A Phone Without a Number – The Case for the Carrier-Free Phone

As app developers in San Francisco, there’s one thing that really chafes our collective hides: the bloatware that comes pre-packaged with our shiny new smart phones. You know those horrible apps you don’t want and sometimes can’t even delete. The offenders include the manufacturers themselves, like HTC and Samsung, as well as the wireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T.

Which got us to thinking. Do we even need wireless carriers anymore? If you’re paying $75 a month for your service, that’s a cool $900 a year you could be saving. In cities like San Francisco and New York with ubiquitous WiFi, it’s time to consider ditching your carrier. This is the case for the carrier free phone.

First, phone calls. Who makes ‘em, who needs ‘em? Most kids these days are communicating via messenger, be it Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, WhatsApp… the list is endless. And if you need to actually speak with your actual voice, there’s Facetime, Skype, Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts again… In ten years, the idea of a ten-digit phone number may actually be ridiculous.

So communication is not going to be a problem. Constant communication, however, the kind we have become accustomed to, is more difficult. As a test run, however, I’ve been traveling across the country for three months now, using nothing more than a 6th generation iPod Touch. Even in rural Wyoming or the swamp land of South Carolina, a WiFi signal can be found in almost any populated area, mostly because all populated areas have McDonalds and Starbucks. There are tradeoffs, but it’s hard to argue those tradeoffs are worth $900 a year. And guess what? Things are only going to get easier.

Google is trying to circumvent carriers completely with Project Fi. Microsoft is getting in on the game with a Microsoft SIM card that gives users contract free data. Even Cablevision has rolled out a Wifi only phone. In your face AT&T.

While the major carriers are all in some kind of death match over the price of data, a number of hybrid carriers have emerged with their eyes squarely on a future where WiFi is the norm and cellular is used as a back-up.

If you’re interested in cutting your wireless bill, just like many of us have cut our cable service, check out Freedompop, Republic Wireless, and Scratch Wireless, to name a few. Otherwise, try WiFi only for a week and see if it’s for you.

In terms of app development, this doesn’t change much. The biggest benefit is simply money in our pockets, which we firmly support. We’re pretty sure you do too. If you still have any questions, please contact us today.