Looking for a new cell phone

[samoth]

Okay, I've had a nice $200 Qualcomm phone since '01 that functions perfectly. Unfortunetly, Sprint PCS sucks -- I don't get signal in elevators or at my house in my hometown. So I figured I'd switch to Cingular or something and get a new phone.

I don't have a very good idea what's out there, so karma for any help or suggestions. I want a higher-end model, not something for fifty bucks. Like around $150-$300.

I'm looking for cell phone with

• Flip type preferred, but I don't care that much
• Vibrate
• Speaker phone
• Voice recorder preferred
• A normal ringer. I don't want to hear a Nelly and Tim McGraw duet go off in the middle of a seminar when someone tries to call me.
• Professional looking. As in, appropriate to a business setting.
• A decent standby time, like 5 days or longer.

Useless crap I don't want:

• Picture camera
• Video recorder
• FM radio
• MP3 player
• Games
• Super high-resolution color graphics shit
• Annoying flashing lights on the outside of the phone
• Anything appealing to a 7th grader

What the fuck it with phones nowadays? Cameras, high resolution color screensavers, games, flashing lights and other crap that has no relavancy on a phone.

I have a feeling I'm not going to find anything I like

 

[KillahBee]

well, different service providers carry different phones, so it's hard to say without you choosing a service. My last 2 phones have been LG (Verizon) and I have no problem with them. no picture phone or other shit like that. I also use to have a small Samsung that was great.

 

[samoth]

Just to help get some good replies, I'll transfer 10,000 karma if I end up buying a phone you suggest.

I just want a nice phone! Not a camera, computer, or anything else! I actually saw a phone with a flip-out QWERTY keyboard. W T F ?!

 

[samoth]

well, different service providers carry different phones, so it's hard to say without you choosing a service. My last 2 phones have been LG (Verizon) and I have no problem with them. no picture phone or other shit like that. I also use to have a small Samsung that was great.

You're up early, lol.

Good point. I've hear the best things about Cingular. Verizon would come in second. That's all I really know about. I love sprint and their phones, but they have the absolute worst reception.

I only use a basic plan... a few hundred on-time minutes and a few thousand off-time. So I would never need a plan that would be more than $50 a month. I think most companies stay competitive with each other, so rates are about the same. I really only care about coverage.

 

[KillahBee]

up early? I'm up at 5/5:30 every morning, fatty.

around me, Cingular sucks arse and Verizon is the best. but you'll get diff opinions from everyone on that. I have a Verizon plan which is about $50 a month with free nights and weekends and 400 or 500 anytime minutes. it works for me.

this was the old Samsung phone I had:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000659T88/104-8600963-3199117

very simple and small. worked great. I imagine the newer version has a camera phone, cause all the little kiddies love that camera function. tee hee

 

[samoth]

around me, Cingular sucks arse and Verizon is the best. but you'll get diff opinions from everyone on that. I have a Verizon plan which is about $50 a month with free nights and weekends and 400 or 500 anytime minutes. it works for me.

this was the old Samsung phone I had:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000659T88/104-8600963-3199117

very simple and small. worked great. I imagine the newer version has a camera phone, cause all the little kiddies live that camera function. tee hee

I love the screensaver thingy with the little yellow fish.

I didn't think to check Amazon, I'll hit that site up.

And I'm not fat. I'm a powerlifter.
Do you get up every morning at 5am to do bicep curls?

 

[samoth]

And what happened to Qualcomm? Someone told me they went out of business or were bought out or something? Both cell phones I had since '99 were Qualcomms.

 

[KillahBee]

I love the screensaver thingy with the little yellow fish.

I didn't think to check Amazon, I'll hit that site up.

And I'm not fat. I'm a powerlifter.
Do you get up every morning at 5am to do bicep curls?

in the squat rack.

 

[samoth]

in the squat rack.

I despise your kind.


How's Nextel? I don't know anyone going through them.

 

[SoKlueles]

Ive heard the exact same thing about sprint,
I have cingular and they are pretty cool. Mine is a flip phone with speakerphone and all that stuff
i think its a mortorolla v220 or something or other
i like it, and it has normal rings
oh its a flip phone

 

[Illuminati]

I despise your kind.


How's Nextel? I don't know anyone going through them.

Nextel is going to be bought sometime soon by Sprint. word is that after they get bought out, the walkie talkie service is going to be done away with by Sprint.
Check out T-Mobile. i've been with them, and never had any problems. they have free nation wide long distance calling. plus, if you travel a lot, they have free roaming. they will do anything to make sure that you are satisfied with your service.
they have a plan that is 600 anytime minutes, plus free nights and weekends for $40.

here's a link to the phones that they offer:
http://tmobile.com/products/default.asp?sect=perInd&class=phone

here's a link to the plans that they offer:
http://www.t-mobile.com/locator.asp?referer=/plans/Default.asp?tab=national
you will have to put in your city or zip code to get the plans that are offered in you location.

 

[manny78]

Audiovox 8910. That's what I have. Great cellphone.

 

[monkey arms]

If you are going to switch to Cingular, take a look at the motorola Razor. It may have a few bells and whistles you don't want, but It seems these days the higher end phones have a bunch of useless gadgets we may just have to deal with.

 

[sawastea]

x2

 

[SoKlueles]

If you are going to switch to Cingular, take a look at the motorola Razor. It may have a few bells and whistles you don't want, but It seems these days the higher end phones have a bunch of useless gadgets we may just have to deal with.

agreed
some of the things on mine i have no clue what they are but it rings and stuff and it works so its good

 

[samoth]

x2

²

 

[jaded]

Go to http://www.phonescoop.com and click 'phone finder'...you can enter the criteria you're looking for and it will come up with a list of phones that are available (or coming soon, depending on what you check off on your search)...

Here are some...

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/fi...&avr=r&av_2=y&ffr=r&ff_2=y&f5r=r&f3r=r&f61r=r

 

[Lestat]

I wouldn't go with Cingular, stick with a CDMA network, I reccomend Verizon.

QUALCOMM doesn't make phones anymore, Kyocera bought their handset division. There are many phones that use QUALCOMM chips though including LG, Samsung, Kyocera, Audiovox, Motorolla, and more. I'd go with one of them. The LG's are very nice.

Cingular generally is a lesser quality network then the CDMA networks, however it also depends on your service area.

 

[slickdadd]

Verizon is what I have and I have never had problems. Service all depends on your area and who has the widest coverage. For here, it is by far Verizon. Cingular just merged with AT&T.

 

[Lady Viking]

http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/

 

[jaded]

I wouldn't go with Cingular, stick with a CDMA network, I reccomend Verizon.

QUALCOMM doesn't make phones anymore, Kyocera bought their handset division. There are many phones that use QUALCOMM chips though including LG, Samsung, Kyocera, Audiovox, Motorolla, and more. I'd go with one of them. The LG's are very nice.

Cingular generally is a lesser quality network then the CDMA networks, however it also depends on your service area.

I guess it depends on where you live, but I've found that I get better coverage and reception on the GSM networks than the CDMA networks?

Samsung and LG phones are nice... I have a Motorola right now.

 

[Lestat]

I guess it depends on where you live, but I've found that I get better coverage and reception on the GSM networks than the CDMA networks?

Samsung and LG phones are nice... I have a Motorola right now.

GSM generally speaking is a low quality signal, its older technology.

 

[jaded]

GSM generally speaking is a low quality signal, its older technology.

Even with the implementation of the 850/800 band on most networks?

Also, how is CDMA coverage internationally? Maybe a GSM phone would be a better option if he plans to travel abroad?

 

[Lestat]

Even with the implementation of the 850/800 band on most networks?

Also, how is CDMA coverage internationally? Maybe a GSM phone would be a better option if he plans to travel abroad?

CDMA still provides higher quality and fast data rates.

If you travel abroad with a cingular phone you are going to pay through the nose on roaming fees and what not.

 

[jackangel]

you looking to buy?
or just steal from someone on the street?

i'm just saying.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

A friend of mine swears on Nokia phones. He's had a few that he used and abused and they held up great. My last phone was a Nokia. No bells and whistles, not a flip up phone, pretty slim and comfortable in my pocket. Didn't even have a color screen. My gf dropped hers a few times and the case came open a little bit, but it popped back in without much struggle. The phone still worked flawlessly. They were dirt cheap but we got them free with our contract.

We just got Motorola V180 phones. Flip up, color screen, but pretty normal as far as phones go. There's plenty of normal rings on them, vibrate, silent mode, etc. If you're so inclined, they have a USB port and with the right software you can make your own ringtones and transfer them to the phone (I now have a Slayer ringtone). You can also transfer images to the phone (I have a pic of my piercing on mine ) and use them for wallpaper. They were under $80 I think, but got them free with our contract.

The only thing I don't like about the V180 is I have dropped mine twice and the battery cover came off. Still works fine though.

 

[samoth]

Good information on this thread.

Sprint has problems all over the south east part of Wisconsin. Not many problems in Indiana, Minnesota, or Illinois though.

Everyone I've known that lives in Wisconsin and Indiana have never had a dumped call with Cingular, so they have a good reputation in my areas. Not as many use Verizon, but I've never heard of any problems. Haven't heard anything good about AT&T in Wisconsin, either.

What are your guys's phone life expectancies? Like, the physical phone as a whole, not the batteries. I've had people that purchased mid-line ($75-$150) phones that had numerous problems or even broke within months or even weeks. My Qualcomm has lasted almost four years and not a single problem.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Good information on this thread.

Sprint has problems all over the south east part of Wisconsin. Not many problems in Indiana, Minnesota, or Illinois though.

Everyone I've known that lives in Wisconsin and Indiana have never had a dumped call with Cingular, so they have a good reputation in my areas. Not as many use Verizon, but I've never heard of any problems. Haven't heard anything good about AT&T in Wisconsin, either.

What are your guys's phone life expectancies? Like, the physical phone as a whole, not the batteries. I've had people that purchased mid-line ($75-$150) phones that had numerous problems or even broke within months or even weeks. My Qualcomm has lasted almost four years and not a single problem.

I think my Nokia would've lasted forever. It's the one thing I like about the non-flip phones - less parts to break. A friend of mine sat down and his phone hit the wall and he broke the hinge on the flip cover. He had it on a swivel thing on his belt. This is one reason that I prefer sticking them in my pocket.

Friend that swears by Nokia phones had his first one for well over a year before he upgraded. Phone was in perfect condition minus some scratches on the case from dropping it.

I've heard Motorolas don't have a great life expectancy, but I've had mine since January and havn't had a problem yet. It better hold up for 2 years, as that's the length of our contract before we can renew and get free phones

FYI (in case you didn't know) - just because your provider doesn't use a certain brand phone doesn't mean you can't use something different. There's web forums specifically for cell phones that can tell you how to "unlock" the phone to use it on whatever carrier you have.

 

[theoak01]

find a carrier with a samsung x426,its a simple phone but you can upgrade to fancy shit later if you decide to become a lamewad

 

[jaded]

find a carrier with a samsung x426,its a simple phone but you can upgrade to fancy shit later if you decide to become a lamewad

Yeah, I've heard good things about the x426/427 too. The e316/e317 is good as well, it's the same phone as the x426 but with an outside display and a camera (but you said you don't want a camera). It's a GSM phone - Cingular & AT&T both carry it... although it *may* be discontinued now.

Nokia phones generally have excellent RF and withstand a lot of abuse... I've had 2 Nokia phones, but of which were pretty good. They were fairly basic models, too.

Like crak pointed out, you don't need to use a phone that your carrier provides...if another carrier has a phone you like you can buy it outright, get it unlocked (usually about $40) and then pop your carrier's sim card into it (again, this is only doable with GSM phones which use sim cards)

 

[theoak01]

Yeah, I've heard good things about the x426/427 too. The e316/e317 is good as well, it's the same phone as the x426 but with an outside display and a camera (but you said you don't want a camera). It's a GSM phone - Cingular & AT&T both carry it... although it *may* be discontinued now.

I wish I got the e316,I really hate not having a outside display,I like to know who is calling before I open the phone and cant close it again till the machine kicks in

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Yeah, I've heard good things about the x426/427 too. The e316/e317 is good as well, it's the same phone as the x426 but with an outside display and a camera (but you said you don't want a camera). It's a GSM phone - Cingular & AT&T both carry it... although it *may* be discontinued now.

Nokia phones generally have excellent RF and withstand a lot of abuse... I've had 2 Nokia phones, but of which were pretty good. They were fairly basic models, too.

Like crak pointed out, you don't need to use a phone that your carrier provides...if another carrier has a phone you like you can buy it outright, get it unlocked (usually about $40) and then pop your carrier's sim card into it (again, this is only doable with GSM phones which use sim cards)

Screw paying to get it unlocked when there's plenty of info out there on how to unlock it yourself

 

[samoth]

FYI (in case you didn't know) - just because your provider doesn't use a certain brand phone doesn't mean you can't use something different. There's web forums specifically for cell phones that can tell you how to "unlock" the phone to use it on whatever carrier you have.

You can do that??

Damn, I never even heard that.

 

[chewyxrage]

My roommate just got cingular and it doesn't work in our apartment. I have Sprint PCS and it does. Go figure.

If you wanna be sure find someone who has it and take it to those places. Otherwise you'll just be frustrated all over again. And very few cell phones work on elevators.

 

[samoth]

My roommate just got cingular and it doesn't work in our apartment. I have Sprint PCS and it does. Go figure.

If you wanna be sure find someone who has it and take it to those places. Otherwise you'll just be frustrated all over again. And very few cell phones work on elevators.

That's actually the first time I've heard of a Cingular phone not working somewhere! lol

I see lots of people use cells in elevators here. Anyone with Sprint gets dropped, but from what I can tell it appears that Cingular keeps a good signal. Not sure of the significance of a small event like that, but it makes Cingular look better than what I have now.

 

[split endz]

Alright bro, let me help you out. I use Cingular, which I would recommend because, they are the largest cellular provider in the US (after the merger w/AT&T) & their coverage is improving greatly, even in remote areas. I live in a very mountainous remote area where cell service sux in general, but with Cingular, my coverage has improved over the years & is now pretty much flawless. Now to the phones: I am close friends with the owner of local cell phone stores & can get any phone I want pretty much for free. I use the Razor & like it very much. It does have a camera, but it isn't at all gadgety. It looks very sleek & modern, it functions well, battery life is great (I use my phone alot & only charge about once a week), it has an outside display window so you can see who is calling without opening the phone/answering the call, it gets alot of attention (people actually say," hey, you've got the razor, wish my carrier had that phone."), it has basic, professional-sounding ring tones, keypad is flat & very modern looking, keys illuminate blue at night, etc,etc. It has many other features, but looks very professional & functions very well in every aspect. I really have no complaints about the razor, and one of my favorite things about it is the size. It is very flat, so, I can actually slip in in my pocket & you can hardly see or feel it. Some phones are narrower, but none are thinner than the Razor. I have heard that they are expensive, but if you are upgrading, I'm sure you can get the price down some. Dude, go for the best... get the Razor. Note: I have way less karma than anyone else who responded to this thread.

 

[samoth]

Thanks! It looks to be around $190, so it's about the same price as my last phone.

I don't really care if there's a camera on the phone, I just despise the fact that I'd be paying for it. Even if it was a free option, I would still decline. But if everything else's right, it's not a concern or anything.

And why hasn't Sprint done anything to expand their coverage in the last FIVE years? lol That's the only problem I have with them, their phones don't work in so many areas.