Smart phone in the shop

[Bill Dufour]

So where do you keep your smart phone in the shop? They seem too big for the front pocket of my jeans. I worry in a rear pocket I will sit on it and break it. Do I have to become a women and carry a purse all the time? fanny packs came and went in the 80's. Should I buy a pocket protector like my Dad's?
i am still in the flip phone mode but I really need to update soon.
Bill D.

[Keith Westfall]

Left shirt pocket - all the time...

[Andrew Seemann]

Right front pants pocket. I still have an iPhone 6, so it fits well. Having a calculator on your person at all times is handy:)

[Ron Selzer]

cargo shorts/pants wallet left side in front phone right side in front
Dickies has pants with a lower front pocket on right leg perfect for the phone

[Gary Ragatz]

I wear carpenter-style jeans, and the phone goes in the pocket on my right thigh. Won't fall out, but easy to retrieve. With the phone on vibrate, I can usually feel it if it rings.

[Jim Becker]

I've been using a horizontal belt holster for as long as I've had smartphones...it's always with me, always immediately accessible and always protected. I NEVER put a phone in a pocket for the most part. The holsters I've used now for quite a few years are from Nit-eze.

[Nathan Johnson]

Phone goes on a shelf next to the bluetooth speaker.
I hate having stuff in my pockets and I have no reason to keep the phone on me. It's easily accessible on the shelf. I'm alerted to calls or messages through the speaker, and sometimes I ignore it anyway. Shop time is my time.

[Chris Schoenthal]

I've had large phones (Samsung Notes) for quite some time. I always have them on belt clips with Otterbox protection and have never had an issue with any.
I guess I usually carry too much stuff in my pockets, so worry about getting the screen scratched if putting it in there.
I also rarely wear shirts with pockets (usually polo style), so that's not practical either.

[Frederick Skelly]

Until recently, I never carried my cell into the shop. Im just not that fond of carrying one. But after reading more than one safety thread here, I decided it needed to be in my pocket or on my belt so that I could call for help if I got hurt, fell down, etc. Having it on the shelf or bench doesnt help me if Im on the ground, across the garage. YMMV.
Fred

[Matt Day]

In the shop it’s usually plugged in and on the bench with a podcast on.

Other than that it’s in the front right pocket.

[Larry Frank]

I use a horizontal holster and keep it in my belt. My wife requires that I have it with me in the shop or outside. She frequently checks and I am in big trouble if I do not have it.

[Keith Outten]

A cell phone can save your life...mine did. I had no idea 5 years ago that on May 1st I was going to need my phone when I opened the door to my shop and dropped down to the floor in front of my mill. I was unable to get back up but I had my cell phone in my shirt pocket and was able to call for help. My heart attack was a bad one and i can remember to this day how fortunate I was to be able to get help. If I had a land line or left my cell phone on a a shelf out of reach I would not have been able to get to the phone.

Just some food for thought!

[Jim Tobias]

I set my Samsung GalaxyS8+ on a charger when I go in shop. My hearing aids are blue tooth connected to the phone so any calls I hear in my ear. There is a button also that hangs on a cord around my neck(under my shirt of course) that I can receive or make calls with by pressing a button. Hearing aids are great these days......it's like having an all day set of nice ear bids in your ears(streaming music from my phone, etc. I can set hearing environments, and/or filters for the
Wonders of technology!

Jim

[Bill Dufour]

ANy thoughts on the Kcyorea Brigadier rugged smart phone sold by Verizon? Seems like it would be sawdust proof and not need a separate protective case.
Bil lD.

https://www.kyoceramobile.com/brigadier/

[Steve Jenkins]

I keep mine in a vertical holster from Duluth Trading in or out of the shop. No reception in the shop so I have a land line I forward it to

[Mark Bolton]

I hate carrying a phone for all the reasons you can imagine but Keith's post above is why it's with me at all times in the shop. I'm a left front pocket guy and always wish I had adopted Jim's belt case protocol but I had an otterbox and lost two phones to breakage because the belt clip sucked. I need to look into his system.

I have thankfully never had the need but when I'm working in the shop alone Im very conscious of it especially when climbing up into a high mezzanine to get something or when real busting out on a deadline.

Being in business you never want to miss a call and the distraction of it can be a nuisance but I turn off my notifications when needed. But having that thing near by if I fell, got hurt, or had a stroke/heart attack it would be my only chance of getting out of their alive.

I like my shop. But not sure I want to die there because I cant call for help.

[kevin nee]

II have the Kcyorea Brigadier, It is truly a rugged phone. I have had it for a couple years. I have dropped it, left it outdoors over night etc. They say the screen won’t scratch. I carry it in the ruler pocket of carpenter jeans. I too went from flip phone to Kcyorea and it is fine for what I do. Camera is pretty good. It is not to big.
Good luck, Kevin

[Jim Koepke]

It has been almost a decade since my cellular phone was tossed in a drawer. Now it comes out when an alarm clock is needed.

My habit of keeping it in my shirt pocket required a way to keep it from falling out when reaching for something low.

A friend showed me how he sliced up an ear plug and supper glued the disks to strategic spots on his phone to give it grip to not slip out of his pocket.

jtk

[Kev Williams]

My wife gave me my first smart phone last Xmas, still learning to use it. 99% of the time it sits on the charger. I don't use it at work, AT ALL. I just use the regular phone.

I kept my LG flip phone, glad I did. It fits in my front pocket, don't even know it's there until it vibrates. Much better 'emergency' phone than an oversized smart phone IMO...

For all else, Ooma-- I have 11 Vtech phones around the house, 7 of them are doorbell-photo phones, the pictures suck but the fact they're all doorbells is GREAT, didn't have to wire up a bell in the garage shop, have a doorbell outdoors now...

[Jim Becker]

always wish I had adopted Jim's belt case protocol but I had an otterbox and lost two phones to breakage because the belt clip sucked. I need to look into his system.


Here's the case I use, Mark. I also have a thin case on my phone so it has a little protection when it's in my hand, etc. Right now, it's an Apple leather case since I upgraded to the XS Max, but previously, I used Spiegen cases with the iPhone 6S Plus I previously carried prior to the upgrade. The phone with the light case fits in to this holster nicely and it should work for any smartphone setup since there are multiple sizes available. (the link is for the XL size I use)

https://smile.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Sideways-Phone-Holster/dp/B0142LUNMW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24LKIYCUJ75WG&keywords=nite+ize+horizontal+phone+case&qid=1569181358&sprefix=nite+ize+hori%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91j%2BQCK4A6L._SL1500_.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91VkTlIxGOL._SL1500_.jpg

[Don Coffman]

I knew what I wanted, but couldn't find it, if I did it wasn't for my phone ... so some kydex online, a holster clip, some creative cutting and a visit to the oven.

416688416689

[Mark Bolton]

Here's the case I use, Mark. I also have a thin case on my phone so it has a little protection when it's in my hand, etc. Right now, it's an Apple leather case since I upgraded to the XS Max, but previously, I used Spiegen cases with the iPhone 6S Plus I previously carried prior to the upgrade. The phone with the light case fits in to this holster nicely and it should work for any smartphone setup since there are multiple sizes available. (the link is for the XL size I use)

https://smile.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Sideways-Phone-Holster/dp/B0142LUNMW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24LKIYCUJ75WG&keywords=nite+ize+horizontal+phone+case&qid=1569181358&sprefix=nite+ize+hori%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1





Thanks Jim,
Love the smile link. I use the heck out of smile. Nice to see others doing the same.

[glenn bradley]

I'm on the lean side . . . OK, skinny. When phones got huge I abandoned the belt clip and switched to the back pocket. I do keep it on me in the shp unless I am doing some serious moving around. For those times my phone lays face down (protective case) on a fixture by the door. I find the black and white pattern of the case in contrast with almost anything in the shop so it keeps it visible when I try to leave it behind and it is always in the same spot when I want it ;-)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Keeping in mind, I am deaf and hear with the aid of a cochlear implant. I struggle on the telephone so until today there was only 2 times I even turn my cell phone on. I use it to text message my wife when she is traveling out of town as she travels a lot more than I do. The other time is when I want to listen to some music. I have a device I can wear around my neck that takes regular Bluetooth converting it to a proprietary form of Bluetooth. The device sends the proprietary form of Bluetooth to the sound processor for my cochlear implant on my left ear and the hearing aid on my right ear. Thus I can listen to music.

After reading Keith's story, I am considering taking my cellphone out of the drawer where I typically store it, use my Otterbox belt carrier and wear it in the shop.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

My phone sits on the kitchen table where it always is when I'm home. I usually get 6 junk calls for every "real" one so I seldom answer it. Ok, I'll admit it, it's a flip phone.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks Jim,
Love the smile link. I use the heck out of smile. Nice to see others doing the same.

Yes, I've provided quite a few shekels to Ginger's Parrot Rescue with my, um...frequent...Amazon purchases. :)

[Dave Cav]

I'm another Nite Ize holster guy, vertical holster for my semi smart Samsung phone. I tried the plastic scabbard things but kept ripping the clips off after a day or two. Never had a Nite Ize clip fail.

[Ronald Blue]

I probably abuse and carry a phone more than most. Crawling around in the ballast under equipment, and all over and in it as well. There is only one case that takes the abuse and keeps on going. Otterbox! I use the defender series. In the last 9 years I have broken the holster a couple times but never the phone. I work in remote locations that only exist on the railroad. The phone could be a life line. As for carrying it in the shop and around the property I rarely am without it. I don't get many bogus calls. If they aren't in my caller ID I don't answer. My smart watch tells me I am getting a call or text.

[Jim Becker]

I'm another Nite Ize holster guy, vertical holster for my semi smart Samsung phone. I tried the plastic scabbard things but kept ripping the clips off after a day or two. Never had a Nite Ize clip fail.

Yea, they build them really well...I've worn a cover out visually on my "shop" holster which stays on the belt for my "shop" clothes, but physically, they just keep kicking. 'Can't go wrong for $13!

[Mark Blatter]

I carry two phones with me every day. One is an iPone 5, yes a 5, that I got from my daughter years ago. It is my 'work phone' that most of my customers use so I need to have it reasonably handy. It goes in my right front pocket and fits just fine. My personal phone, that some customers have and use, is a Moto 5G that I love. The Moto phones are inexpensive (about $220 for the newest one) yet have almost all the features of the $800 iPhones or Samsungs. It means if I break it, I don't cry too much. That phone goes in my left front pocket of my jeans. Both fit nicely in their cases. I always have the vibration turned on which helps with calls if it is noisy. I used to carry phones on my belt with a clip or some other device and got tired of hitting them on things.

[Jon Nuckles]

I have an iPhone 6S that I keep in my front pants pocket, whichever side does not have my keys. I used to have an otterbox, but it was too bulky and sticky to slide in and out of the pocket easily. I replaced it with a "bodyguardz" case, which was better for my use. Now that the phone is nearing the age where I am considering replacing it, I don't use a case.

I do have an Invisible Shield screen protector. It seems to work well, sacrificing itself to protect the glass when there is an impact. The maker provides a lifetime warranty and stands by it. I have had mine replaced 3-4 times since buying the 6S. Of course, I have to pay $5.99 shipping and handling every time I replace it, which may cover their cost of producing and sending a new one. They make it very easy, though, sending out a kit to help with a clean install and a postage paid return envelope for the broken one. I have no way of knowing whether the impact that broke the protector would have damaged the glass, but it also protects against scratches and is almost invisible when installed so there is no downside other than the cost.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

So where do you keep your smart phone in the shop? They seem too big for the front pocket of my jeans. I worry in a rear pocket I will sit on it and break it. Do I have to become a women and carry a purse all the time? fanny packs came and went in the 80's. Should I buy a pocket protector like my Dad's?
i am still in the flip phone mode but I really need to update soon.
Bill D.

At day time my mobile will be most time in the left front pocket of my trousers. At night it will be on charging at my bed side.

[Flamone LaChaud]

Same here, only wear Carpenter jeans, and that right side thigh pocket fits my Moto X perfectly. It's not in the back pocket so I can't sit on it, not in the front pocket so I don't "bend" it, and it's not clipped on my belt so it doesn't "pop out". Plus, unless I'm trapped upside down by my ankles - it's not falling out of my pocket.

[Roger Feeley]

Bill, I have the Kyocera DuraForce which is the brigadiers big brother. I got it because the case is already rugged so I don’t have to buy an otter box. I can’t count the times I’ve dropped the thing and it’s still kicking. All of the openings have covers with o-rings. They claim that it’s waterproof. I interpret that to mean that I can drop it in the toilet or the shallow end of the pool.

the phone supports wireless charging which I use almost exclusively. There is minimal wear on the physical plugs which can be a point of failure.

the phone runs android which has its quirks but serves my needs which are pretty basic. I make and take calls, read emails, text and look up stuff on the browser. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other such things. In fact, the closest I get to social media is sawmill creek!

yes, the phone should be sawdust proof and sweat proof as long as you don’t plug stuff in.

I wear bib overalls and customized the left breast pocket to hold the duraforce firmly.


ANy thoughts on the Kcyorea Brigadier rugged smart phone sold by Verizon? Seems like it would be sawdust proof and not need a separate protective case.
Bil lD.

https://www.kyoceramobile.com/brigadier/

[Bill Dufour]

Bill, I have the Kyocera DuraForce which is the brigadiers big brother. I got it because the case is already rugged so I don’t have to buy an otter box. I can’t count the times I’ve dropped the thing and it’s still kicking. All of the openings have covers with o-rings. They claim that it’s waterproof. I interpret that to mean that I can drop it in the toilet or the shallow end of the pool.

the phone supports wireless charging which I use almost exclusively. There is minimal wear on the physical plugs which can be a point of failure.

the phone runs android which has its quirks but serves my needs which are pretty basic. I make and take calls, read emails, text and look up stuff on the browser. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other such things. In fact, the closest I get to social media is sawmill creek!

yes, the phone should be sawdust proof and sweat proof as long as you don’t plug stuff in.

I wear bib overalls and customized the left breast pocket to hold the duraforce firmly.

Roger the Duraforce pro is what I decided to go with. I will see when it comes in how big it is. They say the Verizon ones had a sapphire screen cover from the beginning. Other services it was extra cost or not offered.
Cost me $60 delivered, used from the bay. It was interesting to see so many damaged ones for sale for a supposed indestructible phone.
Bill D.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I also standardized on the Otterbox Defender. iPhone 7+, always on my belt in case of emergencies.
Broke pieces off by doing stupid things, paid the shipping only and Otter sent me the replacement under warranty.
Good people.

[Jim Becker]

I could never stand the typical Otterbox type case...they blew the size of the phone up way more than I preferred. That's why I pretty much have alway used thin cases for incidental protection and the belt holster which added more when I was not actually holding the phone. I'm on like my sixth iPhone at this point since the "3" debuted and (knock on wood), I've never cracked a screen or damaged my phone. And that included 8 years of equestrian activities over and above international travel, home improvement, shop tasks and life in general. I guess I'm fortunate, but...