Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Mainly because it suits my needs, and with a battery pack in my bag it’s quite adequate.
I’m not into replacing things unless it’s totally broken. From charge to dead is about 8-9 hours on standby which doesn’t warrant writing it off.
That's broken. Any phone that can't do 24 hours on standby without a call being made or the screen being switched on isn't fit for purpose. If you want to keep the phone a battery replacement is cheap at one of those phone shops, or learn to DIY it and buy a kit.
If people really are putting up with this sort of unfit for purpose phone I'm not surprised they don't like e-tickets. As I said to my parents (and they eventually understood) a smartphone is a very powerful tool, but to get the best from it you really need a decent one or it'll be frustrating and unreliable. That doesn't mean you need an iPhone 15 Pro (great phone it is), but you really don't want to compromise on battery life, speed or capacity, or you'll hate it and won't benefit from the many conveniences the devices offer. There are lots of good budget smartphones like Motorola's offering, or you can buy a used one for next to nothing from one of those people who just replaces them every 2 years even if it isn't necessary.
About 75% of adults over 17 years old in the UK carry active driving licences. of the over 65s, nearly 3.5m do not have smartphones, which I would suggest largely maps on to the 25% that don't have a driving licence. Unless provided free of charge, I doubt that either can be regarded as mandatory for any essential travel.
A railway season ticket photocard can be obtained free of charge from any booking office, so there's an option for everyone.
In any case we aren't talking of it being mandatory, we're talking of an optional additional convenience (ticket reprints) for those choosing to carry official ID. You could always choose not to, and to accept a Penalty Fare or £100 settlement should you fail to be able to show your ticket.