Need advice on new phone

[AntiFreze]

Well my contract with Sprint is expiring this December. I don't really care for their coverage here in Phoenix. I'm looking for a new phone to get (with a 2yr contract). I really want a slick phone. I don't need a smartphone, iphone, or blackberry since my fiance just received one from her company that I use when I need internet access. The carrier can be just about anything except I would prefer to stay away from Sprint.

Any recommendations? I would take a smartphone if it wasn't too pricey (>$150) and the monthly bill was still low. But I'm really just on the market for anything since my current phone is a POS.

 

[intogamer]

Ask around? Friends and Family....

YMMV (Your millage may vary)

 

[alphasigmookie]

All I can say is I don't recommend ATT in Phoenix...i just moved there and I get very poor service. As for phones, I'm also looking to upgrade and i've been eyeing the blackberry pearl...seems to have a lot of features for the price, although I think they are comming out with a new version soon (not sure which carriers) that might be worth the wait.

 

[nboy22]

Are you kidding me?! Sprint in Phoenix should be great.. What model is your phone? It must have bad reception. I have Qwest (a small MVNO of Sprint, which means it uses Sprint's towers for the majority of it's service). I live in lower Phoenix, and I have been all over the lower area of Phoenix and never had bad service, even out in the boondocks areas like Gilbert and even south of that. I honestly don't think you're going to find any better service than Sprint out here since CDMA is better technology than GSM in terms of call quality/range per tower. I would definitely not go for AT&T or Tmobile or any other GSM service for that matter. I work for AT&T AND my girlfriend has Tmobile. I am not a fan of GSM is all I can say, when we go places and my girlfriend has 2 bars, I have 4... Where she goes and has 1, I'll have 3.

Let's start with your phone. What model do you have? We should do some research, it might be possible that it's not a good phone in terms of reception. You even mentioned it's a POS so that might be your problem. You pay low for the phone, most likely it's gonna be a piece of crap. I'm a firm believer in the saying, "You get what you pay for."

 

[intogamer]

Sprint SERO or you can go T-Mobile for the cheapz

 

[nboy22]

Originally posted by: intogamer
Sprint SERO or you can go T-Mobile for the cheapz

I'll rethink this just for you since we've talked about this intogamer

Tmobile is good (from what I've seen) in the lower Phoenix/Tempe area, most likely Mesa as well. But my service still seems stronger. If I was going with a GSM service I would probably go with Tmobile. Out in Gilbert it's not so good.

 

[DarkThinker]

A very nice smart phone would be a Nokia e61i, I own the E61, however that would run you close $300 for the phone. What I suggest is you get the E62, if you are lucky some Cingular store in your area still carries it, otherwise you can easily get one on Ebay for $100 or less. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_E61

 

[nboy22]

Originally posted by: DarkThinker
A very nice smart phone would be a Nokia e61i, I own the E61, however that would run you close $300 for the phone. What I suggest is you get the E62, if you are lucky some Cingular store in your area still carries it, otherwise you can easily get one on Ebay for $100 or less. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_E61

From what the OP states he really doesn't need a smart phone. The smart phones are nice in my opinion but from what it sounds like is that the OP has a shitty quality phone and needs to spend a good amount of money on a decent phone, but not over-spend on a smartphone because he doesn't need the functions.

 

[intogamer]

Originally posted by: nboy22

Originally posted by: DarkThinker
A very nice smart phone would be a Nokia e61i, I own the E61, however that would run you close $300 for the phone. What I suggest is you get the E62, if you are lucky some Cingular store in your area still carries it, otherwise you can easily get one on Ebay for $100 or less. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_E61

From what the OP states he really doesn't need a smart phone. The smart phones are nice in my opinion but from what it sounds like is that the OP has a shitty quality phone and needs to spend a good amount of money on a decent phone, but not over-spend on a smartphone because he doesn't need the functions.

Yeah buh he says he doesn't mind if it's not pricey. I second the nokia.

Internet plans are basically $19.99 unless you go through the T-Mobile T-zones $5.99 route

 

[nboy22]

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: nboy22

Originally posted by: DarkThinker
A very nice smart phone would be a Nokia e61i, I own the E61, however that would run you close $300 for the phone. What I suggest is you get the E62, if you are lucky some Cingular store in your area still carries it, otherwise you can easily get one on Ebay for $100 or less. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_E61

From what the OP states he really doesn't need a smart phone. The smart phones are nice in my opinion but from what it sounds like is that the OP has a shitty quality phone and needs to spend a good amount of money on a decent phone, but not over-spend on a smartphone because he doesn't need the functions.

Yeah buh he says he doesn't mind if it's not pricey. I second the nokia.

Internet plans are basically $19.99 unless you go through the T-Mobile T-zones $5.99 route

That's true.. I think he should stick with Sprint (if they have a buyer's remorse period). That way he can purchase a higher-end phone through Sprint and try it out for a week or two. If it doesn't work I would try a GSM service. It is possible that he may be more satisfied with GSM.

I would still like to know what model the OP is currently working with so we can check that out and see what user reviews pull up.

 

[DarkThinker]

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: nboy22

Originally posted by: DarkThinker
A very nice smart phone would be a Nokia e61i, I own the E61, however that would run you close $300 for the phone. What I suggest is you get the E62, if you are lucky some Cingular store in your area still carries it, otherwise you can easily get one on Ebay for $100 or less. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_E61

From what the OP states he really doesn't need a smart phone. The smart phones are nice in my opinion but from what it sounds like is that the OP has a shitty quality phone and needs to spend a good amount of money on a decent phone, but not over-spend on a smartphone because he doesn't need the functions.

Yeah buh he says he doesn't mind if it's not pricey. I second the nokia.

Internet plans are basically $19.99 unless you go through the T-Mobile T-zones $5.99 route

That's right T-zones FTW!

At work, many developers are not allowed to have internet access from the company, I am one of the few that do have internet access thanks to T-zones. I setup my E61 to act as a bluetooth modem (under Linux) and just like that now I have an internet connection on my laptop at work for $5.99. When I have my laptop with me and there is no internet connection anywhere near, I connect through T-zones. I just love it when I am on a long road trip to somewhere with others and I can just whip out my laptop anytime and go online and take care of my tasks=priceless.