Going to get a cell phone.............need HELP!!

[UDT89]

I dont know where to start. Cell Phones are the one thing that i am not to up-to-date on.

I think i want a nextel for the direct connect stuff. I would also like text messaging.

I have no idea what i would need/want for minutes. I guess night and weekends arent that hard to find, whether its unlimited or like 3000 minutes. I'm more concerned about the anytime minutes.


What phone do i buy if i do/dont go with nextel????

Good Grief..........................SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!


Why cant buying a cell phone be as easy as building a computer?

 

[amnesiac]

Nextel IMO is only good if you are in a business where many people need to communicate frequently OR you have many friends with nextel phones. You can only direct connect with other Nextel users.
Personally I like Sprint, been using them for years without a problem but I'm sure you'll find plenty of people with differing opinions.
AT&T has a big following but their plans are slightly more expensive and less forgiving than Sprint.
Cingular is good in certain areas.. but it definitely sucks poo in Los Angeles.

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: amnesiac 2.0
Nextel IMO is only good if you are in a business where many people need to communicate frequently OR you have many friends with nextel phones. You can only direct connect with other Nextel users.
Personally I like Sprint, been using them for years without a problem but I'm sure you'll find plenty of people with differing opinions.
AT&T has a big following but their plans are slightly more expensive and less forgiving than Sprint.
Cingular is good in certain areas.. but it definitely sucks poo in Los Angeles.

nextel is the only service that features the two-way radios. Nextel uses motorola phones, although i'm not a moto fan, the new ones appear to be high-quality/flashy looking phones (read: pretty cool). I think the i-90 or 85 is the new small model.

i'm an at&t user for life.

-=bmacd=-

 

[Cougar]

I went through the same thing a couple years ago, but I guess my needs are different than yours. I wasn't concerned about text messaging or two way communications. The main thing that I wanted in a phone was a strong signal and no dropped calls. I asked around at different stores that sell cell phones and to my friends and family and the common answer for best provider was Verizon. So far I don't think I've ever had a dropped call and I get a good signal no matter where I am.

Now Voicestream on the other hand is bad news judging on my friends' experiences with them. I was actually talking with my buddy yesterday who just got a Voicestream plan and he said that he gets barely any signal in his own house and certain areas of the city are dead zones. To date I don't think that I've heard of 1 satisfied customer that had Voicestream. I'm not saying that they suck, but it appears that in my area they just don't have good coverage.

 

[UDT89]

i'm in NY if that helps


I guess since i only know 5-10 people with nextels, then its not worth it for the two way radios.........................

 

[DigDug]

In NY, Verizon is the best, but of course, more pricey.

I am in lower manhattan and At&T is great. I pay 39.99 (400 anytime and 3000 nights and weekends).

This is my only phone line and I never go beyond the plan. That said, I am in law school so I don't have what you guys have - a social life.

 

[GeekDrew]

i think that nextel is the only way to go. i live in columbus, ohio, and will be moving to chicago soon. i have friends with nextel, and also business associates. that means a lot to me, but doesn't to you. i also think it is the most reliable... at least in this area. their new I90C phone is awesome!

ST

 

[BMdoobieW]

I have VoiceStream. $39.99 for 600 anytime minutes and Unlimited weekend minutes. The coverage is not that great across the whole country, you can see a map at their website. But when you are within an area that they say they cover, there is usually a good signal. But if you go into a basement or deep into a building you often lose the signal. I don't know if that is true with all providers. As far as the actual phone goes, I don't believe in paying hundreds of dollars for something that you can get for free, so I got the free phone VoiceStream was giving away with my plan. Just a basic Motorola. I wish it were a bit smaller, but it was free. 'Nuf said.

 

[Spac3d]

I have voicestream and couldnt be happier. $39 a month for 500 anytime unlimted weekends (note, no extra nite minutes) but I dont use mroe than 500 during the weekdays anyways. That is something like 20 minutes a day... damn that seems like a lot of talking. Signal strength is always full.. which is most important to me.

If you are going to pay $50 a month, go with Nextel. They have awesome service and I found customer service to be good too. I also like the motorola phones (exclusing to Nextel). Very cool stuff.

Amazon.com has some good prices and sometimes cool specials. Check it out before you buy a phone. I think there are also customer reviews of phones.

Good luck

Spac3d

 

[DigDug]

no nite minutes?

My god that blows.

YOu really need to switch - that isn't even close to a competitive service!

 

[Platypus]

I have been happy with sprint for 3 years now

 

[RossMAN]

First of all relax and take a chill pill it isn't that difficult to find the right cell phone and provider, it just takes some research.

1) Ask your friends/family/co-workers what cell provider they have (Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, VoiceStream, etc.), are they happy, does cell service suck, do they have a lot of dropped calls, weak signals, does the customer service take forever to answer, billing issues, then ask them about their phone what make/model is it, are they happy with it, etc.?

2) Pay attention to cell phone companies advertisements, write down their latest offers and compare them against each other.

3) Amazon.com is having a father's day sale with savings of up to $100 off cell phones, you do not have to be a father, just order a cell phone for yourself. Also make sure to read Amazon's customer reviews for the cell phones.

4) Read reviews about cell phones and providers on ePinions.com

5) There's a wealth of knowledge in the UseNet NewsGroups alt.cellular*, do some creative searches like searching for your particular neighborhood's name, zip code, etc.

Personally I love VoiceStream Wireless because they offer the most bang for your buck but they do suck in some parts of the U.S., so make sure to do your research before buying.

 

[Semidevil]

first thing you need to do is pick a phone. The type of service can come later........

Theres Nokia, Motorola, Erricson, etc etc etc. All of them have phones in a range of features and prices. Some have online access, 2way text messaging, etc etc etc. Some new phones I can think of are the Nokia 8390, and the Erricson T68.

So once you find your phone, you call around stores and see if your phone company offers that phone. There is Cingular, Voicestream, Nextel, Sprint, etc etc etc.

Just think about what you need, and jot down prices, and compare..........there


Also, go to Howardchui.com

That is a cell phone site, w/ a pretty active discussion forum...............so that might help.

 

[xirtam]

Can you hear me now?

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: xirtam
Can you hear me now?

Ugh!! By far the most annoying commercials EVER!!!

-=bmacd=-

 

[Supahfreak]

Whatever plan you get make sure you get NOKIA. Those phones rule, mines always work but my friends with Motorola phones always have to replace them. After all the novelty wears off you want a phone thats durable. I dropped my 8260 3-4 times already and its still going, doesnt look pretty but oh wells.

Good luck

FreAk

 

[Praetor]

Originally posted by: Supahfreak
Whatever plan you get make sure you get NOKIA. Those phones rule, mines always work but my friends with Motorola phones always have to replace them. After all the novelty wears off you want a phone thats durable. I dropped my 8260 3-4 times already and its still going, doesnt look pretty but oh wells.

Good luck

FreAk

I'd personally argue that point. I've had my Motorola T2260 for over a year now and it's taken quite a beating. I work out in the field as a tech for Cox and my poor phone has been with me the entire way. I've dropped it off of a 20 ft pole, I've kicked it across the street, had it scratched up by a theater seat, left it on top of my car and work truck, dropped it in the snow, used it in near sub-zero weather as well as extreme heat and it's still ticking. My only complaint is with the antenna sticking out, but I ended up breaking that part off anyway and just pull out the extension whenever I need a decent signal.

Never a dropped call, never bad reception when I'm in my home area (all of Nebraska, part of Iowa). My phone rocks.

 

[UDT89]

did i ever say that i love AT members??

 

[UDT89]

oh yea, sorry

honestly what seperates the $300 phone from the $100 phone from the $50 phone

 

[WiseOne]

umm better phone, better quality, more features, usually smaller, lighter.