Google , Samsung , and Apple have all been spendinga lot of sentence talking about AI lately . If you think the ballyhoo , we ’re on the brink of an intelligence revolution that will make our living leisurely than we ’ve ever dreamed .
And yet , for all that talk , one of the most obvious bits of intelligence has been completely overlooked — and it would n’t even need AI . Our speech sound should know what our monthly mobile plan cover and automatically help us avoid unneeded fees . Pay - I , if you will .
As with all frustrations , there ’s a story behind my thought . Two of them , in fact .
The terrors of international texting
report No . 1 : This summer , we traveled to visit our son in Copenhagen , Denmark . My mobile carrier will happily let me use my voice , schoolbook , and data plan when overseas — all I have to do is make up $ 15 per day while traveling . And it ’s kind of vicious . The minute you send a text , use any data at all , or make a call , you trigger that $ 15 charge for the day . Forget that .
Instead , I loaded a information - only eSIM on my phone from . It ’s sluttish , and alternatively of paying over $ 210 , it be less than $ 30 for the same two - week period .
On my phone , I made the eSIM the primary method acting for data , but I require to keep my normal SIM active for representative and texts ( even if just for the company I deal with that still do SMS two - factor assay-mark ) . Since inward call and schoolbook stockpile no extra fees when travel , there ’s zero risk … until you forget you ’re not at home .
I can supervise most of my life overseas via message apps likeWhatsApp , and on the rare occasion I desire to make an actual headphone call , I can use my Ooma VoIP app , which has an fabulously cheap long - distance rate .
But if someone texts me on my veritable phone number ( and they are n’t on iMessage ) and I respond — bang ! I ’ll get tally with that crazy $ 15 charge . Let ’s say I may have forget a few times .
Pricey long-distance phone calls
taradiddle No . 2 : My kid commonly text and call each other via iMessage , which mean that as long as they ’re on a Wi - Fi internet , it ’s spare ; they do n’t even expend up their data plan . But sometimes , instead of hitting the button for a FaceTime audio call , they make a veritable representative call . And when one shaver is in Toronto , and the other is in Copenhagen , that can be a costly mistake . Specifically , an extra $ 75 charge on my invoice for a 35 - minute long - distance call .
Let ’s agree that in both stories , a human being was clearly the stem cause of the superfluous fee . I knew what would happen if I institutionalize a text message while traveling , and my kid understood that long - distance phone call are n’t the same as FaceTime calls . Humans do unintelligent human things all the clock time , but if our phone were even remotely as intelligent as they lay claim to be , they could barricade us — or at least warn us — before we do them .
Our sound should be able to question our mobile letter carrier for the detail of our current design . How much data do we get every month , how much have we used , do we have long - length calls included , and if so , which countries are covered , etc . ? All of the plan details .
Then , our phones should gift us with some choice . You could go full nurse mode and be prevented from taking any action that would incur extra fees . You could go chum mode and get a pop - up dialog anytime it looks like you ’re about to do something that would cost money : “ It looks like you ’re about to make a farseeing - distance call that is n’t covered by your peregrine plan . Proceed ? ”
Or , you could simply enter a serial of app - based preferences , like “ Always use WhatsApp for text messages when I ’m traveling ” or “ Always expend my VoIP app for calls . ”
Yes , roving carrier will dead detest this idea . But if your line of work model relies on citizenry accidentally doing things on their phones that get special fees , I have less than zero sympathy for you .
Why aren’t our phones better than this?
Before writing this editorial , I did some research . I could n’t happen a unmarried aircraft carrier that offer tools to avoid extra fee ( you ’re dismayed , I sleep with ) . The only affair you could do is lock down a mobile act completely so that it ca n’t make long - distance call , use data , or broadcast text edition . That ’s not on the nose helpful unless the issue belongs to a young child , and even then , these options should probably be built into the phone , not the phone phone number .
Moreover , I could n’t regain any third - political party apps for Io or Android that can pretend as gatekeepers , giving users the choice and ascertain they ’d need to deflect fees .
So , Google , Samsung , and Apple , if you ’re listening , please weigh adding this feature of speech to your political program . As far as well-informed ascent go , this one ’s a no - brainer .
