I Need a New Cell Phone

[frankie big face]

Hey Everyone. I need a new cell phone and I am hoping you will help me pick one. First, I should say I hate cell phones. If I could throw mine away, I would. But at this point, that would be irresponsible, so I want to make the best of it and get a good phone. I just want a phone. I don't care about text messaging, e-mail, surfing the web, bluetooth, a camera, ring tones, MP3 playing--there are almost no features I can see myself using other than the phone itself.

Having said all that, if someone wants to convince me of the value of having such a phone, I am not opposed to change.

Price is not a big deal, but I'm also not ready to drop $800 on iPhones for me and my wife and I am happy with my current monthly plan (500 minutes or so, free long distance, no roaming charges) runs about $65/month for both lines. I would like to keep my cell number, so unless there is a good reason not to be using AT&T, I'll probably stick with them.

Go, Songfighters, go! Pick my phone!!

[jack]

i have a motorola razr. i like it mostly because it's small and flat and sits nicely in almost any pocket. and has no protruding antenna to break off.

and i have cingular (ATT). you can probably get one like mine dirt cheap these days.

[Märk]

If you don't need any 'features', why would you be asking advice? Just get the cheapest phone. They generally work fine as... phones. Or is this a status symbol thing?

[roymond]

I love my iPhone, but I won't try to sell you on one. And even if I did, I'd make you wait for the new version. My Blackberry sucks as a phone or anything other than a corporate email tool. We're testing Active Synch on the iPhone next month so hopefully it will go away soon.

My wife has an LG CU575 clam shell she loves. It's pink. We're an AT&T family too.

[Reist]

I've got a RAZR. It's a pretty good phone - sometimes glitches up on me, but nothing serious. I take some pictures with it on special occasions, and the video recorder is nice to have on trips when you need to record a quick demo that you've got in your head.

It's also really thin - that's the reason I got it. I always hated carrying around a cell because it makes you look like you've got a boner. ALL THE TIME. The RAZR eliminates that problem.

Also, text messaging has turned out to be a good thing for me. I use it more than actually calling people - it's kind of tough to figure out, but once you get it down, it's really convenient.

[frankie big face]

For the record, I would love to get an iPhone, but I just hate the idea of spending so much money on it. Plus, I have to buy two. If I were only buying one, it wouldn't be so bad.

Good point Mark. This is really more of a quality issue, I guess. Like if you told me you have a Blackberry Pearl and you dropped it once and it hasn't worked right since, I wouldn't want it. I've dropped my Sony Ericsson phone in just about every parking lot I've ever been in and it usually snaps right back. Until now.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I'm with you on how useless tons of features are on a cell phone. I thought that I'd like a phone that can do everything, but it turns out, I don't.

My cell phone is for:
Calling people
People calling me
The date
The time
My Hoblitone ring tone

That's it.

So, with that said. Go to the AT&T store, tell the pubescent kid that you want two of their best phones and that you don't want to pay more than $300 bux.

[jimtyrrell]

I have a Tracfone. It's been good. It doesn't do much but send and receive calls and text messages. The price works out to about ten cents a minute* with no contract, as long as I buy a card for it every couple months.

I've dropped it more than once. It's as well built as one could hope for a cell phone to be. My only gripe is that I'd like to get a newer model, but I don't know how to do that and retain my existing phone number. There's probably a way though.

*within a (roughly) statewide calling area. It doubles outside of that.

[Brick Pig]

I'll put in another vote for the RAZR (or however I'm s'posed to misspell it).

Like you, I only have a cell because I feel like it's soemthing of a necessity. I couldn't possibly care less about any of the features other than the phone itself. In fact, at one point I started getting SPAM text messages and I went to the Verizon kiosk in Costco and had them turn off my text feature altogether. But anyway, last time I changed phones, I walked into the store and told them all I care about was phone service and MAXIMUM portability. They put me into a RAZR, and it's been exactly what I wanted.

You've (FBF) personally heard me talk on it, and I've always been able to hear you talk back. That pretty much sums up the phone function for me. And it fits into any pocket I want to put it in, even that little watch-pocket on jeans.

In the interest of full disclosure, Mrs. Brick Pig doesn't really love it. She says she can't talk on it without accidentally pressing the buttons along the outer edge. To my knowledge, she has never actually pressed one of these buttons, but she is convinced it's a problem and as you've probably noticed there are some things you just can't argue her out of. (These buttons have never been a problem for me.)

[Hoblit]

I'm with you on how useless tons of features are on a cell phone. I thought that I'd like a phone that can do everything, but it turns out, I don't.

My cell phone is for:
Calling people
People calling me
The date
The time
My Hoblitone ring tone

That's it.

ME TOO. I don't even like the idea of combining my mp3 player and phone... I actually like them to be separate. I hate phone pics. (at least until they start getting better on average) I never use the internet browser on my phone...and even if I did its not part of my plan and would cost me a fortune.

I'd use the Hoblitone if my phone supported it, but it's just MIDI for me

IN OTHER WORDS FRANKIE: just get the 'cheapest' phone offered by AT&T and you'll be fine.

[Me$$iah]

I cant add nothing to this..... I dont even have a cell phone..

damn things.... I wont get one I tells ye... I wont

[fluffy]

I have gone through many many cellphones (trying to find The Perfect One) and keep going back to Sony Ericssons, which have the right blend of features and usability (compared to most cellphones anyway). I like my Sony Ericsson W580i. It's pretty decent as far as Internet-capable PDA-functionality phones go. However, when the new iPhone comes out, I will probably be getting one, because ever since I got an iPod Touch for use as a PDA I've found myself much preferring the iPhone UI, and since I mostly use my phone for data access it'd be nice to just have the iPhone interface everywhere, not just where I have WiFi access.

Incidentally I know some guys at Sony Ericsson and most of them are considering getting iPhones too. It's kind of sad how thoroughly Apple has won the game on their first try (well, second, if you count the Newton), and how all the competitors are trying to catch up but completely missing the point of what makes the iPhone so good.

Anyway. When the new iPhone comes out, expect to be able to get the old ones on eBay for cheap. The rate plans are a bit weird though (or at least, they're weird in the context of cellphone plans in how simple they are, but yeah they're also a bit pricier than other phones', probably because there's the quite-reasonable expectation that iPhone users will use much more data bandwidth than normal phone owners).

If you really want it's-just-a-phone phones, though, I still recommend Sony Ericsson. They sync to a Mac with no extra software or cables, their built-in email client and web browser are adequate for casual use, and while the UI takes a little getting used to if you haven't used one before, once you do get used to it, it's EXTREMELY consistent and has never had a major change. (Note that I am referring to the classic SE phones, and not the Windows Mobile ones, which are big piles of crap thanks to Windows Mobile being a big pile of crap.)

Or if you want to be really retro, pick up an old (pre-Sony) Ericsson T39m. That is still my favorite it's-just-a-phone phones of all time. I'd probably still be using mine if the speaker didn't give out (after many years of faithful service). It's probably the phone which I've used the most, because while it only has a black-and-white screen and an old beepy ringer, it also had wonderful address book and calendar sync with the Mac and one of the better (if basic) Bluetooth implementations, and a great form factor which made it tiny when folded up but quite usable when unfolded. One of the newer W-series phones is basically the W580i in the T39m's form factor, which is just perfection right there.

Oh, and another iPhone thing: one of the animators I hang out with has an iPhone which he justifies as also being a laptop replacement. He uses it to carry his portfolio everywhere with him and taking notes on and so on. It's certainly more compelling in a big-picture way than, say, the Asus Eee.

[Caravan Ray]

I hate mobile phones - but I bought a mobile phone yesterday - only because I currently don't have a house, so it is sort of essential.

Just go into the shop and ask for the cheapest phone in the shop that uses a pre-paid SIM - no deals, no lock-ins to any carrier, and tell them they can jam their cameras and ringtones and whatever up their arses.

When the shop boy tries to show you a range of models - you glare at him and repeat more loudly - I WANT THE CHEAPEST PHONE IN THE SHOP - WHICH ONE IS IT?

Turned out to be Nokia something or other for NZ$99 (about USD$50 I suppose).

It works. It is a phone. I am happy (well, about as happy as I can be about a phone)

[fluffy]

BTW, rumor has it that the latest iPhone will actually have a carrier subsidy, so if you don't mind a 2-year contract you can (supposedly) get it for as little as $200. I'm sure we'll find out actual pricing on Tuesday, in any case.

[Billy's Little Trip]

BTW, rumor has it that the latest iPhone will actually have a carrier subsidy, so if you don't mind a 2-year contract you can (supposedly) get it for as little as $200. I'm sure we'll find out actual pricing on Tuesday, in any case.

Yes, but can it shoot around corners?

[fluffy]

Since it will supposedly have both front- and back-mounted cameras (the front one for videoconferencing), yes, yes it can.