Cell Phones and Service Plans

[catfish]

Ive wanted to start this thread for a while, never got around to it. Im just kind of curious as to what cell phones and plans people use. Also warn people as to what phones are junk and which plans or companies are good or bad. So Ill start.

I had a Sanyo SCP-3200 through Sprint. Worked great for a year and a half before dying on me. Good basic phone but I wanted something a little more exciting with more features. I use Sprint btw. So I went in and ended up getting the Samsung Rant. It seemed like a good phone, built especially for texting.

The Rant sucked. It was heavy and bulky, like walking around with like two packs of cigs in your pocket. It was great for texting but thats about it. The phone would freeze and lock up on me. Would have to attempt to turn off or pull the battery. Absolutely worthless. Took forever to switch to different applications, phone, internet, texting, etc. I work in some very bad parts of town, kind of tough to diall 911 when I gotta pull a battery out of my phone to get it to reset.

So I took it back and of course Im the only idiot to ever have problems with it.

I ended up getting the Samsung Instinct and so far its a rocking cell. Basically its Sprints answer to the Iphone. Touch screen, 3G network, text, pic mail, vid cam, seemless movement between apps, micro SD card, on and on and on. It takes a little getting used to using a touch screen but so far I like it. I mean this baby is loaded with features I will probably never use, but loaded none the less.

As far as a plan, I have the everything data plan with 450 minutes. This allows me to surf the web, use GPS and navigation with the phone. I try not to talk a lot during the day so 450 minutes works for me.

So what does everyone else have?

[Backstop]

I don't really like talking on the phone.

Verizon - 350 mins a month.

I don't do texting, email, internet, take pictures, etc on my phone.

Guys at work were giving me grief about not using my phone much - checked that month and I used 13 mins.

Got a Motorola W755 about a month ago - I accidently washed my LG. And that LG sucked.

[Luke]

Ms. Luke and I use AT$T for cellphone provider. I have had an LG cu5000 since we signed up 2 years ago. The Ms. uses a Motorola Razor. I was
hapy with my LG for 23 months, then the battery began to crap out. If we renew the 2 year program with AT$T I could get a new phone but I am happy with my old one. AT$T wanted $60 for replacement battery. I found one on E-Bay for $6. LG now works as good as new.

We don't have internet or texting. We bought the phones primarily for communicating with each other and our small circle of friends. Our friends are AT$T users so most of our calls are free. I think at last count we had 7000 roll over minutes.

I use the camera and video recorder quite a bit and am happy with what it does. I also have the SDmicro card and use my phone for an MP3 player on occasion.

As stated in my voicebox message if I don't answer I am taking a shower or driving. I refuse to answer the phone while behind the wheel. Pisses some of my friends off, but that's just the way I roll.

Probably way more info than you wanted,

[Ryan Ruck]

My phone is provided through work so I can't help on pricing. I have a Blackberry Curve 8330 through Verizon. I'm pretty happy with it. It has a microSD slot so I picked up an 8GB card. This card works well for holding the pictures and video from the 2.0 megapixel camera. The 8330 also has a media player so the I have a number of MP3s loaded on the memory card. Work provides limited texting and unlimited data (with modem tethering). The BB also has Blackberry Messenger (a BB only IM client) which uses data rather than counting against text message usage.

A couple other accessories I have for the phone are the Aliph Jawbone and a yellow Otterbox case for it. I picked up the case because at work I'm always crawling around with the phone and, have actually dropped and broken a couple of my old phones. Plus RIM doesn't make a "ruggedized" model and I doubt work would get those anyway. The Otterbox makes it a tank for sure! The Jawbone is a great headset in terms of function (the noise canceling is unmatched) but sucks in terms of wear, in my opinion. To fix the problem of wearability, I've got a Jabra BT200 eargel on there in place of the crappy Jawbone gel. Also with using the BT200 gel, I don't have to use the rather uncomfortable ear loop.

Overall, my setup works really well.

[MinutemanCO]

Used a Sanyo VI2300 for years, still have it in fact. It worked great with no real frills. The battery started to go and I had a $150 credit with our provider, Sprint, so I ended up with a LG Rumor. It's got some gear: 1.6 MP camera, web app, sliding keyboard. Nothing too crazy. It was cheap.

I've never been big on cell phones. I just wanted it to be a good phone and have decent coverage. I have to say though, I like Sprint's Nextel Direct Connect option. I haven't changed plans yet but probably will in the future.

[Aplomb]

I have used Cricket for about 3 or 4 years now. I have always been fine with the company because there is no contract, unlimited minutes including long distance, no credit check and a flat monthly fee. My battery on my last phone (cricket audiovox) was getting worse and worse, along with the phone having been dropped several times so it finally totally died about 3 weeks ago. Yesterday I went to the Cricket store near my home, except it no longer had their sign on it. The phone store was now Boost Mobile.

And now I have a new phone along with my new carrier. I have my same old phone number on it. No credit check, no contract, straight $50 a month, even if you are late for some reason to pay the bill. Service includes everything w/o any additional cost except if you want to buy music or games. Text, internet, unlimited minutes long distance, walkie talkie, GPS etc. all included, w/o the $3.00 pop just to pay the bill at the store. It's a Motorola phone, slim, and $50. They were out of camera models. There are a lot more features on this phone than the more expensive camera phone that I had for the past 2 years. That camera was a piece of crap anyway. This model, i335, has buttons under some sort of durable rubber covering/skin and the access covering to charge, headphones, etc is also built to last it seems. The battery won't overcharge like my last experience either. You can also use pay as you go plans instead of the flat monthly rate. Cricket had come down to $40 for the month recently, but with all the little extra charges it was always at least $50 anyway. It was easy to say hello! to the new company.

I'd also like to mention that I really like the camera a lot better on a back up temp phone that I use w/ pay as you go that I bought from Walmart. It's a Net10 w/ 4Xzoom that is nice enough in an emergency when you forget your camera.

[Aplomb]

Pst, by the way, Boost Mobile is Sprint.

[Backstop]

Used a Sanyo VI2300 for years, still have it in fact.

I used a Motorla Star Tac (? sp) for about 6 yrs.

It started not working exactly right, so 2 yrs ago I stopped in the store to get a new one.

The salesman could not believe I was still using that phone. He was just a kid, and actually called my phone an antique.

HAHA!

He told my my phone wasn't working properly becuase it was almost not compatible with the system upgrades.

I still have that phone.

[MinutemanCO]

I used a Motorla Star Tac (? sp) for about 6 yrs.

That was a cool phone. I wanted one back in the day. Motorola now makes a phone, the i580 I think, that has the Direct Connect Walkie Talkie feature that I think would come in handy. The phone itself was also designed with Military assistance to be rugged. It looks like you could throw it against a wall and it'd survive.

[Malsua]

I have a casio G-Z One or GZ1 or Gzone or whatever the hell it is.

http://www.casiogzone.com/

It's "ruggedized". It has a camera but that's about it. It can do all the stuff a standard phone will do, but it's not an Iphone, Itouch, Blackberry or whatever.

It will however survive falling out of your pocket onto the cement floor. It works in the rain, in the pool and places where sissy phones get destroyed.

I've done a similar test as below. Works just fine.




I've also got an Ear Queer that's bluetooth for it but I don't use it much.

I'm on the 300 minutes a month plan with a 8% discount because I signed up at work. I pay $34/month. My highest usage in any one month was 115 minutes(family crisis). My average is about 10.

[Ryan Ruck]

Now that is an impressive phone Mal!

[Backstop]

Whaddya gonna do Mal - make a Motorola smoothie?

HAHA!

[Malsua]

ahem...Casio Smoothie

[Ryan Ruck]

Will it blend?

[Malsua]

True story, last fall at the pool at the hotel on the boardwalk, I was waiting for a call from my mom. I had the phone on the edge of the pool. It rang, I answered it, spoke to my mom and hung up. My SIL was worried I'd get it wet in the pool...so I said..not a problem...and tossed it at her. Since I had not intended for her to catch it, the look on her face was priceless as it sunk to the bottom of the pool. She missed it by that "" much. LOL.

[Malsua]

No, it won't blend. The blades will refuse to spin since they fear the phone.

[Ryan Ruck]

Hahaha!

[Backstop]

HAHA!

The LG I mentioned above did not survive a cycle with Whirlrpool.

Lost all my phone numbers - it won't even power up now.

But it's sure clean now.