I tried to tell my dad that I should use GrapheneOS without a carrier and use Wi-Fi only. I’m trying to switch from iPhone. But then he gave me a counterargument and said, “Son, what if you’re stuck on the side of the highway with a broken down car or you need to call emergency services and you don’t have Wi-Fi?” What is the main counterargument to this?
What is the main counterargument to this?
True, then enable your SIM when that happens. Not when you have a minor inconvenience but an actual emergency.
You could always have Graphene over WiFi as your main phone and then have a dumb phone you take in the car with you for emergencies. I had a cellphone running Graphene and it died and I just got a dumb phone and I went back to using my computer for everything else now. It’s mostly a better workflow for me. I think the main way it becomes problematic is most jobs require you to have a smart phone so they can do payroll and tracking you through apps. I really don’t want that and I have been fortunate enough that I have been getting enough work independently now that I can decide what I do and don’t need in that regard. If that is your situation, you could always keep the I-phone for shit like that and have a place to put it when you are done with work… So you can disengage with the phone once you are not working. Then get a Graphene phone for your leisure time. There doesn’t have to be set rules that you can only do one thing or the other.
There are plenty of options:
- You can carry around a spare burner phone that is powered off. These are relatively cheap ($30 + the cost of your cell plan), and has the benefit of working even when your main phone dies. You can leave it charging in your car.
- You can carry around a cellular hotspot, such as one from the Calyx Institute. This also helps fund a pro-privacy organization, and this hotspot can be used to provide internet for multiple devices. See this video for more information.
- You can still call emergency services even without a SIM card.
- If there are public Wi-Fi networks nearby, you can connect to those in order to get in touch with people you need.
- You can ask anyone nearby for help. Whether it be borrowing their phone to make a phone call, using their phone as a hotspot, or having them help you directly.
- Hike to the nearest civilization for help.
- Wait for a bus to pass by, if they are in your area.
- Some smart cars have the option to call for help built-in.
- Use GrapheneOS with a carrier. It will still be much more private than using iOS, and you can disable the cellular radios when they are not in use by enabling Airplane Mode.
Even without any of those, the chances that you will be completely stranded with no one to help and no way to call emergency services are very, very slim. Privacy protects you from more likely scenarios, such as data breaches or identity theft.
Use a sim in a portable hostpot or a second dumb phone powered off
If you want the phone to work reliably anywhere besides home/school/work, you need a real cellular carrier.
If you’re a shut-in, WiFi only is fine.
Then what real cellular carrier do you use on your GrapheneOS telephone
In the US at least, phones without a service plan can still call 911.
The issue with that in his situation is 911 does not take kindly to “Hey, can you call my dad and tell him I ran out of gas?”
If it’s not a true emergency that they are expected to handle, emergency services frown on calling them.
His father’s argument is legitimate regarding needing a cellular carrier unless the poster would never unexpectedly need to contact family for help.
The same in the EU. All it needs is signal to any available mobile network.
If in the US, you stick a thumb out. If in Australia, index finger. Repeat for whichever country you’re in. Contrary to what the Internet often pushes, many other humans are decent people and will stop to help.
I would be more concerned about others unable to reach me. Like, my mom isn’t doing well and if I missed her calls during a health crisis because I wasn’t on wifi, I’d have a hard time with that.
- Second cellphone.
- You don’t need a SIM card to call emergency numbers.
2nd is also important in that your phone is always connected (unless in airplane mode) to some cellular network, and can still be tracked the same way (unique IMEI).
You could always prepay a Solis 5G WiFi Adapter and carry it with you. Some are quite small and portable.
That said, Apple doesn’t have a monopoly on cell carrier service. GrapheneOS works fine with various phone carriers.
You can carry a cheap second phone with battery removed (airplane mode is not sufficient) for this purpose specifically. In case you must call someone, you put in the battery and call.
You should probably do some critical thinking on your plans if you haven’t even thought what you’d do if you were in an emergency
This whole story about me and my dad is fake, he’s actually dead. I just wanted to see what people would say
You killed him?? What a twist
That’s why I’m here so you can do the critical thinking for me
That will be a difficult life 😆
Wifi only is perfectly fine, if you aren’t going to use the phone part of the cellphone.
Burner phone for calls. And whatever you want on the side.
You don’t need a cellphone plan, just a cellular data plan (say prepaid 1-2Gb) and you just keep cellular data switched off unless it is an emergency.
Then you can still “WiFi call” in an emergency over that cellular data connection.
No monthly plan required
It is complicated. He is true. And maybe your need to use GrapheneOS are relevant. If you have a smartphone without cellular connection, for a daily usage, FMPOV it is a non sense in case of emergency. It is a risk you will have to take, I can’t disagree your dad. And what about your solution but with a SIM card with very few data and SMS available, through a SIM card you can keep aside your phone and insert when needed?
