need a new phone

**AcemanPB** · 07-12-2005, 03:42 PM

I'm with Cingular and have a V551. It's a great solid phone and has most of the features you'd want (Blue tooth, mp3 compatiblity, .3mp camera, video, etc)

**Jakedubbleya** · 07-12-2005, 03:51 PM

do most phones work w/ any kind of service provider? (verison here, sry forgot to metion that tidbit)

**SCpoloRicker** · 07-12-2005, 04:07 PM

To my knowledge, most providers have only certain phones available; i.e. Sprint carries Cingular and Motorola, Cingular carries Sony-Ericsson, etc.

**AcemanPB** · 07-12-2005, 05:54 PM

Certain phones work with specific providers. The only way around this is if you get your phone 'unlocked.' If a phone is unlocked it will work with most cell phone providers except verizon, which isn't on a GSM network.

**digitard** · 07-12-2005, 06:08 PM

If you're a Verizon customer you can only use UNLOCKED CDMA phones. You cannot use Cingular, AT&T, TMOBILE, SPRINT, etc phones. As they're different technologies as well as some use SIM cards which Verizon does not.

The top 3 'CDMA' providers are:
Verizon
Alltel
Cellular 1

You can 'technically' use any of the 3 phones, but wether your cell phone company will allow you to activate a non-Verizon phone is up to them.

Being a tech for a cell company, not Verizon, I can tell you they generally discourage using non-company specific phones because of their PRL/programming. Basically what that means is that when someone buys a phone for my company we have our network programming in the phone, as well as our PRL (list of preferred roaming providers... aka PRL).

So lets say you activate another companies phone on my network... it may work fine ni your home area because your SID # (system ID) is locked in the phone, but once you travel to a new network spot and that # changes you're going to look at the programming/PRL to determine which towers to use... and if you get another companies towers that aren't actually part of your roaming agreement you'll incur roaming charges and never even know it til you get your bill.

I hope that makes sense.

**Jaan** · 07-12-2005, 06:17 PM

I got the LG VX3200 flip phone and I really like it. It was cheap, and it works well.

**magman007** · 07-12-2005, 06:19 PM

who is your carrier? oh heck it doesnt matter, get a samsung, by far the best phone mfg. out at the moment. Great phones. Great battery life, alot of options, small, light, easy to use and navigate, what more could you want? trust me and get a samsung. i <3 mine

**Alley** · 07-12-2005, 06:37 PM

I too have verizon wireless.... A small amount of suck about it. I too dropped my phone in my kitchen sink which at the time happened to be full of water. The phone was 3 months old and initally I paid like 100 bucks for it. I went back to verizon to replace my phone to find out that I'd have to pay like 300 dollars to replace the phone ... Considering to the fact it only cost 175 to cancel my contract .. I was like " what phone can I get for less than it would cost to cancel my contract?" the had a crappy nokia phone for 19.99 to which you got a two year contract. I don't remember now why being that its been a year I still ended up paying like 70 bucks for the crappy nokia i could have gotten for free with the contract a few months earlier. And still had to redo my contract. So, I'd see what kinda of phones you can afford before overly deciding on the perfect phone

**digitard** · 07-12-2005, 08:10 PM

Keep in mind that when a company sells you a phone... the 'contract' price is hundreds of dollars below the actual 'purchase' price of your phone. In general (outside additional features) they dont make their money off you until you've completed your first 2yrs of contract.

Example:

YOu buy a phone w/ a 2yr contract for 99 cents.

If you were to buy that phone straight out at a store it'll be 150 or more. They're discounting it based on your contract term to balance the phone price.

Deduct fee's that are associated with the systems required for activations, manpower, etc. A company generally doesn't "turn a profit" off you for 2yrs. Thats why customer service departments with cell phone companies generally are a LOT more accomidating than other industries. You're not buying a straight "as is" product. There's a lot behind the scenes. Now just like any company they're limited on what they can do... but compare.

So if you're complaining about dropping your phoen in the water... get insurance on your plan. Most companies offer it for 4-5 dollars a month and a few dollars deductable and for that deductable they'll replace it for anything not covered by manufacturer warranty (such as water).

**Jakedubbleya** · 07-13-2005, 02:13 AM

Originally posted by digitard

Keep in mind that when a company sells you a phone... the 'contract' price is hundreds of dollars below the actual 'purchase' price of your phone. In general (outside additional features) they dont make their money off you until you've completed your first 2yrs of contract.

Example:

YOu buy a phone w/ a 2yr contract for 99 cents.

If you were to buy that phone straight out at a store it'll be 150 or more. They're discounting it based on your contract term to balance the phone price.

Deduct fee's that are associated with the systems required for activations, manpower, etc. A company generally doesn't "turn a profit" off you for 2yrs. Thats why customer service departments with cell phone companies generally are a LOT more accomidating than other industries. You're not buying a straight "as is" product. There's a lot behind the scenes. Now just like any company they're limited on what they can do... but compare.

So if you're complaining about dropping your phoen in the water... get insurance on your plan. Most companies offer it for 4-5 dollars a month and a few dollars deductable and for that deductable they'll replace it for anything not covered by manufacturer warranty (such as water).

i realize all this, which is why price is my main incentive on the new phone

and

wait, i complained?

**AcemanPB** · 07-13-2005, 03:02 PM

When my bro broke his phone the lady at the Cingular store flat out told me to get insurance on the broken phone, wait a couple of weeks and then file a claim. There was a 50 dollar detuctable which was better than 200 for what the phone cost.

**Alley** · 07-13-2005, 04:53 PM

Yeah, I should have gotten the insurance as well. But, I couldnt go a few weeks without my phone... it was like rock meet hard place. I will from now on get that

**digitard** · 07-13-2005, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by Jakedubbleya

i realize all this, which is why price is my main incentive on the new phone

and

wait, i complained?

The 'complaint' thing wasn't really meant toward you... that was just general.

As for the 'i knew all this' I noticed you edited your first post in which you said that you weren't sure which phones your provider could use... in which case you didn't know all that. Please dont edit your post removing something you actually asked just to make a comment on it.

**Hajari13** · 07-14-2005, 12:35 PM

I had a motorola with alltel (spelling? who knows, whatever) and it was in my boardshorts pocket when I went in the ocean, so it got all wet and sandy. they replaced it, then the next week at the warped tour it got like crushed. they replaced that one too.

need a new phone

need a new phone

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment