What is your phone

“My old Nokia 5165 is about worn out. I need a new phone. I have half a dozen chargers in vehicles, home, office, etc. so I don't really want to switch to a phone that does not use the same charger.

What do you guys use?”

“Don't know about the charger thing, but we have an AT&T (receptions good but service is horrible) and a Nextel (reception is horrible but the service is good).

Think I'll try Verizon next. I think they're rated #1 in customer service and connections. (Plus you can get DSL through them)

good luck”

“SprintPCS...most of my friends have it so I get free PCS to PCS, my minutes start at 7pm, and the service is okay...most places I go around the east are covered...out west it sucks.

Phone. 4 year old Sanyo 4000. Original battery, no problems.”

“Some Nokia cheapy (free with two year contract!) that's limping along admirably. Everytime I drop it it flies apart into four parts but it always goes back together again and keeps on working. It only has to keep it up until Sept. I may have to break out theduct tape soon.”

“http://metropcs.com/services/currentphones/detail-kSLIDER.shtml

this is my next phone...i havent had a cell in 4 years...but looking to have to get one soon...the mertopcs is available in Atlanta and a few other places....unlimited minutes so long as youre in the HUGE METRO ATLANTA area....and thats to call anywhere in the US anytime ...”

“whichever phone you choose make sure it is GSM compatible! i just bought a phone in december that is not compatible and i was told by a cingular rep that in a few months my phone will be obsolete. all cell phone providers are switching over to the new towers and if your phone is not compatible with them then it will not work. dub time to start cell phone shopping! cingular has the same phone (upgraded version) of the one i bought in december and right now it is free if you buy it online. it is the nokia 3595. the only thing i don't like about the phone is the awkard keypad but once you get used to it, its not so bad.”

“Dang, I haven't heard anything about that GSM thing. I was thinking of upgrading to a camera phone soon anyway. Guess I'm gonna be forced too. I just couldn't justify spending the money when I have a phone that works perfectly.”

“Randy just got a new camera phone for a decent price. He has a Sony Erikson. I think after the rebate he only payed around $50?”

“The new GSM plans are ALOT better too! Free mobile-to-mobile minutes are almost standard now.”

“What's GSM?

I know nothing about phones and just got some Motorola model that's a Tracfone.

Do I need to take this puppy back ASAP?”

“mobile to mobile minutes suck IMO...metropcs allows all the calls you can make to whatever #....and if you live in atlanta its well worth it..also got some places in FL and somewhere else...but all that mobile to mobile crap is just them trying to be able to say the word UNLIMITED...thats all they want...”

“I used to have an Ericson, now I have a Motorola. I use Rogers AT&T "Pay As You Go" cards.”

“My 1st cell phone was a bag phone that I was required to carry by she-who-must-be-obeyed because I liked to hike alone & had a tendency to stay in the woods/water for (on occasion) long periods of time. It had 3 watts (& even years ago) could reach out from the peaks. Finally got tired of carrying this 5lb mohemeth & the necessary solar panels. Since then, I've gone thru many brands & services but have always been impressed with NOKIA's. You have to remember that everytime you upgrade, the power level goes DOWN. This is compensated by the continual introduction of more cell towers. It also increases your health/safety factor to your head/hand & may save your life for the people that like to run them around construction sites, hospitals & gas stations. Like running your engine when filling it with gas, the static electricity occasionally causes things to go boom. I currently have a SAmsung sch-(a610 on special from Verizon, I think for $179 & $50 rebate. It has a swivel case top & camera.”

“A piece of crap!

Just ask Bbinks.”

“I have this wooden box on the wall with a little handle on the side. If you use it you must first pick up the receiver and then crank the handle a few revolutions to hook up with "central". Once the operator answers you tell her the number of your party or your party's name (my number is 7R214). If the person you're calling is on your party line, you just crank out the correct number of rings - for instance mine is a long and 2 shorts. A word of caution is appropriate because the lady at "central" is always listening in....and will tell everybody in town your business.”

“I've used a Nokia 8290 for the past 8 years. I just cannot find anything I like any better. Everything else is just too darned big, or loaded with stupid features I don't want (i.e. camera). I've been considering a Panasonic GD55.

”

“I can so relate...I had a Nokia for like 5 years..I think it came over on the mayflower..and I can't tell you how many times I dropped it. We had pieces of paper wedges in the back to make it tight enough for the battery to connect! The duct tape was next...but I changed from Cingular (terrible service) to Verizon..(broad service but the phone dosent always ring and sometimes you get messages days later) So I got a flip fone! It is the verizon brand..I love it!”

“

I use a Samsung VGA1000 with Sprint PCS. The last phone was nice and small, but didn't like going through the washer and dryer very much. I have that replacement insurance now.”

“LOL ski...could i interest you in some life insurance as well?”

“GSM is the new digital network”

“Who the hell would call you anyway, Bacpac?”

“crazygurl, after leaving one on the roof of my car and driving 7 miles before it fell off a couple of years ago and the latest washer/dryer incident, I am more than happy to pay $36 a year to replace a phone that cost over $200. I could have gotten it for less if I'd signed up for a 2 year contract, but I wasn't willing to do that because the cell phone reception arena by carrier is changing so rapidly in sparsely populated VT and NH.”

“I use a Motorola t730 with Verizon service. I wanted a flip phone because I got tired of accidentally dialing my old phone while it was in my pocket. This one is nice because it has a screen on the outside so you can see who is calling with it closed. It also has voice dialing that I like a lot more than I thought I would. It doesn’t take pictures but my camera doesn’t make coleslaw so…

You'll probably have to get a new charger for your car no matter what you get. There are charities that can take your old phone for use by crossing guards, etc.

If you go to a store like Best Buy, Circuit City or whatever, you’ll get a better deal than if you go straight to your service provider – usually a free phone instead of buying for a couple hundred dollars.

”

“SONY ERICSSON T-616...GREAT FOR DOWNLOADING PORN, AND TAKING PICS OF STRIPPERS..OH I THINK I CAN MAKE CALLS ON IT TOO”

“bacpac has a cell? What's that old Possum song about Hi Tech Red Necks?

I use a cheapa$$ LG phone they gave me for free. It’s like $99. I thought it might not stand up to abuse but after it banged around inside the dryer for about 30 minutes on high heat and it still works fine, I’m sold.”

“Nigal, did it go through the washing machine first?”

“No, I was fluffing a pair of pants. Fluff? Am I gay?”

“Maybe I should have said I was "man ironing" a pair of pants?”

“

Lightweight, fits in a pocket, doesn't have camera or other crap, but does have a few games, GSM, I like it....”

“Southern Bell RotoMatic Deluxe with an extra long cord for the person on the go.”

“you could always use your terraquest to make the call”

“

Nokia 6340i. Had it since December, works great, and operates on GSM, plus the older TDMA, plus the even older analog. Because it is multi-network it will work anywhere as long as there is a signal. Also has an antenna port on the back if you need to use an external antenna. Could have gotten a smaller phone with better sound quality (see below), but needed the "connect anywhere" features for hikes.

My wife has the Sony Ericsson T226, which is GSM only. It is nicer because it is much smaller, much lighter, has a color screen and has PERFECT sound quality. When she calls me at work (on a landline phone) she sounds like she is on a landline phone, too.

GSM is the newest system, already in use all over Europe. Cingular already uses it and will be phasing out the older TDMA within the next 3 years (but NOT SOON, contrary to a post above). Everyone else will be going to GSM too. But don't worry if your current phone isn't, your carrier won't drop the older system until they offer you a good deal to upgrade.

One more myth to bust from a previous post - as you upgrade your output power DOES NOT CHANGE. There are standard wattage outputs for a given "type" of phone, and GSM handheld phones transmit at a max of 2 watts, minimum of 0.02 watts. Usually they transmit much lower, in the milliwatt range. When people switched from bag phones to handheld phones there WAS a change in wattage - bag phones (a different "type") could go up to 3 watts. But once you have a handheld its the same as the next handheld.

Do a Google for "Nokia field test mode" to find codes to do neat stuff with your phone.”

“I love T-Mobile. And their goal this year is to improve their service even more. They are far more advanced technologically than many of the service providers. They were first to have text messaging years ago, and now wi-fi (wireless interenet in one's home.) They were one of the first to be GSM as well. They have the best value and have comparable reception to Verizon (who claims to have the best but that is unfounded.)
My advice: Pick a service provider and go to their website and see what phones they carry. Then! Go to Amazon and see what kind of deals they are offering. You could also check out local and national dealers for deals (electronic stores, Best Buy, Office Depot, etc.) Usually the service provider themselves don't offer a cool deal, so stick with the electronics stores/websites vs visiting the service providers locations.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Nokia 8290's rock! I used mine for 2 years and gave it to my bro who is still using it. They don't make them anymore though. But Nokia has more modernized versions of it.”

“Sorry that wasn't clear.

BTW they were a fantastic employer too. I love that darned pink and grey "Get More" company.”

“ok well im sorry but after seeing thse phones i think the one i like is probably stil my 1 pick...got to go get one sooner or later..”

“I'm on T-Mobile, but I went for their cheapy free phone (Nokia 3390) when I signed up. It works okay in town and on the road, but when I get into the mountains, no service.

Anyway to upgrade your phone, keep your number and service, and not pay an arm and a leg for a new phone? lol...”

“You probably know that when you sign up for a service plan, they have you by the short hairs. You can keep your # if you go to a different service provider but not if you stay with the same company but want the free phone at the electronics store.

However, if your service provider thinks you will walk at the end of your contract, they may offer you a deal to upgrade. Mine did.”

“That is... call your company and weasel.”

“Gotcha...thanks...”

“I went to Nokia.com.

I am more confused than I was. They have phones that do everything.”

“Yes, sometimes you can "weasel" an upgrade. : )

If not though, can't beat a free phone. And either way we can all take our phone numbers with us! Woo Hoo.

T-Mo has the best mountain reception outside Seattle area. Hmmm.

That is another point. Ask people that live and travel near you and ask them about coverage. It can be different regionally.”

“my phone is a peice of crap but in a few months verizon will send me $100 towards a new phone and Radio shack will give me another $100 so that is $200 towards a new phone. I am going to get the cat's meow of cell phones. I have to sign 2 years of my life away to verizon though.”

“I just got a new free phone from Verizon (Motorola v60s) and, of course, I had to sign for another 2 years. But hey, even though they may be the most expensive of carriers, they've also the most reliable in NJ since I got a phone in 2000. Only problem is that, in NJ, they're the only major carrier not working on implementing a GSM network. C'est la vie...”

“what is GSM? sorry I am an idiot.”

“I have never owned a cell phone to date. Well, I wouldn't date a cell phone regardless.”

“We should have a little friendly competition here... who has the most brain tumors? Who has the biggest? This should be fun.”

“Wonder how many classaction lawsuits there will be against cell phone carriers in the next 20 years”

“Not many, as Bush is eradicating the middle-class, which only leaves two classes left to sue, and the poor can't afford cell phones anyway. I think the cell companies are safe.”

“well two decades can change alot”

“Cellular Access Technologies: TDMA/GSM
TDMA is also used as the access technology for Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). However, GSM implements TDMA in a somewhat different and incompatible way from IS-136. Think of GSM and IS-136 as two different operating systems that work on the same processor, like Windows and Linux both working on an Intel Pentium III. GSM systems use encryption to make phone calls more secure. GSM operates in the 900-MHz and 1800-MHz bands in Europe and Asia, and in the 1900-MHz (sometimes referred to as 1.9-GHz) band in the United States. It is used in digital cellular and PCS-based systems. GSM is also the basis for Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a popular system introduced by Motorola and used by Nextel.
GSM is the international standard in Europe, Australia and much of Asia and Africa. In covered areas, cell-phone users can buy one phone that will work anywhere where the standard is supported. To connect to the specific service providers in these different countries, GSM users simply switch subscriber identification module (SIM) cards. SIM cards are small removable disks that slip in and out of GSM cell phones. They store all the connection data and identification numbers you need to access a particular wireless service provider.

Unfortunately, the 1900-MHz GSM phones used in the United States are not compatible with the international system. If you live in the United States and need to have cell-phone access when you're overseas, the easiest thing to do is to buy a GSM 900MHz/1800MHz cell phone for traveling. You can get these phones from Planet Omni, an online electronics firm based in California. They offer a wide selection of Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson GSM phones. They don't sell international SIM cards, however. You can pick up prepaid SIM cards for a wide range of countries at Telestial.com.”