Cell Phones

[drew]

The wife and I are looking into getting new cell phones. I want a Nextel and she likes the Sprints. I was wondering what you guys had and what do you thank about your phones and the deals that you have?

[shooter1201]

Mine is a Nokia, as are the rest of the ones in my family. NO probs.....unlike the POS Motorola I had prior....

[Evnings]

I have a Nokia 5165 with Cingular. I haven't had any problems over the past few years since they got enough towers up to handle all the traffic.

[ 10-21-2002, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: Evnings ]

[CopInNY]

Nextel here. Using the Motorola I90 phone. Excellent service, great plans. www.nextel.com

good luck

[Niteshift]

Evnings, you're lucky.

I had the same phone with Cingular and their coverage here totally sucked. It was worthless. I didn't even use the phone for the last 2 months of the contract. Switched over to At&T.

[Delta_V]

We use Nextels at work, and I think that the two-way feature is kind of annoying. Aside from that, there really isn't anything that sets Nextel apart from any other companies, plus their plans are more expensive. I personally like Cingular.

[TexReserve]

I have two Sanyo 6200's and one Sanyo 4500 using Sprint, and I guess I don't really have a gripe, other than their service does not cover the entire county I live in, just the main roads. Supposedly, they are going to add towers to improve coverage area. Overall, I am pleased.

[Xanthorius]

I use AT&T, after briefly working for them a few years ago. The coverage is excellent, as is the call quality. They use a slightly different technology than the other cell phone companies. The only problem is that they charge a lot for the service, you don't get as many minutes for the dollar. I use a Nokia 5165 and although it isn't cool looking and doesn't have a ton of features it always works and doesn't suck the batteries dry too fast.

[drew]

ahh the nokia. I had a Nokia 560 droped it once and it never worked the same again. I love the nextel's but I heard they suck unless you know alot of people that have them.

[kateykakes]

I have a Kyocera by Sprint. I hate both the phone and the service, but I am locked into a plan until next year. Errrrrrrr!

[Rimfire]

Nokia 5165 with U.S. Cellular

Works great in my area, I've had it about a year.

[Piper]

I have a flip phone (Samsung) I love it.

Guess it depends on what type of service you are looking for.

[ 11-08-2002, 11:17 AM: Message edited by: Piper ]

[Sig220Man]

I've had multiple providers, with different brands of cell phones, so here's my take on them:

AT&T: Best coverage across the country. POOR voice quality (has that "tunnel" sound). Was one of the first to offer text messaging (long popular in Europe) in the US, along with ability to send/receive e-mails on the phone.

Cingular: Best voice quality, but only in strong signal areas, otherwise no better than analog. POOR coverage even in metro areas. Haven't had them since before the merger (they were known as Pacific Bell Wireless when I had them), so I can't comment on any extra features.

Sprint: My current provider. Voice quality on a par with Cingular, but doesn't require as strong a signal. Coverage is better than Cingular's, but surprisingly poor for LA. Unlike Cingular, has an analog roaming backup, but it's very pricey. Only recently allowed e-mails to be sent to the phone directly; direct text messaging can only be done to/from another Sprint user. Has a very good website where you can view your bill, pay it online, and find out how many free minutes you have left for the month. Haven't tried the new "Vision" color LCD service yet, so I can't comment on that.

Verizon: I've never had them, but I know people who do. They swear by the service, but the voice quality is no better than AT&T.

Nextel: My department uses these a lot. Two-way service is convenient, but the voice quality is AWFUL. I haven't heard good things about their customer service either.

As far as phones:

Motorola: IMNSHO the best Motorola cell phones ever made were the old "flip" phones from cellular's analog days. In addition to being a handy electronic device, they also made a good backup weapon. Rough, tough, you could hit someone with it and immediately make/receive a phone call afterward. Just like the old MXL "brick" portables. Short battery life, but was typical for its day.

I'm not too impressed with Motorola's current line. The Timeports feel rather fragile. I used a Timeport when I had Cingular, and I thought I was going deaf. Even turned way up, I could barely hear the callers. I used a similar Timeport model when I was in Britain (with a carrier called "Orange"), and it had the same problem. The display is particularly prone to scratching. Battery life is so-so.

Nokia: VERY LONG battery life (can stay on standby for up to a week before needing recharging). 6100 series seems to be rather fragile (had to replace the display on mine twice, even though it was never dropped); 5100 series seems to be more durable. If you are an accessory-hound, or have to have a phone that matches your hair color/eye color/skin tone/clothes/shoes/mood, Nokia's are the best for you, since there are many aftermarket faces and displays out there.

Samsung: My current phone with Sprint. The smallness is great, I can put it in my uniform pocket. It's surprisingly tough, I've dropped it so many times I can't count, but still works. Feature laden, though the menu is not as easy to work as the Nokia's. For an all-digital phone, the battery life is surprisingly short (even less than the Motorola Timeport); I'm lucky if I get 3 days' standby time on one charge.

Ericcson: I only have one word for them -- JUNK. Everybody that I know, plus myself, who has had an Ericcson hates them. Most stopped working a month or two after the warranty expired.

[ 10-21-2002, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: Sig220Man ]

[jellybean40]

My cell phone is OLD, but i like it fine. it's a NEC, and big compared to the little teeny ones they have now. i always see people trying to hear on them tho, and i never have a problem hearing anyone on mine. i have Cingular Wireless for my plan. i get the basic, very cheap per month, and a Union discount. i dont make alot of phone calls on it.

[SGT Dave]

I have a Star Tac with Verizon service. I LOVE the phone.

Verizon is "okay" but I've had billing problems with them I'm not comfortable with. Of course they always overcharged me, and not the other way around.

I keep them for their coverage (most complete in the Carolinas, to the best of my knowledge) and because I'm locked in a plan. Some people swear by Alltel or Nextel, but I know of "holes" in their areas that would affect me or my wife as she travels, and that's a "NO-GO."