[emjoes1]

From what I have observed low income people have ObamaPhones. So perhaps that is how they are affording them. But then again the people I observed lived in a ghetto and were signing up for cable and seemed to have more disposable income than they let on... A bit like your father I am confused how they afford a bunch of stuff they appeared to own.

[Balgair]

Wow, you are the only commentator in this thread to mention the ObamaPhone; I guess most HN readers here don't interact with less well off society. I know a fair few people that have one and love them. The program, from my anecdata, really does help out the less well off get a job, find information and opportunities, and generally interact with the larger world. Yes, some are just wackos and lazy, but from my view of the world, the taxes that are used via Obamaphones are very out weighed by the increased taxes from when people get stable jobs through the program. If the world is becoming increasingly automated, networked, wired, whatever, then a smartphone is the 0th step in getting people at least up to date with today's zeitgeist.

http://www.obamaphone.com/what-is-the-obama-phone

[stagbeetle]

Last I saw, ObamaPhones were not smartphones under any definition.

They resemble old Nokias (although I've seen flip phones).