Phone experts help me.. (straight talk)

[Meractik]

Okay... I need a new phone as mine died here are the requirements.

No touchscreen (I want real buttons)

Option for a local blacklist

Address book (which allows multiple numbers per contact and long contact names)

A phone with a good quality speaker-phone

Something I can integrate my Mozilla e-mail/Thunderbird calendar with would be totally awesome, although I know you have to pay a premium for something with that functionality.

I currently use straight-talk and their great. I would love to maybe find a phone that you guys could recommend (something unlocked) that I could utilize a straighttalk SIM card on verizon's network?

I don't care if the phone isn't the latest and greatest, 4G internet would be nice but is not a requirement.

Must be durable... I am pretty harsh on phones and do not simply let them sit around on a desk all day, I do drop them and I do keep other things in my pocket with them. (keys pens etc..)

 

[Vdubchaos]

Good luck on that. Phone companies make very little with normal phones so they minimized the selection to almost nothing.....

They REALLY want you to have a smartphone and a plan that comes with it though!

 

[Meractik]

Good luck on that. Phone companies make very little with normal phones so they minimized the selection to almost nothing.....

They REALLY want you to have a smartphone and a plan that comes with it though!

Thats why I would like to stick with straighttalk, its no commitment month to month and their rates are reasonable. I just need to find a phone that meets my needs and would work with their verizon network. Which hopefully shouldn't be to hard now that they offer SIM cards for you to use in unlocked phones you already own instead of buying from them.

 

[olds]

http://www.greatcall.com/jitterbug/

 

[Meractik]

http://www.greatcall.com/jitterbug/

I am currently using a LG220C so that isn't exactly far off.. I like this phone but it sucks with T-9 and its great except no built in local blacklist :/ has everything else I like though aside from internet. its dieing though since its clam-shell it has some issues with the microphone going out and people not able to hear me..

 

[Red Storm]

What exactly are you going to do with 4G on a non-touchscreen phone?

 

[Meractik]

What exactly are you going to do with 4G on a non-touchscreen phone?

E-mail.

 

[Fritzo]

 

[Red Storm]

Well if you're doing Straight Talk via Verizon's network, you can't do 4G/LTE unfortunately. That means you can't use any 4G capable phone either.

 

[Midwayman]

I'd think something in the blackberry line would be about your only bet.

 

[Meractik]

I think im going to go down to a verizon store and just check out their models and come back to the web once I find something I like, unless they can draw me up under contract to pay the same that I pay on straighttalk and receive their services indefinitely. which I doubt.

 

[Red Storm]

I think im going to go down to a verizon store and just check out their models and come back to the web once I find something I like, unless they can draw me up under contract to pay the same that I pay on straighttalk and receive their services indefinitely. which I doubt.

Do Verizon stores even carry 3G only smartphones anymore? Remember you can't use any 4G capable phone from their network on Straight Talk.

 

[Meractik]

Do Verizon stores even carry 3G only smartphones anymore? Remember you can't use any 4G capable phone from their network on Straight Talk.

I wouldn't buy from them unless they gave me an outrageous deal to switch to being a verizon customer. I am going just to see if blackberry phone or any of the other phones they have to get a gauge of what phone type/style to get.

 

[Krazy4Real]

Why don't you want touchscreen? It's so much better. I hate using my mom's phone with physical buttons whenever she asks me to do something for her.

 

[Meractik]

Why don't you want touchscreen? It's so much better. I hate using my mom's phone with physical buttons whenever she asks me to do something for her.

Honestly, only because of the price point of those phones plus the additional funds required each month there-after to utilize the services they provide. I am not a big fan of paying more than $60/mo for a phone.

I actually went to verizon and talked to them, long story short, was able to hop on their pre-paid services for $50 a month. a little more than straighttalk but the phone I got was a lot nicer than straight talk offerings & they have backup assist for free (which straighttalk does not have any backup offerings) so it made it worth it.

Edit: no web or any of that fancy functionality at this moment but at least I get to stay CDMA and know ill be on a network i trust by going straight verizon instead of piggyback with whatever carrier straighttalk wants to place me on (used to always be verzion, but now they're updated all GSM so most phones utilize att/t-mobile)

 

[Red Storm]

Honestly, only because of the price point of those phones plus the additional funds required each month there-after to utilize the services they provide. I am not a big fan of paying more than $60/mo for a phone.

I actually went to verizon and talked to them, long story short, was able to hop on their pre-paid services for $50 a month. a little more than straighttalk but the phone I got was a lot nicer than straight talk offerings & they have backup assist for free (which straighttalk does not have any backup offerings) so it made it worth it.

Curious, what phone? And what are the details of that plan?