Cell Phones....durability or high tech?

batosai117

batosai117

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Jun 5, 2007
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For nearly 99.99% of us, they are a part of our EDC, used for checking emails, messages, making plans, reminders of "honey do's," etc...

So....what do you guys prefer? A simple yet durable cell phone, or a high tech do it all with a high monthly bill?

I'm asking because I started out with those pay as you go phones from AT&T back when they were cingular wireless, then I landed a contract with T Mobile that seems to never end with upgrades and such. My most recent upgrade was a year ago and it was a G-1. Very nice phone, does everything I would ever want from a phone (or almost a laptop for that matter), but it has a high monthly bill and after babying my phone for half a year, it dropped a whopping 2-3 feet and the screen shattered. It still works with a screen protector on it (this happened months ago) but it's getting old and tiresome having to deal with a phone with 50% visibility on the screen.

So I was just browsing around and was thinking about the days when I had a simple phone and I didn't need anything else. If it fell off a 10' ladder, my old phones would still work just fine and wouldn't even drop the call. These new gizmos are expensive and so darn fragile it's tough to replace them (as you can tell with me having a 'broken' phone for 4 or 5 months).

So what do you guys use/prefer in a cell phone?
 
I'm pretty good with gear. My watches seem to die young, but pens, phones, palmtop computers (in the old days) kept on going. I don't drop that sort of gadget.

I've been thinking of a Blackberry but I can't really justify the cost. I'M RETIRED. :D
 
All I want in a phone is to be able to send/receive calls. Period. No texting, no camera, no web surfing, no apps, no lookup a menu and forward it to an email address while I talk on the phone and debate if we go there for dinner crap. Durability for me.

I love technology (laid off IT guy) but don't like cell phones/ipods/mp3s.

I've never owned a mp3 player too!
 
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I siwtched not to long ago to a simpler ruggedized phone. Very happy with the switch. All I ant to do is talk, non games, no email, no surfung..
 
I use an older LG that has a metal case. I don't see myself ever "upgrading" (which I actually see as downgrading) unless it stops working or becomes totally incompatible with the phone network. I only use my phone for making calls....no texting, email, games, etc.
 
I got me and the wife basic Verizon Wireless phones that are ruggedized(is that a word?) and have the push to talk feature. We really don't have any use for all the gizmos. She is very rough on electronics and stuff so I always go heavy duty.
 
I use a cell phone a lot as it is my main contact # (I'm now self-employed). I don't use it for anything but a phone-no email, internet, texting, etc. I got a Nokia 2330 a while back and am very pleased with it.
 
i am looking at one of the mil-spec motorolas, i have looked at another, an erickson i beleive, it is a phone with no camera. all i need, and it has lasted a mechanic friend of mine for a year now(instead of 4 in two weeks, not sure what kinds though)
 
If there wasn't a need for others to reach me, I wouldn't be carrying a cell phone. Because of that, I've gone with the most bare-bones phone I could get, which is a $20 Motorola Motofone. Does what I need and that's about it. Only issue is that even when it's locked out, I can still hit the 1, 9, and 0 keys. Gotta say, it's a little awkward to get a call from the cops, having to explain that it's a case of the butt dial.
 
High tech do it all with a high monthly bill for me! I love my iPhone. It makes surffing the web and reading books a pleasure. It's been quite durable also.
 
I have an old LG enV. It's been durable and relatively problem free. I make phone calls with my phone, not much else.
 
I prefer a small, thin, durable simple phone. As long as it makes calls and texts, its good. A camera is nice, but no qwerty keyboards, touch screens, etc. In my opinion, these features make it less user friendly. I have a nokia xpress music, and other than the annoying music playing buttons that are easy to press accidentally, it is perfect.
 
Get the Iphone and buy some decent armor for it.
 
My wife has an IPhone, but I have a pretty basic LG Shine. I don't need much from a phone, as long as it makes/takes calls and texts. As a matter of fact, my cell phone's been on vibrate for the past five years, and it hasn't been a problem. I would never get one of those high priced plans, there are better things to spend money on like guns and knives. I could buy a top tier AR with what my wife spends on her yearly IPhone plan.
 
Okay fellas, I got a phone update :)

I did all kinds of research using the mighty Google and some physical shopping to boot :eek: It turns out that this new service through wally world/tracfone/verizon wireless = "StraightTalk" It is a wireless service whose umbrella company is TracFone, which the coverage map is the same as Verizon Wireless. Basically I get a low monthly rate with excellent coverage and a half descent phone :thumbup:

Not trying to advertise, just excited here, so this is the plan(s):

$30 a month gets you 1000 nationwide minutes, 1000 text/multimedia messages, and 30MB of data and is good for 30 days. For $45 a month, you get Unlimited everything for 30 days. I'm currently trying out the $30 plan (no contracts, no start up fee, just buy the phone which is anywhere from $30-$300 depending on what you want) to see what I'll actually use. So far it's holding out great since I don't talk that much and I text once in a blue moon if someone else initiates the texting, and the interwebs on the phone ain't the best but it works for google searches, mapquest, and such.

I'm very pleased with it, although I've read mixed reviews on the customer service I haven't had to deal with them yet. I probably won't have to either unless I decide to port my old number. Startup took 10-15 minutes and then my phone was good to go :)

Simple plan, low cost, and it does everything that I need. The phone has been said to be rugged yet has a slide out QWERTY keyboard for texting and internet playing. I'm happy and no longer have a $110 bill for next month :D

Edit to add: The phone I picked out was the Samsung R451C in case ya'll want to talk a look. Also forgot, some carriers charge a few bucks for 411, but it's free 411 with straighttalk.
 
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My brother and I both have blackberrys through sprint. We both bought the toughest cases we could right away. I have dropped it A LOT too. The bill is about $100 a month(after discount) including 1500 minutes each, unlimited text/internet/pic mail/bbm/everything really. I love my blackberrry, I had a milispec phone before and couldnt go back unless sprint gets a milispec blackberry. Its just too handy for me to go back. With my plan I am also a sprint "gold" or premium member or something like that, so I can upgrade every 6 months if I want. But im happy with my phone.
 
I've got a blackberry for personal use (350 anytime, free evenings and weekends starting at 17:00 + unlimited nation wide talk and txt to 5 friends + unlimited data +unlimited txt & mms) and it costs me about $90 CAD a month. Plus I have an Iphone for work with unlimited data, the bill for that one runs up about $400-$500 a month, (overseas LD to strange places) luckily my company foots the bill for this one. I like the full keyboard on the blackberry and it seems a little more durable than the Iphone. Both are very durable in my experience with the right armor.
 
I went through a phone shopping decision recentlyas well, though I made a different decision than you did. I opted for a simple phone and a used Palm PDA that I bought on ebay to replace my old Palm IIIXE that was beginning to have problems.

I used a paper day planner for years. Switched to a Palm PDA about 10 years ago because it would store my calendar and data like my planner did, plus it would be a calculator and have an alarm. That much is still important to me. I need my phone book and information. So a PDA or smartphone makes sense.

But I sit at a computer most of the day, so access to mobile email or phone internet is not stuff I need. I wasn't willing to pay a monthly data fee for stuff I did not need.

If somebody needs me, when I am away from my desk, they can text or phone me. It's good enough and it's a lot cheaper.
 
Charlie Mike said:
Get the Iphone and buy some decent armor for it.
Click to expand...
If you have an iPhone, follow this man's advice. I just dropped a "naked" one on a tile floor not long ago. :(

My replacement lives in an OtterBox Defender case. Lots of plastic and rubber protection. :thumbup:

otterbox-defender-iphone.jpg
 
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