Fear of smart phones - upgrading because I need music

I have sensory issues that mean I am triggered by specific sounds and movement. Quite a wide range of different things. I think this is part of my Misophonia, which is quite severe.

One of the sound elements of this is the tininess, distortion, and amplification from smart phones on speaker, or where the sound leaks out during phone calls, or from notification sounds such as that of the iPhone. These can be very distressing.

I have had a Windows Phone for many years. Unfortunately I have hit a snag recently in that Spotify is no longer supported on Windows Phone.

I need Spotify or some other music on the move so I am able to get out and about and block out a lot of the other noises that would cause me distress.

My options seems to be a) get an Android or iPhone, b) get some sort of MP3 player.

My concern with a) is being stuck with a phone that is distressing. Am thinking of asking my phone company if I can have a short trial with a particular phone - some leak sound more than others. My concern with b) is not having an MP3 player that plays legit tunes that are bought and paid for, or getting something that plays annoying notification sounds, or is too much like a smart phone.

Anybody else navigate this area before. Thinking that a Nokia Android is my best bet but might be a complete car crash. Need to approach with caution. Wish that Windows Phones were still supported. Tried to contact Spotify but not at all helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Sounds as if your best bet would be to find a really helpful person in a local mobile phone shop.

Most sounds can be stopped/muted and if you could find the right person to help with that and who was empathetic enough to realise the importance, I am SURE they would do everything they could to advise you and then help you set up the phone. I could think of exactly the people in my local area (Chesterfield) but if that's nowhere near you then do a bit of research, look at little local shops. Many are run by people who might happen to have friends who've got issues (it's quite common to know someone with ASD for example, and so be empathetic).

Do let us know how it goes!

Thank you for your thoughts. Tricky one. I'm in London. Will have a think. Filling in PIP and ESA forms at the moment, talking about all the stuff I can't handle. Quite hard to at the same time have a positive mindset about something like this. Will probably ring my phone company up. Can't hurt. Cheers!

I know London is HUGE but one of these might be somewhere near? My instinct is telling me Fonehouse.

Do let us know how you get on!! https://threebestrated.co.uk/mobile-...hops-in-london

Good tip. Thanks. :)

My Android phone (Samsung J5) can be set to make no noises whatsoever, which is invaluable at work where even a vibrating alert would be considered intrusive. The volume on the ear is also fully adjustable to a mere whisper.

The quality on "speaker" is very good as it clearly uses a lot of DSP to make up for the shortcomings of what must be a very tiny transducer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GiantMogwai

I have sensory issues that mean I am triggered by specific sounds and movement. Quite a wide range of different things. I think this is part of my Misophonia, which is quite severe.

One of the sound elements of this is the tininess, distortion, and amplification from smart phones on speaker, or where the sound leaks out during phone calls, or from notification sounds such as that of the iPhone. These can be very distressing.

I have had a Windows Phone for many years. Unfortunately I have hit a snag recently in that Spotify is no longer supported on Windows Phone.

I need Spotify or some other music on the move so I am able to get out and about and block out a lot of the other noises that would cause me distress.

My options seems to be a) get an Android or iPhone, b) get some sort of MP3 player.

My concern with a) is being stuck with a phone that is distressing. Am thinking of asking my phone company if I can have a short trial with a particular phone - some leak sound more than others. My concern with b) is not having an MP3 player that plays legit tunes that are bought and paid for, or getting something that plays annoying notification sounds, or is too much like a smart phone.

Anybody else navigate this area before. Thinking that a Nokia Android is my best bet but might be a complete car crash. Need to approach with caution. Wish that Windows Phones were still supported. Tried to contact Spotify but not at all helpful.

Thanks in advance!

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100% understand where your coming from. It's a growing problem in a cramped world. The demand for finding alternatives has spawned the 'Light Phone' I wonder if you have heard of it? The Light Phone 1 was released in 2017. The Light Phone 2 is now available for preorder as far as I can tell. I just watched a video where the presenter talks about downloading Spotify so that part of the equation looks good.

The sales pitch goes like this:
The Light Phone II is a premium, minimal phone. It will never have social media, clickbait news, email, an internet browser, or any other anxiety-inducing infinite feed. It's an experience we call going light. It's a phone, it calls and texts. There is a customizable menu of simple tools, and a dashboard website to manage everything. There is a headphone jack, Bluetooth, and it can be used as a personal hotspot.

I'm considering it. Sorry I can't give more advice other than just say your not alone. This may be one alternative re the constant annoying notifications full stop. I have always found issues whatever way I go, that said I have often found it can be worth the effort if you focus on minimizing the triggers and learning to accept the rest. There will always be a bit of give and take whatever way you go is all I mean.

For now, I often engage airplane mode. Not only because I expose myself to less to harmful radiation as defined by the Melbourne Univierty of Australia ["The truth about mobile phone and wireless radiation" -- Dr Devra Davis] BUT more so because of the constant disruption that triggers bouts of anxiety when I am trying to focus. Sign of the times. Becoming desensitized to it is not an option for me. You can be sure more issues are on the rise as more and more people adopt more and amore warble tech. Soon we will start twitching at eachtoher where people who can't catch on wonder what the *&^% is going on! lol

I also download what I want before going on a ride or going out so that I have what I want whilst in airplane mode. I still have a phone that I can turn on when I want. This way I have total control and still able to listen to what I want. (Of course not everyone can do this for a number of different reasons) It just takes a bit of pre-planning but as a life long anxiety sufferer with a host of issues, learning to pre-plan is the best thing to avoid angst and after a while it becomes automatic. The only difference is that I control what comes in and what goes out. At least in my utopian world. Just keep trying different devices and take the time to discover the options/settings.

I use ear buds/light head phones but again also choose my times. I go wired for longer durations and only use small Bluetooth buds for calls so as to keep the phone off my body whilst in cellular mode and multitasking. All the pros and cons are explained in this regard in the above video link ... but another story separate to your question. I only mention it to let you know how serious I am about such things. I am seriously thinking about getting the Light Phone 2. 4G will be around for quite some time yet. I'll just need to hear some user reviews that have been using it in the country/region I live before I bite.

When it comes time to get implants, feel free to PM so I can link you with the less toxic tech. Soon that will be the only way they let us into pubs and clubs let alone buy and sell. https://i.ibb.co/cb1KYdv/LOL-small.gif

All the best with whatever option you find.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GiantMogwai

I have sensory issues that mean I am triggered by specific sounds and movement. Quite a wide range of different things. I think this is part of my Misophonia, which is quite severe.

One of the sound elements of this is the tininess, distortion, and amplification from smart phones on speaker, or where the sound leaks out during phone calls, or from notification sounds such as that of the iPhone. These can be very distressing.

I have had a Windows Phone for many years. Unfortunately I have hit a snag recently in that Spotify is no longer supported on Windows Phone.

I need Spotify or some other music on the move so I am able to get out and about and block out a lot of the other noises that would cause me distress.

My options seems to be a) get an Android or iPhone, b) get some sort of MP3 player.

My concern with a) is being stuck with a phone that is distressing. Am thinking of asking my phone company if I can have a short trial with a particular phone - some leak sound more than others. My concern with b) is not having an MP3 player that plays legit tunes that are bought and paid for, or getting something that plays annoying notification sounds, or is too much like a smart phone.

Anybody else navigate this area before. Thinking that a Nokia Android is my best bet but might be a complete car crash. Need to approach with caution. Wish that Windows Phones were still supported. Tried to contact Spotify but not at all helpful.

Thanks in advance!

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Don't know whether or not this is of any relevance, but adverts on YouTube can be amongst my biggest bugbears, especially when randomly assaulted by them at various intervals throughout a given video, and/or at the very end of one.

Worse still, is when the sound of those ads is significantly louder than that of my chosen video.

The creators of those ads don't give a rat's about us persons with sensory overload, misophonia, etc, all they care about is £s!