Why the iPhone 5 May Be My Last Phone

I am a tried-and-true Apple customer, but the iPhone 5( at Amazon) is the first Apple product I've owned that doesn't excite me to use. Even with the longer, prettier screen, using it every day feels completely perfunctory. This simply cannot stand!

When my iPhone 4 became a victim of an unfortunate accident during Hurricane Sandy last October, the thought of buying a new phone—specifically a new iPhone 5—should have excited me. But it didn't. It was the hardest $200 bucks I ever had to put down for a device I needed but didn't necessarily want.

While my iPhone 5 and I have gotten along relatively well, our relationship is becoming strained. As 5S rumors circulate, my iPhone is at its peak value. I'm thinking about selling even though I'm still at the front end of a two-year contract with my carrier. If I do sell, my replacement probably won't be a "phone" in the typical sense.

I can complain about how uninspiring the iPhone 5 is and I can lament that the screen isn't closer to phablet size, but the real reason I'm unhappy is that my monthly talk time never exceeds double digits. To put it more simply, I hardly ever talk on the phone. On the other hand, I consistently exceed my 5GB plan given my compulsive emailing, tweeting, Flipboarding, and use of other data-intensive apps, no matter what I try to do to curb it.

So what's my solution? I'm seriously considering experimenting with an iPad mini($399.00 at Amazon) as my primary device. Many of my tech friends and colleagues have pointed out that it's the perfect size. While it won't fit in my pocket without giving the impression that I'm really happy to see you, it's compact enough and easily accessible—as easily as a phone, dare I claim. I've actually gone to the Apple Store and held an iPad mini, comfortably imagining it as my main communication device.

You might think since I'm ditching a phone plan in favor of data and a Google Voice number, I'll be getting the cellular version of the iPad mini. You may be right, but if I do I'm at least going to test out living with a Wi-Fi only connection. I spend most of my time in my connected apartment, but connectivity is becoming ubiquitous elsewhere, especially in cities like New York, whether it's in a small Starbucks or the neighborhood of Chelsea, which is now blanketed with free Wi-Fi courtesy of Google. A "phone call" is a Google Voice, Skype, or FaceTime session away.

We cling to certain technologies despite the fact that more logical alternatives are emerging. Cord cutters, for instance, are showing cable subscriptions to be increasingly redundant, and I feel that in the next few years, the idea of a cell phone plan will likewise seem unnecessary.

I'd be interested to find out who has successfully functioned without a smartphone by instead relying on another type of connected device, be it a tablet, iPod touch, or some fancy tin cans fashioned with string.

Would you consider going phoneless? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.