of those changes that has definitely been an improvement. Listening to voicemails is a pain, but it's nothing compared to the terror of not having caller ID and seeing a message on the answering machine. Is it good news or bad news? Only one way to find out!
Gone are the days of lugging out the camcorder to film important family moments. Depending on how long ago you last bought one, those things could be really heavy! These days, unless you’re a professional videographer, whipping out your phone and recording a video with it more than gets the job done.
Streaming music services have all but taken over our lives, and most of that streaming takes place on your smartphone. However, even if you want to listen to the good old-fashioned radio, you don’t actually need a device--your phone can stream radio stations via the internet.
Interviewers everywhere rejoiced when voice memos became a standard offering on smartphones. As long as you’re not too concerned about audio quality, your phone’s recording capabilities should work just fine.
We’re not exactly sure how the technology works, but you can now use your smartphone to scan and digitize documents. Some smartphones come with the capability built-in, but there are also plenty of apps to help get the job done too. It might finally be time to toss that printer-scanner combo from 2006.
If you’ve got reception, you can obviously just open up your GPS app to navigate you to wherever you want to go. But did you know that your phone can also function as a compass, even if you don’t have reception? All Apple devices and most Android phones can help point you north, should the need ever arise!
Video game consoles probably aren’t going extinct any time soon, but mobile gaming has definitely put a dent in their business. These days, gamers using their phones have access not only to mobile-exclusive games but also some standard console releases as well.
These days, small business owners don’t need to invest in expensive equipment for processing credit card payments--all you need to do is download an app and attach a small card scanner to your phone. Gone are the days of credit card carbon copies!
You can call up whoever you want if you’ve got reception, but even if you don’t, your phone can function as a Bluetooth walkie talkie. However, if you just can’t stand the thought of not buying another gadget, you can also purchase Bluetooth-enabled walkie talkies.
These days, if you see someone wearing a watch, you can be sure they’re doing it for style and not for function. Smartphones may have rendered watches useless, but they most definitely have not made them go out of style.
Your smartphone can show you newspapers or they can function as a newspaper itself with the rise of built-in news apps. Media companies have been wrestling with this problem of losing their customer base for years and it’s probably not going to get resolved any time soon.
Since most of our photos these days are digital, photo albums have really taken a hit. Some people still diligently print out and store their photos in books, but they’re definitely a dying breed. These days, looking at your photos is as simple as scrolling through your phone.
Musicians can finally put away all those tuning forks, because smartphones can now function as a pretty decent tuner. While this might be a win for convenience, old-fashioned tuners never show you unwanted ads like a tuner app will!
Smartphones have already begun to replace dedicated credit card machines but they also might end up replacing credit and debit cards entirely. The rise of digital payment services like Apple Pay and Venmo means that customers need to whip out their physical wallets less than ever.
If you’re a frequent flyer and prone to losing things, digital plane tickets are probably one of the best inventions of the last 20 years. With the rise of airline apps, checking in and receiving your boarding pass is as easy as clicking a couple buttons on your smartphone. And as long as you don’t lose your phone, your tickets will always be nearby!
We’re not going to lie--whipping through an old-school Rolodex at 100 mph is a kind of fun that kids these days will never experience. But with contact storage being a primary feature of cell phones from the start, Rolodex’s days are probably severely numbered at this point.
