sparrow Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I'm looking at getting a new cell phone soon and I am SO overwhelmed by the choices. What do you have and what do you like about it? Things that are musts on the phone: camera web capable (for weather, maps, etc.) What's the average monthly cost for a phone that is web capable? I've never sent a text message in my life and we're not big phone talkers, so I don't see us needing some plan with unlimited texts or minutes, etc. Thanks for your suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RahRah Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 The data plan (for web access) will be your highest expense to whatever plan you take, unless you take a bundle plan with minutes-text-data that packages all into one fee. I've had a cell phone since they were in suitcases (seriously - late 80's) and am pretty picky about my phone. For years I prefered a flip phone since it prevented "butt dialing" by accident. Now keypads lock, so that's not so much an issue with full-face phones. In the late 90's, early 2000's I used a phone and a palm.....so a couple of years ago, I moved from a flip-phone (motorola) to a Palm Centro since I was familiar with the Palm interface and the functionality. Hated it. The keypad was too small and that I had to shift to dial numbers was frustrating. I did like that I could touch the screen to do things though......which is why I migrated a couple of months ago to an iPhone - it's all touch on the screen and to me, easy to use and navigate on the web, get emails and such. I nver texted until I got the iPhone - it was too cumbersome on other phones, so I just didn't do it.....now I'm not a super-texter, but will occasionallly send a text when a call seems like more than I need to do to communicate something minor, like to DH - "can you pick up half & half on the way home" type stuff....doesn't need a call - quick text does the trick. Anyway, I like the iPhone.....but I also had a lot of the accessories already since I have an iTouch (having to buy them all at once can be pricey) - now DS plays with the iTouch more since the iPhone does everything the iTouch does + pics, phone, video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 Anyway, I like the iPhone.....but I also had a lot of the accessories already since I have an iTouch (having to buy them all at once can be pricey) - now DS plays with the iTouch more since the iPhone does everything the iTouch does + pics, phone, video. We have an ipod Touch, too, so I'm familiar with the interface. I guess I'm probably already leaning toward an iPhone, but I wondered if I wasn't missing something really cool (or really cool and remarkably cheap:D) with other phones. Thanks for your info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I've never sent a text message in my life and we're not big phone talkers, so I don't see us needing some plan with unlimited texts or minutes, etc. I'm not much of a phone person, so the thing I like best about mine is that it's cheap and available for emergencies--and very, very few people have my number. I use Virgin Mobile, which is a pay-as-you-go plan. It costs $20 for 3 months of service and I don't even use that up. I've sent texts--to dh and ds when needed. I don't web browse or take photos. Those things are neat but I just don't need them. If you're away from home a lot you might want something more. This is what works for me. :001_smile: Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 I'm not much of a phone person, so the thing I like best about mine is that it's cheap and available for emergencies--and very, very few people have my number. I use Virgin Mobile, which is a pay-as-you-go plan. It costs $20 for 3 months of service and I don't even use that up. I've sent texts--to dh and ds when needed. I don't web browse or take photos. Those things are neat but I just don't need them. If you're away from home a lot you might want something more. This is what works for me. :001_smile: Cinder Yeah, this is pretty much me. I've actually had a Tracfone for years and I'm ready to move up in the world. The big thing is that I want a camera! I'm tired of being at little scouting events where I didn't think to bring a camera and everybody is getting cute pictures with their phone :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 It is frustrating, isn't it? Ugh, I've been researching for about 2 weeks and I'm ready to pull my hair out. I even ordered phones over the weekend, but they are not what I want, so when they arrive, I need to take them to a local store and exchange them for what I do want. A few things I learned are that because Apple introduced the new 4G, the 3GS will drop drastically in price (soon, if it hasn't already). So, even places like Best Buy should have the 16gb iphone for $99, with ATT service. Another thing I learned is that some phones have way more radiation than others. Here is a site that lists them by mfg as well as just top/bottom 10 lists. Based on that list, I've decided to go with a Samsung product (either the Jack or the Flight) for myself and dh can get his iphone. I think. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I LOVE my iPhone. LOVE IT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 It is frustrating, isn't it? Ugh, I've been researching for about 2 weeks and I'm ready to pull my hair out. I even ordered phones over the weekend, but they are not what I want, so when they arrive, I need to take them to a local store and exchange them for what I do want. A few things I learned are that because Apple introduced the new 4G, the 3GS will drop drastically in price (soon, if it hasn't already). So, even places like Best Buy should have the 16gb iphone for $99, with ATT service. Another thing I learned is that some phones have way more radiation than others. Here is a site that lists them by mfg as well as just top/bottom 10 lists. Based on that list, I've decided to go with a Samsung product (either the Jack or the Flight) for myself and dh can get his iphone. I think. :tongue_smilie: Great info! Thanks for the radiation link. I had no idea :tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 I LOVE my iPhone. LOVE IT. Yes, it seems everyone does :D. We ARE an Apple family, so it's definitely in the realm of possibility going the iPhone route. It was the first phone I thought of, but considered going over to the dark side and looking at a Droid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Well, this afternoon I ended up getting dh the 16gb iphone 3GS - it was $99 at Best Buy (refurbished). They also have them at the ATT store for $149 (not refurb). Just fyi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Goldwater Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I like my Blackberry Pearl Flip 8230. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 My DH has a Blackberry through work on the AT&T network and he constantly complains about the network. Whenever we're out together, he always looks stuff up on my Verizon phone because it's way faster and more reliable. I used to want an iPhone but not any more. My brother has a Boost mobile pre-paid that runs on the Sprint network. It's $50/mo. for unlimited web, texts, and talk. The downside is that his coverage isn't as good. There will be places where I can get a signal and he can't. You have to decide what's important to you- price? Network reliability & coverage? Having access to all the cool iPhone apps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susu Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I just got an iphone, and since I am within the 30 day guarantee period, I am going to upgrade to the iphone 4 when in comes out on June 24. I had a Blackberry Pearl before this, and I did enjoy it (it was my first smartphone). However, there is no comparison for me...the Iphone rocks! I am really excited about the Iphone 4 because it has the only thing that was really lacking on my iphone...a rocking camera! The Iphone 4 has a 5x zoom, and a flash, HD picture quality, and a front facing lens as well as lens on the back. You can even do video chat with another Iphone 4. I hope it really is as good as the hype. At any rate, being a mac person, I was all about an iphone. I loved my Itouch, but hated carrying around both my phone and an Itouch. It is great to not only have them in one device, but a camera as well. I like a gadget that does it all! Now I don't have to worry about a camera (I was always leaving my camera behind.) The camera on the 3GS is good...much better than my Blackberry camera. But it is not as good as my Cybershot. I am hoping the Iphone 4 will be as good as they say it is...then I will not have to worry about carrying around my bulky camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I'm an iPhone girl and have been since the day they came out. I still have my original one, but DH said I should get the new one when it comes out in a couple of weeks. I am so excited. And my dd is excited because my old one becomes her iPod. That said, it is a luxury, and, as much as I would not like it, I could survive on less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I have the 32g iphone. I love, love, love, love it! My husband loves his too, and he *hates* the Blackberry that he carries for work. eta: I haven't had any trouble with network access, but that probably is dependent upon where you live. Even though the decision seems to be made, here are the things I love about it (including apps that I love, if you're looking): The camera actually takes decent pictures. There are a couple of apps that even work with the camera, allowing you to zoom, take photos in various hues (or with effects), etc. My hubby uses the camera+ app, I use the hipstamatic app (the latter is more fun and the former more functional). It syncs with my outlook calendar. I never bothered to use my outlook calendar before I got my phone. Now, as I scroll through my homeschool email lists, I can add things to the outlook calendar with a click and it syncs with the calendar on my phone. Amazing! I can access my facebook and have notifications push to my phone. My bank has an app that includes a feature that allows me to take a picture of a check and deposit it with my phone!! BooksApp: scans the upc code of books that you own and catalogs them (where have you been all my life?!?!). Grocery IQ: You scan the UPC code of things you buy and put in prices. It remembers them, so, you only have to do it once (you can adjust prices, size of items, etc later if you need to do so). You can make a grocery list, by selecting them from the saved items, then check the items off as you go and it adds up your grocery costs. LOVE IT! Pandora Radio: streaming internet radio, I use it in the car, you can't do that with the itouch. Surf Report: this is an essential app if you live near the beach. Google Voice: Ask it a question such as "how tall is the Eiffel Tower?" It googles it for you! LatinWord: Latin word of the day app. Shazam: you're out somewhere, you hear a new song (or a song from your past) and need the name. Just hit the shazam button, it "listens" to the song, gives you the name and the opportunity to buy it in itunes. Couch to 10k: lets you play your music in the background and plays the cues for you to walk and run. The Safari App lets you access the internet, I can browse TWTM while hanging out at the soccer field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 How much do those of you with the iPhones pay per month? If I was switching from Verizon to At&t, and needed three lines for around $140 (including at least one iPhone)... Is that possible? I heard At&t dropped their unlimited plans. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwind Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 probably because I am committed to Verizon. We have six lines with Verizon (5 on family plan and 1 extra for my mother), and four of us are huge texters. I have the Env2. My daughter and husband have Env3's, and we all love them. I can get internet and email on my phone (cannot send email though). If iPhone becomes available through Verizon, I will look at switching to one, but Verizon is the best. Our plan has unlimited texting, and internet capacity on my phone and my husband's phone, 400 minutes per month. The internet is $10 extra for our plan, per phone, and the unlimited texting for five lines is $35/month. Because my husband travels so much, we have become very frequent texters as it helps us keep in touch throughout the day. I have had my Env2 since Dec 2008 and absolutely love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 How much do those of you with the iPhones pay per month? If I was switching from Verizon to At&t, and needed three lines for around $140 (including at least one iPhone)... Is that possible? I heard At&t dropped their unlimited plans. :confused: Our two iPhones and 1 non-iPhone is 158.62 with unlimited data, 200 texts and I am not sure how many minutes this month. I went over by a few texts, so it is usually a little less. (Maybe $1 or $2 less) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Our two iPhones and 1 non-iPhone is 158.62 with unlimited data, 200 texts and I am not sure how many minutes this month. I went over by a few texts, so it is usually a little less. (Maybe $1 or $2 less) That's not bad... I may have to re-think At&t. Verizon has become very $$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 How much do those of you with the iPhones pay per month? If I was switching from Verizon to At&t, and needed three lines for around $140 (including at least one iPhone)... Is that possible? I heard At&t dropped their unlimited plans. :confused: They have not dropped the unlimited plans *yet*. I read that the plan is to make data "tiers" for new users. We have two iphones, one non-iphone. Our plan includes unlimited texting and data, I think we have 1500 minutes for calling, with free nights and weekends. Our minutes also rollover, that helps a lot for busy months. It's $175/month including all taxes and fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConnieB Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Check out straighttalk.com. It's a prepaid phone plan. You can buy a cell phone from a choice of 3-5 depending on where you live, I think the cheapest is about $30 and the most expensive with bells etc is just over $100. They have two plans...$30 a month you get 1,000 minutes, 1,000 text and 30mb of web access (which is more than enough to check the weather, maps and email several times every day. For $45 you get phone, text and web access that is unlimited. This is a month to month contract, not a 2 years contract. We have two of the $30 plans....one is our home phone and the other is the cell phone I carry around. It's wonderful having a cell as your home phone because I can take it with me if I'm expecting a call at the home number....I can give it to one of the kids when they're going to be away from us....we can take it on vacation with us, etc etc. I use the web access quite a bit and have yet to go over my 30mb. We haven't used the text at all, lol. And honestly, probably less than half those minutes even in our busiest months. Coverage is great, price is fantastic, and while I do sometimes long for the "apps" that the expensive phones can use, it's not worth twice or more the cost EVERY month for 2 years. Oh...and you can flip flop back and forth between the two plans as needed (for a month each flip). So when we went on vacation and figured we'd be talking to each other more as we went our separate outings we simply bumped up to the unlimited plan.....though we ended up not needing to, it was worth the peace of mind not worrying about the minutes. You do have to listen to a recording at the beginning of each call you place that tells you how many minutes are remaining. Or at least I've not figured out how to turn that off, lol. My DH says there is likely a way, and I should ask next time I'm at Walmart, but I never remember, and it's not really that bothersome. It doesn't play when you receive a call. Oh...the phone we got has a camera too, which is pretty good quality for a cell phone camera. Not gonna use it for vacations or anything, but those spur of the moment memories are possible with this phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 They have not dropped the unlimited plans *yet*. I read that the plan is to make data "tiers" for new users. They did on June 7. The new rate is 2GB for $25 and the 200MB is $15. You can pay more if you go over; if you have the larger plan, it is $10 for an additional 1GB and with the smaller plan it is $15 for an additional 200MB. But I think with the iphone, the $25 is manditory for some reason. I kind of wish they would have just come up with an affordable unlimited family flat fee and stop making things so confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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