Even people who lived the majority of their lives with a smartphone can struggle to remember what the old days used to be like. The idea of only accessing the internet when you are sitting at a computer sounds ridiculous in a time when we’re connected all the time, wherever we are.
The smartphone’s impact hasn’t been universally positive. Still, there are some areas in which the positive power of iPhone and Android devices really comes to the fore. Take travel, for example, which has been phenomenally enhanced by smartphones. Let’s take a closer look at how our iPhones and other devices have transformed our traveling experiences.
Incredible Photos and Videos
Remember the days when you’d take a disposable camera when you went on a trip? Those devices were handy in theory, but in truth, they couldn’t be relied on as a way to effectively document the trip. Too many of the photos came out blurry or burned.
Modern smartphones allow travelers to record their excursions in more detail than ever before. While there’s power in putting the phone away and experiencing the world purely, without seeing it through a ‘content’ lens, it’s always good to know that when you do want to record something, you can do so in crystal clear definition.
Easy Translation
The idea of landing in a foreign country and being unable to communicate with anyone because you don’t speak the local language is kinda fun. But only for about ten minutes. At that point, realizing that you can’t communicate even the most basic of sentences — ‘please, give me food’ — becomes a major cross to bear.
The smartphone makes it easy to communicate with locals. Thanks to translation apps, you can have entire conversations — albeit a bit staggered — with people with whom you don’t share a single common word. The smartphone has also revolutionized language learning, allowing travelers to get to grips with the basics of the language before they travel.
Layover Entertainment
Even the most passionate of travelers would have to admit that dealing with long layovers is less than enjoyable. OK, that’s probably putting it too mildly; there is literally nothing worse than having to spend hours and hours sitting in an airport all because your plane has been delayed.
Having a smartphone doesn’t exactly make layovers enjoyable, but it does make them bearable. You can use your smartphone to play classic games such as chess, checkers, or poker, or you can stream the latest episodes of your favorite TV shows. Even browsing the internet can help to speed up the time.
Pro travel tip: Invest in a portable power bank before you set off on your travels. While your smartphone will keep you entertained during your layover, it can’t do so if it doesn’t have any battery.
The Power of Reviews
The smartphone has made it much easier for travelers to make informed decisions about where they spend their money. As much as we wish it wasn’t the case, it’s just a fact that some businesses take advantage of tourists by overcharging them. In some cases, the amount you pay for your meal can be many, many times more than what a local would pay.
The annoying thing about this is that it’s nearly always legal, since, well, businesses can charge what they want. However, thanks to community power, travelers can at least warn others that a business is a tourist trap. Simply pulling out your phone, opening Google Maps, and reading reviews of the restaurant you’re about to visit can save you from making a costly mistake.
Low-Cost Staying In Touch
You’ve always been able to stay in touch with friends and family back home. Even in the old, old days, you could send a letter. It’d take months to arrive, sure, and many months to hear back from them, but you could still do it.
Smartphones have not only allowed travelers to stay in touch with loved ones back home, but it allows them to do so cheaply. In fact, if you’re connected to the hotel’s Wi-Fi, then it’s even free. While it’s nice to take a break from the norm when you’re traveling, no one wants to go too long without checking in with their nearest and dearest back home!
Saving Money
Your smartphone costs money, yes, but it also allows you to save a lot of money, too, especially when you’re traveling. Think of currency exchange, for example. There are digital currency cards you can install on your smartphone that you can then use to pay in the local currency. Even if you have other ways of paying, having a currency converter app on your phone offers a convenient way to check that the price of a product/service is fair.
You can also use your smartphone to get the best deals on hotels and tourist attractions. Indeed, sometimes a quick search before you’re about to pay can result in huge savings.
Last-Minute Itinerary Changes
It’s always been possible to go with the flow and change your travel plans. It’s one of the fun things about traveling! But making last-minute changes becomes much easier when you have a smartphone by your side.
Arrived at a destination, but not really feeling the vibe? With your smartphone, you can easily conduct research about any nearby destinations that will be more suitable for your tastes. And your device will do more than just give you ideas of where to go. You can also use it to figure out how to get there, book accommodation, and build a list of things you’ll do once you arrive. Ultimately, your smartphone is a highly effective device for rectifying any travel mistakes you might have made.
In-Depth Knowledge
Your smartphone can function as a private tour guide, allowing you to develop a more intimate understanding of the destination that you’re visiting. There are self-guided tours available for just about every destination on the planet. Simply download them, plug in your headphones, and get walking.
Finding Hidden Gems
It’s easy to discover the main tourist areas of a destination. But those hidden gems? They’re more difficult to find — or at least, they used to be. In the pre-smartphone era, you’d have to hope that a local would point you in the direction of a restaurant/cafe/attraction that was off the tourist trail. With your smartphone, you can get this information from local Instagram accounts and forums.
Building Connections
Making connections with people you meet while on the road is one of the joys of traveling. In some cases, the interaction doesn’t need to go any further than the experience that you’ve shared. You don’t always need to stay in touch with the people you meet.
But when you do feel there’s value in staying in touch, the smartphone — or rather, the apps you have installed — can be an excellent way to do so. While you can get the phone numbers of people you meet, it’s not realistic to think that you’ll actually call them up. Getting their Instagram handle, on the other hand, offers a low-stakes, casual way to remain in each other’s lives.
As we’ve seen, the smartphone really has had a wildly positive impact on the traveling experience, and there’s every chance that things continue to improve in the future too. With technology improving all the time, it’s inevitable that smartphones continue to challenge the traveling norms, offering newer, richer travel experiences. Given what the smartphone has provided so far, we can’t wait to see what the future will bring.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.