Does having a smart phone plays a role in your LDR?

[piratemama]

I don't have a smartphone, but my SO does. I can't tell you how many times I've wished for one. We do okay most of the time, but it's a bummer when I'm away from home and the computer for a long period. I also like the apps they have, like the thumb kiss from Couples app. Some of the products designed for LDR's, like the pillows that light up, I think might require both people in the LDR to have smartphones. The fact that my SO does have a smartphone helps, because he can get my messages or send me messages whenever. We've tried the Skype over his phone, and there is this weird noise in the background that sounds like the ocean. We stick with Skype over the computer.

As soon as I can, I'm getting a smartphone. I think you would love one, OP, once you had it.

[l3fty]

I've used my smartphone to keep in touch with my bf majority of our relationship. So I would usually chat with him on fb messenger and then we would Skype(me with a front facing cam on phone and him on his PC). He just recently bought a smartphone, so sometimes he can cam chat with me at his house using Skype.

We're supposed to meet this upcoming February. From there, we have to figure out what to do about him coming to the US. I'm still sure we have many months of still depending on smartphones for the biggest chunk of communication.

[rachelhappyface]

We've both had iPhones for a while, but whereas mine is a 5, his is a 3GS, with no front facing camera; So we've had iMessage, snapchat etc but I never used to get many pics of his face as it was difficult on a 3GS.

However this week he went and bought himself an iPad, and we have quickly become obsessed with face timing each other! It really is a lot better than just a voice call to me because I can watch his facial expressions etc. the only downside is he now tells me off for fidgeting, which I used to do on voice calls but now he can see me haha

[Boston's girl]

We both have iPhones. We text & talk all the time. Im looking into this couples app I've been reading about

[Tesfaye]

Well, I don't have a phone, but I have an iPad. Recently, my SO and I discovered an app called Couple. Things have been really hard lately and this app helped so much! There are some really cute and fun features on this app that we love. So, technology (and smartphones) is a positive in our relationship

[DragonFly]

I am in my first LRD, and honestly, if it wasn't for our smart phones, I really don't know how we would cope. We are both so busy with work, events, I am a mother of two from a previous relationship, both just crazy busy, we really don't have much tome for Skype or talking on the phone (I think in the last 7 months, we've talked on the phone 4 or 5 times) mostly texting, sometimes pictures or emails. And if you don't have a cellular plan with unlimited texts, there are so many apps for free texting! If we didn't have them, I wouldn't be able to talk to my love every day

[TexastoFinland]

Bad: well I have to say that having What's app is great for me. I like having Viber to call for free. What we get into fights about is when he doesnt answer when I call Viber. If there was some way for me to know he is offline but I don't. There is no VM with Viber. I am blasting him about why he didnt answer for the past two days and he says "Uh I dont know, I just got all of your messages, my phone never rang" GRR TECHNOLOGY!! Also, what I get really pissed about to sometimes is when I can see he has read my what's app message and he doesnt respond, I get mad. The fact that I had quick access to him from the beginning with all of this technology and he doesnt get back to me quick, yeah its a real bummer. This daily contact things is different with different people. I prefer daily contact and I won't accept less. Over this time though I had to compromise. I'd say after two years we are still in the compromise stage of how to deal with this technology thing. I send him videos and pictures instantly like me trying on clothes and I ask his advise on gifts for him and I dont get a response.. YEah I am mad!!

Good: I like the fact that I can send him instant pics so he can see how my life is here day by day. ITs like he is apart. I like how I can leave him recorded messages. By the way, I just found out yesterday on Viber there is a way to leave a voice Message. I like that it is cheaper. I was in a LDR back in the early 1990s and it sucked that we had to pay long distance bills then. At least we had Yahoo chat to chat but I like this option much better. We can share skydrive personal files. We share a Netflix. WE have also discussed a few other sharing accounts. It kind of makes you feel like a real couple (not that we arent but it felt more real when we lived closer)

[Atreyu]

No because my SO doesn't have a smartphone. Lol.

But for me it's handy, because when she's on facebook I can chat with her while I'm in the bus or train.
But it doesn't play a big role because she doesn't have one. Otherwise we'd probably been trying a lot of apps haha

[CJM250]

My girlfriend and I live in the UK and USA, so having a smartphone is the only way for us to communicate while out and about. I am at university and she works, so when we are not home using internet messaging services (we use Couple) is the best way to talk to each other. Otherwise we would be paying 20p per text because of the international rates!

[differentcountries]

BIf there was some way for me to know he is offline but I don't.

Whenever I am on Viber I can see if he is online or the number of minutes passed since he was online there. Usually, I don't Viber call him like I would on the phone though, I will always send a little text like "Is it ok that I call you" because he could be online and still not ready to receive a call, like if he is doing something else online on the phone. What I noticed is that the different internet things tend to interfere with each other which is why I find it best to arrange a time.

[LovingAcrossTheAtlantic]

I have an iPhone where as he has a computer for now.

But me having my iPhone means that I can message him whenever I want no matter where I am. Its helpful with the time difference we have. It also makes it easier for us to video chat (I can't have oovoo on my computer but we prefer oovoo). It helps I can see when he was last on Facebook so I know if he is available to talk.

[whatruckus]

Yes. Both of us have smart phones, and have had them since before we even met. We use Facebook a lot and chat through the messages almost all of the time we talk. We also SnapChat sometimes, and I send him emails that he likes to read. We also play games together (Ruzzle, Words With Friends...etc).

[dhebz]

For us, having SMARTPHONE is really important, since we got tired of sending LONG CHARACTERS in text messaging and would cost much if we always call each other, so when I bought Iphone surprisingly he bought IPAD MINI as well, and so it makes our relationship easier and closer since, we have this FACETIME app that would allow us to see each other anywhere ( as long as u have wifi ) and besides there are a lot of apps u can use to send pictures or even video clips ( KAKAO TALK, LINE, TANGO, and VIBER )

[lilcupcake]

omg, i miss having a smartphone. when we first got together i had one, but had to downgrade. now pictures are pretty much impossible, texting is even difficult,and talk time is shorter thanks to old crap batteries. i cant wait to get another smartphone!

[Benny]

Having a smartphone for us is pretty important ye, when either of us isn't able to be on PC, we'll use whatsapp (or similiar apps) to still be able to chat with each other.