Anyone want to help me pick a new cellphone and/or provider?

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

I'm with Sprint now, just finished a 2-year contract. Pretty happy with Sprint but I'm interested in switching if I can improve coverage with the other guys.

Current plan
--------
2000 minutes
2 phones share
Free "low speed" www access
Roaming
Unlimited everything
$100-20% IBM discount = Bill us usually $85/mo for 2 phones

What I'm looking for in a provider/plan:
--------
800+ minutes
2 phones share
Better coverage (possible?) than Sprint
High speed / high function wireless web
Roaming
Don't need many text messages
Less than $100/mo for 2 phones

Here's what I'm looking for in a phone:

1+ MP Camera that actually works
Flip
Small (or at least thin) and light
Durable, not gimmicky
Large screen for surfing
BT
No antenna or stub
Good battery life

I am considering some version of pocket PDA / Blackjack etc but I'm not willing to spend much on the phone or more on a special PDA plan. It would be great to keep all my contact information in one place again on a phone. I just want to be able to check email and surf the web while stuck waiting in line at stores and stuff right now. But who knows, maybe a fully functional pda phone would be more handy than I think since I rarely leave home without my laptop.

So has anyone gone through this or have any thoughts? Or recommendations? I find it almost impossible to go online and get a true recommendation of "which phone" since the cell phone companies seem to cycle phone models so quickly!

Thanks

David Spratte · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:42 am

You might be surprised at the deal Sprint might work with you to keep you.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:00 am

if you are happy with Sprint as a provider, then you'll be happy with anyone.

get an iPhone...i hear they are G-R-E-A-T

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:26 pm

Mike, I've been with Cingular/ATT for a few years now and am quite happy. The few coverage holes I've found over the years, mostly at racetracks, seem to have been filled in nicely.

Just bought a Nokia N75. The battery life leaves a little bit to be desired, but otherwise it's great. 2MP camera, an actual web HTML browser, good call quality so far. Battery life is not bad for just talking on it, but once you start cruising the web, using bluetooth, etc., it kind of tanks quickly. I always leave mine on the charger overnight though, so I have yet to run it down completely.

Don't forget that you get a 50% discount on equipment through ATT as a result of working for IBM.

Mark me down as voting against Motorola. My last phone, a SLVR L7, lasted under one year before a hardware failure.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Chris Brown wrote:

get an iPhone...i hear they are G-R-E-A-T

Really, read this great article I found in the newspaper about the iPhone..

http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/arc ... 70727.html

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

AT&T has the worst coverage in America, yet Apple went with them. Weird. I've been a Verizon fan for years, and will continue to do business with them since their customer support is in Wilmington, not Rangpur. As far as phones go, stay away from the Motorola Q.

Will it blend -- iPhone edition.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:59 pm

Wes Eargle wrote:

Will it blend -- iPhone edition.

I gotta buy one of those blenders some day.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:02 pm

Just so that my only post is not a hijack...

Mike, I have been using Verizon for a few years now and am generally happy. My complaints if any have been with specific phones and even most of those phones were available via different providers anyhow and it was not a Verizon issue.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Richard Casto wrote:

Wes Eargle wrote:

Will it blend -- iPhone edition.

I gotta buy one of those blenders some day.

If it weren't four benjamins, I'd own one.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

OK so we have one "Sprint sucks" and one "AT&T sucks". Can anyone complain about Verizon to round out the poll?

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:54 am

I have Alltel and have been please with their service and coverage. At VIR people with Sprint can't get a signal unless they stand on one foot while chanting. I have 5 bars anywhere on the site. As a matter of fact I have 5 bars 98% of the time.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:58 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

OK so we have one "Sprint sucks" and one "AT&T sucks". Can anyone complain about Verizon to round out the poll?

When I initially dropped Sprint, I tried Verizon. It was the only phone that did not work - AT ALL - at my house. Sort of important. No signal, no anything.

This was years ago and maybe it's gotten better, but for the past like three years, ATT/Cingular has been money for me.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:00 pm

My wife and I have had Verizon for three years and other than the outrageous cost of cellular service these days (IMO), I've got no gripes and am getting ready to renew our contracts to get upgraded phones for just $50. I think the service is awesome and I can't remember the last time a call was dropped.

Also, I don't recommend the 'insurance' because if you can go one year with an incident, you break even.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Any other specific recommendations for phones from any carrier? Big screen, web enabled, decent camera, flip, bluetooth, light, good battery.

I've always had good luck with Samsung and LG. I've heard a few negatives about Motorola. Karl, that Nokia N75 is OOS.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:55 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

Any other specific recommendations for phones from any carrier? Big screen, web enabled, decent camera, flip, bluetooth, light, good battery.

I've always had good luck with Samsung and LG. I've heard a few negatives about Motorola. Karl, that Nokia N75 is OOS.

I've heard Verizon has the best NC coverage, but their cust svc has sucked. I have Cingular...er...AT&T now because their coverage is much better than Alltel. I don't have any coverage issues including the drive back from Laurinberg, down the east coast to FL etc. They may have had poor coverage in the old days, but I can't verify that now.

I have the standard Motorola Razr and like it, but don't use it for anything but phone. Seems to be reliable.

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