I think as the carriers have added "Gs" the biggest impact has been on data speed (smartphone use) and not so much call quality. There's no industry standard for Gs as between different systems, so one carrier's 4 G isn't necessarily faster than another's 3 G. Other than people who need smart phones for work (and many do), I'm not sure that too many people truly need a smartphone. But once you have one, you never want to be without it, that's for sure! All smartphones can be used on Wifi for data, so most people do that when home and at work to economize on data charges. As far as carriers go, I'm a longtime (like >25 years) Verizon Mobile customer but I live in an suburban area well served by towers. The only areas around me with weak signals are in the more remote hills and valleys and a few coastal areas. Unless your house is situated differently from those around you, check with neighbors to see what carriers they use and how strong their signal is. Good luck.

I can't possibly imagine being without a means of communication at any time, regardless of where I am and that's what I grew up with personally. Yes, I know humans survived for thousands of years without phones, they also survived without the internet, electricity, modern plumbing, etc. It doesn't mean I want to live that way. I was 17 when I had my first ticket and wreck because I rear ended someone on a country road. The deputy said he could drive me to the city line but that's it. I lived almost 10 miles out of town and had no cash for a payphone. The guy I rear ended was so kind to me. He had a mobile phone and let me use it to call my mom. Unfortunately, she happened to be in the middle of one of her 2 hour gabfests with her sister and call waiting was disabled due to dial up internet. This man was kind enough to wait with me til the tow truck showed up and then he gave me a lift home. I swore I would get a cell phone as soon as I was able to sign a contract, and I did. I've followed and upgraded my phone continuously as the technology has improved. I remember having to stop at a local gas station to buy a map for the town to find out where I was going, having to find a phone book and look through it to find the right business to call, having to call businesses to find out their hours of operation. No more, thanks to smart phones. I truly don't understand the vitriol some have towards evolving technology. I get lost on vacation, I don't need to stop and buy a map and ask the locals, I don't need to buy a fancy GPS device, I use the power of the internet in the palm of my hand to get my answers. I'm not "glued to my phone" BUT it is a tool, a very powerful one at that, why would I purposefully NOT use it? I switched to Project Fi from Google a few months ago and it has been the cheapest phone plan I've ever had and provides everything I want. We were previously with Sprint and we paid 150 a month for 2 phones with unlimited data. We now pay less than 70 for 2 phones. The downside is you have to purchase a current gen phone (either the Nexus 5x or the Nexus 6P) at full price. (Not a problem for us as our old phones WERE old and outdated) The upside is our unlimited cell costs only 20 bucks a month per line, plus 10 dollars per gig of data. If you don't use all the data, you are credited back on the next bill for the unused data. Almost all our data usage is at home over our own Wi-Fi so we have received a credit on every bill since we signed up. Google's Project Fi works over wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile networks so we have better coverage than we did with only Sprint. If you think you might ever use data (aka the internet) from your phone and you can afford the upfront cost of a new smartphone, I strongly encourage you to look at Project Fi.

I know nothing about Android phones as I the first smartphone I ever got was an Apple. I got the iohone4 when it first came out and had it until it died. I have the 6 now and have had it maybe two years. I decided to make the switch to an iPhone b/c at the time I had an iPad and had just replaced my Dell with a Mac, so figured I’d just make the leap to iPhone so that everything was compatible. At first I rarely used my phone except to call and text, but now that all my kids are teens, I use my phone all the time (please note, I do not talk or text when I’m with other people!). My kids have to have iPads for school, so this also made it easier as we all share an itunes account etc. Since I have no idea how an android phone compares with an iPhone, I can’t really offer advice there. however, if you are still considering an iPhone, and given your limited phone use, I would recommend looking at the SE. It is the same size as the 5 so not big. It is reasonably priced for an iPhone. When getting my youngest her first phone, that is what we selected for her as she does not *need* one of the more expensive options (tho she sometimes complains about her friends who have the latest and greatest which is ridiculous at her age). While the purpose for getting her the phone was so that we could reach her (no longer in school with her older siblings and for logistical reasons, I needed to be able to communicate with her), It still has other features that are useful. For example, she finished her book while we were at the beach so was able to download one from our library to read until we got home. I’m rambling here, but my point is, if you don’t need or want an expensive latest model iPhone, look at the SE if you are still considering Apple.

I think you mean app, not appt. If it's a Motorola Android smartphone, it comes with such an app already preloaded. It's called Calendar. You can set it to notify you in advance of appointments, and you can choose HOW it notifies you and how much in advance. And how many times. It's completely integrated with Google Calendar so that you can make entries on Google Calendar (by logging in to Gmail, then going to Calendar). There too you can choose how to be notified, when, and how many times. Your appointment data is visible and can be changed in either location. Change it on one and if your sync settings on the phone are right, it will change on the other. To be sure, you can call your mobile carrier's tech support and they can help you be sure it's set up properly and functioning.