Ok guys, I need a cellphone

[Yiggs]

Anybody got some tips or advice on purchasing a cell phone? I just need one since I've become more active socially and nobody can ever reach me (lol, just call me house, I never leave.) So I won't need a lot of minutes. A cool phone is always nice but not needed. And I guess if I can get txt messaging that'd be nice.














:o

[Teedy]

I'm quite happy with my Nokia 6275i It's been a great phone! :D

[Milkman Dan]

I bought my Nokia 6030 refurbished for about $30.

[Ramirez]

Nokia 6170, PURE FUCKING METAL

http://www.bargainoffers.com/Cell/Nokia/nokia_6170.jpg

[BlindSite]

Look for good battery life and if you're going to get a camera get a great one, because having a shitty camera is more annoying than none.

[Apathy]

Make sure you go to an authorized dealer, I recommend using t-mobile, when you go pick a nice phone (a razr wouldnt be too bad a choice) and negotiate the price of the phone with the contract.

The sale of the contract will make the company more money than the overhead on the phone, stick to your guns and if he refuses tell him to call the manager. If he still refuses, hes just being an idiot, threaten to go to the "other" cell place down the way, he should cave if he's smart.

Authorized dealers have a certain number of activations they have to meet per day, it is split up amongst the employees. They will do virtually anything to make the sale on the contract. So no matter how cool hes making it sound, and how much he tells you the price cant change, keep at it.

If you do it right, you can get a razr for $50 with a $50 mail in rebate, or you may be able to get it for free.

Edit: Do not go to a corporate distributor, they cant mess with prices, its a waste of time.

[Supplanter]

...if you're going to get a camera get a great one, because having a shitty camera is more annoying than none.

Absolutely, I always feel like I have a camera with me but when I look at the pics they are all shit (Motorola V220)

[Captain Colon]

just get a pay-as-you-go phone for like $5 if you don't plan on using it much.

[Gopats]

just get a pay-as-you-go phone for like $5 if you don't plan on using it much.
QFE

[Polish Hill]

I got an Audiovox CDM 8940 two years ago and its been great to me ever since. I'll be in the market for a new phone soon as well.

[pk!]

my nokia n70 is lovely - really good camera, and usual smartphone functions.

If you were in the UK I'd advise getting a second-hand unlocked phone and putting in a pay as you go SIM card - calls cost about as much as a contract but you're not tied to that telco and you can manage your budget more precisely.

All mobiles support SMS (text messaging).

If you don't want a superphone then get the cheapest you can - you can probably get a nokia 3210 for the cost of a hamburger.

[Teedy]

I got an Audiovox CDM 8940 two years ago and its been great to me ever since. I'll be in the market for a new phone soon as well.


Audiovox is defunct, and almost no carriers handle their phones due the garbage quality, I had an 8910 and it was HORRIBLE.

[Polish Hill]

Meh I had a Verizon one and had no problems with it so I clearly had a different experience

[Teedy]

Most companies have pulled the brand however, so it's obviously a widespread problem.

[Yiggs]

alright, so I'll probably go for a pay as you go phone. Can I get any phone and then use a card like pk said, or is it like disposable cameras vs. normal cameras? you get what you pay for?

[Captain Colon]

They pretty much do everything contract phones do.

[Glock23]

www.letstalk.com

this is where i got my plan, got a samsung d807 and a plan for 16 dollars total.

[Yiggs]

Well, I can get a free razr if I go for this 2 year plan, but it's 40 bucks a month, and may not even be that great. I don't specifically wanta razr, but that slim wide look with the glowing keypad is just sexy. :(

[Glock23]

razrs are lame

get something different than everyone else, i know you can find something cool for free/$50 if you look around on that site

[Captain Colon]

that slim wide look with the glowing keypad is just sexy. :(
It's really fucking overrated as far as practicality...my crappy little Samsung I've got right now is almost perfect as far as ergonomics, it's really easy to flip open and decently easy to key one-handed. It also flew out of my pocket somehow when I lol'd off my bike and rolled down the highway and still works.

[Glock23]

My samsung is pretty nice as well, and my friend has a Sony Ericsson phone that has an impressive feature set, if not a very seductive aesthetic.

Look around; just because everyone has a Razr doesn't mean they're good. Also, not all razrs are created equal, as different providers add and subtract different features from the phones themselves.

[Teedy]

I hate RAZR's, think they're ugly to be honest. Find a phone that you are COMFORTABLE using that fits in your pants etc that you like the look of and go with that. :)

[StandingCow]

Razr's are ugly as hell, and thick, the front screen can crack easy.

Now I went and got a Krzr k1 is fucking awesome.. and kinda expensive.

[Teedy]

Also, don't go for a feature packed phone if you won't use it. Sometimes the best reception comes in the simpler phones. :)

[Polish Hill]

Has anyone had any experience with a PDA styled phone? I've recently discovered that more and more I need to utilize a planner but its very impractical for me to do so. I have a friend who has one but I haven't asked her what its like and it seems kind of big.

-e- I guess these are Blackberries and such

[Polish Hill]

I have no idea how useful it would be for you Yiggi but www.cnet.com was a pretty good resource for me

[Yiggs]

razrs aren't ugleh! :mad:


a 2 year commitment sounds like a long time to be stuck with something. :\ I think I may just go for a prepaid dealio. 200 minutes is really all I should need at the moment. Thing is that means I'll be spending quite a bit more on the phone it self. Damn you cellphone companies, hath you no soul?!

[pk!]

You could do worse than go here

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/phones/catalog.do

[Onyx]

If you feel like checking eBay:

http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=us&lc=en&ver=4000&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10179

VERY hard to find this phone. They stopped making it a while ago, but it's amazing. Sleek, sexy, and not at a high price now because it's an older phone (And I think it looks better than those new ones anyway).


Or you could just wait for this bad boy:
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/iphone_narrowweb__300x353,2.jpg

[GrosPoisson]

Razr's are ugly as hell, and thick

I'm not all that big a fan of their looks either; the "LOLOL XBOX IS HUEG" chunk at the bottom that serves as the mouthpiece and antenna looks stupid when the phone is open. On the other hand, I had a phone prior to my Razr that was nearly twice as tall/thick, so that makes up for it for me. I hate carrying a lot of stuff in my pockets, as I can feel all of it chafing against my legs through my clothes, and my old phone was terrible with that.

The interface Verizon loaded onto mine is absolute garbage, but I'm having a lot of fun customizing the wallpaper, ringtones, etc. which I could never do on my old LG VX3200 phone. Also, I got it for free after rebate when I renewed my contract with Verizon last summer, so I'm not complaining (that much).

[StandingCow]

razrs aren't ugleh! :mad:


a 2 year commitment sounds like a long time to be stuck with something. :\ I think I may just go for a prepaid dealio. 200 minutes is really all I should need at the moment. Thing is that means I'll be spending quite a bit more on the phone it self. Damn you cellphone companies, hath you no soul?!

You would think so.. but it goes so fast, and before you know it, its time to resign. Really, long as you have a good plan, why not do it?

Even settle on my house, I Am not going to have a house phone, just my cell, there is really no reason for more than one.

[White Pony]

I wouldn't recommend a razr. I have had three of them, one new and two refurbished ones that the cingular sent me. They have a really horrible battery life, so I have to charge daily, which is a hassle. But, they do take a beating, mine have been through a lot of dropping and stepping on. The buttons were my downfall with two of them, for some reason they like to stop working.

I'd take a pay-as-you-go if you're not going to use it a lot.

[pk!]

its time to re-sign.

Fixed.

It's like the difference between unionised and un-ionised.

[Apathy]

It's really fucking overrated as far as practicality...my crappy little Samsung I've got right now is almost perfect as far as ergonomics, it's really easy to flip open and decently easy to key one-handed. It also flew out of my pocket somehow when I lol'd off my bike and rolled down the highway and still works.

Lets note that all the anti-razr comments are purely opinion.

Yes, theres not really a need to get a razr, especially if you want a quad-band phone for exceptional signal in most areas, a camera with a pretty decent resolution for a base model phone, the ability to download a few pieces of software and unlock the phone and give it your own personal characteristics including uploading Mp3s to the phone to use as ringtones, oh yea, and its FREE.

Get the razr, get the plan, buy a hardcover case for it to protect the outside, they are actually pretty durable phone provided you done bend it the wrong way like a toolshed.

I wouldn't recommend a razr. I have had three of them, one new and two refurbished ones that the cingular sent me. They have a really horrible battery life, so I have to charge daily, which is a hassle. But, they do take a beating, mine have been through a lot of dropping and stepping on. The buttons were my downfall with two of them, for some reason they like to stop working.

I'd take a pay-as-you-go if you're not going to use it a lot.

Having the plug your phone into a wall charger before you go to sleep is a hassle?

[Captain Colon]

I can take my phone on weekend trips without having to recharge it once. It'll last like a week if I set it to power-save mode.

[Apathy]

I can take my phone on weekend trips without having to recharge it once. It'll last like a week if I set it to power-save mode.

I had a nokia from virgin mobile some years back, i used to have to charge it once a week.

Now thats battery life.

[Captain Colon]

That's what you get when your screen is a crappy little LCD :)

[Teedy]

Basically what we're all saying is that buying a cell phone is like buying shoes. You need to find what you think is pretty that fits well, is comfortable and not going to empty your wallet.

[pk!]

my Panasonic GD-88 lasts a week on one charge, my Nokia N70 lasts about 2 days if I use the mp3 player. Basically, the more they do, the shorter the battery life. Because my Panasonic is so small (possibly the smallest ever made) I carry it as a spare and switch the SIM card over. It's weird having a phone so small you can't remember which pocket you put it in.

[White Pony]

Having the plug your phone into a wall charger before you go to sleep is a hassle?

To go overnight anywhere means I need to take my charger or be phone-less for the day.