Ways To Dumb Down A Smart Phone

[Peter10]

Call me a Luddite, but I am looking for a way to de-clutter my iphone 6S+ from all of the unnecessary nonsense (IMO) imposed by the current crop of apps. All I want is basic phone functionality and a way to easily store and retrieve music, video and podcasts in a direct and simple manner. Most of the apps out there consistently try to organize data for you. I want to organize my own data! Are there any ways for the end user to better control the information content of these phones?

In particular, android devices allow mp3 files to be dumped into a folder and interacted with using a file manager. You simply point the manager to the directory select the file and the file plays. Apple seems to force you into playing mp3 and podcasts through apps that limit your ability to organize data.

Peter

 

[KevinJS]

There is no directory structure on an iPhone. Where multiple apps can access the same data, each has its own copy, so there is no interaction between apps.

 

[ardchoille]

iOS is app-based rather than file-based. There is no traditional file system. Perhaps you would benefit from unlearning and relearning.

 

[KevinJS]

iOS is app-based rather than file-based. There is no traditional file system. Perhaps you would benefit from unlearning and relearning.

Never a truer word spoken. Whether coming from a PC or Mac background, the file system has been front and centre. The iPhone DOES require a different approach, and once learned it's difficult to imagine it being any other way.

I'm on my third iPhone. A brief encounter with an Android of some description left me confused and I was glad to get rid of it. I'm sure if I'd persevered, I would have found it just as useful as an iPhone.

 

[Peter10]

I see what you are saying, but I find it troubling to have a giant hash of files that can only be sorted out by a specific manufacturer's music program. The hardware contained within the iphone is surely deserving of more than being tethered to the jack of all trades "itunes". Is it me, or does this methodology limit the overall versatility of the phone? I can see how Apple benefits from this strategy - but what are the benefits for the end user? I received this phone as a gift and I generally like it from a hardware standpoint. The fact that people adopt this file management strategy without complaining astonishes me. I will take you advice and unlearn then relearn - but I suspect that my next phone will be more open ended.

Peter

 

[KevinJS]

In general, the benefits to the end user are simplicity of use. Apple has made a big thing of "it just works" and there are clearly prices to be paid.

The Apple ecosystem is not for everyone, particularly those who like to play around under the hood, although the ability to link several devices together with features like Handoff is great. I've been messing with computer systems since the early 80s and sometimes find it difficult to believe how far we have come in just a few decades.

That said, I'm not sure there is an answer to your problem. Apple probably has a narrow view of what constitutes a podcast, and would suggest that the files you are attempting to use don't fall within their definition.

iTunes is the phone management system people love to hate. It has grown from a simple media player (which annoyed me every time it managed to sneak itself onto my early Windows PCs) to a many headed monster. These days it actually works quite well, but I've had some frustrating and infuriating times with it. Failure to recognize devices over wireless was the bane of my life for a long time, but I can't remember the last time that happened.