Newbie cell phone buyer Questions

S

Spanky Doodle

New member
I am on the market for a new cell phone. Actually my first cell phone. I held off for a long time!

Okay first of all it has to be durable. I don't want the buttons coming loose or the screen cracking if I accidentally drop it on the floor. Rugged like those old Nokia's.

I'd like a phone that I can download ringtones to. Maybe one compatible so that I can make my own ringtone with software and transfer it to the phone.

One that plays MP3z. Ideally it would have an USB 2.0 connection.

Maybe even a camera phone since I don't have a digital camera.

Really I don't care too much about the bells and whistles. But I'd really like to get the best phone for under $200. Used/refurbished/new doesn't matter. I need a contract service as well.

Is buying cell phones and contracts off Ebay sensible to get the best deals?

Can someone explain bluetooth technology?

What do you mean by unlocking cellphones? What cell phones can you hack and/or unlock and what are the advantages of this?
 
First decide which carrier you are going to use. Look at the coverage where you will using the phone - where you live, work, play, travel, etc. Talk to family, friends, co-workers about who they use and how they like it and the coverage. No matter how good or cool or cheap or expensive the phone is, if you don't have coverage, all you have is a paperweight.

Buying a used phone from ebay or from someone is a risky venture in my opinion. You need to know what you are getting and you to know that the phone will work with your carrier. If you are going to go with Verizon, then you have to have a Verizon branded phone. Same with Sprint, it has to be a Sprint phone.

You cna unlock a GSM phone and that allows you to use that phone on any GSM carrier (Cingular and T-Mobil in the US). It also allows you to use the phone in other countries who have GSM networks, i.e. Europe. To unlock, you have to purchase an unloak code from a vendor. In some cases the carrier will give you the code.
 
First decide which carrier you are going to use. Look at the coverage where you will using the phone - where you live, work, play, travel, etc. Talk to family, friends, co-workers about who they use and how they like it and the coverage. Then pick your phone. No matter how good or cool or cheap or expensive the phone is, if you don't have coverage, all you have is a paperweight.

Buying a used phone from ebay or from someone is a risky venture in my opinion. You need to know what you are getting and you to know that the phone will work with your carrier. If you are going to go with Verizon, then you have to have a Verizon branded phone. Same with Sprint, it has to be a Sprint phone.

You cna unlock a GSM phone and that allows you to use that phone on any GSM carrier (Cingular and T-Mobil in the US). It also allows you to use the phone in other countries who have GSM networks, i.e. Europe. To unlock, you have to purchase an unloak code from a vendor. In some cases the carrier will give you the code.
 
Agreed, it's really hard to just recommend a provider because there are areas where every carrier is bad. The first step is to find out which providers are even available to you. Do you know any retail stores in your area? The second step may be to look at the coverage maps for the carriers that are available in your area, then you may want to compare plans to see what they offer. The big 6 are Cingular, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Alltel, and US Cellular. But there are a number of smaller carriers and often you may find that a smaller carrier may offer more in a plan and have just as good of coverage in your area. I have found that Alltel and T-Mobile work well for me and offer good options in a plan, but that may not be the case for you. Every situation is a little different depending on what you're looking for. And then after deciding on a carrier, then I would focus in on the phones because they are very different for each carrier.
 
I agree with the above. Pick your carrier 1st. Here's a BIG tip, don't choose the carrier based upon price. There's a reason a carrier's giving you more minutes for cheaper......probably because thier coverage sucks! In my area (Northeast) Verizon rules. They have the most towers, the least problems with connections and dropped calls. (I have verizon) But they suck as far as phone selection and proprietary software they run on the phones. I give up phone selection and not being able to hack as much because I want my calls to go through all the time and not drop! So Carrier 1st then you cna narrow down your search.
 
Okay, so I'm researching cell phone carrier coverage in Charleston, SC zipcode 29403

And I have another very important question. Currently I have no internet access for my home PC. I noticed that a lot of plans and phones allow you to use a cellphone as a modem for your PC. I suppose a simple USB2.0 connection or bluetooth pairing would allow my PC to access the internet through my phone. Of course I would need unlimited data access outlinec in my carrier coverage. Does anybody else use this method of frequently accessing the internet? Are there any comparisons or special considerations to be taken regarding this?

Thank you for advice
 
Ok ... here's what I'm thinking for what you're looking for.

As far as the provider goes for Charleston, it's actually an area I'm in very frequently and I have a number of family members that life in Charleston as well as several around the Aiken area. I've tried Verizon and Alltel in the area. I just switched over to Alltel about 8 months ago but still have family on Verizon there. It's a touristy location, fairly highly populated city, and a college town so nobody is really bad and I don't have any complaints about either around Charleston. T-Mobile is not an option there and I've heard several complaints about Cingular in the area and whatever you do, stay away from SunCom. My recommendation is Alltel because the coverage is great in Charleston and throughout South Carolina in my experience, I would say even a notch or two better than Verizon, and the prices are a lot better than Verizon, especially when it comes to the data you're looking at. But Alltel offers more minutes and My Circle on some plans and isn't near as bad about locking down their phones which is really important since you mentioned mp3 functionality. Alltel will actually allow you to download mp3's and ringtones onto your phone which Verizon has restricted.

As for the phone with the features you're looking for with mp3 functionality and being able to use as a modem, I would go with the Razr V3m, but the AX8600 is suppose to be a really nice mp3 phone set to come out on the 15th. The Samsung U520 is another option for an mp3 camera phone. If you do a lot with mp3's, I would also think about a memory card to go with it. Any of these phones with a memory card and either data cable or bluetooth connection should be under the $200 limit you mentioned previously. If you get a Motorola phone, Razr or Krzr, and Motorola Phone tools, you just install MPT on your computer and it will connect to the internet. With an LG or Samsung, I'm not sure if there's other software available, but it's not hard to set up a dial-up connection and there are instructions in the Alltel forum.

There are some in the Alltel forum that know a lot more about setting up the data connection than I do, but if you just want to tether your phone to the internet, Alltel has a $25 monthly add-on feature where you can tether, get unlimited usage, and never use any plan minutes which is what I would go with if you plan on using it a lot. Alltel also just launched EVDO in the Charleston market if I zoomed in correctly on the map. Currently, Alltel is letting people tether by using your plan minutes also, but there are rumors that might soon be changing to a per kb data charge. But I still use it from time to time but if you plan on using it a lot, it might be safer to go with the $25 add-on.

Hopefully that gave you some ideas to focus in on as far as the carrier, phone, and data options you're looking at.
 
I've been looking at the Samsung BlackJack. Since it is supposedly good for "tethering". But the mp3 player seems to be lackluster and its hard to plug in 3.5mm stereo headphones without popping noises and adaptors and such. "everything that plugs into it is proprietary" accessories accessories adaptors etc. hmmm...

I'm also looking at the sony ericson's

For Charleston SC, after researching and talking to people here

Alltel seems to be the best and most popular here. Yet they are a smaller carrier I guess

A lot of people have Verizon and Cingular here. I get mixed messages from people regarding them. T-mobile customers are generally satisfied here, but don't rave about it. Suncom supposedly sucks. Sprint supposedly sucks.
 
Yeah, that's the general impression I have of the area as well, and it does vary depending on who you talk to. I just looked up the licenses and I guess T-Mobile is available in Charleston, I just didn't know that but it's not a popular market for them, mainly because they cover very few areas in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia and roam on SunCom which is horrible in the rest of the Carolinas.

Cingular does have an overall better phone selection so they are more likely to catch your eye, but I think you got pretty much all the facts right for that area. I'm not sure about Cingular's data plans but you might also look to pay a little more with them. If having one of the phones you mentioned is important, Cingular may be the way to go if you're willing to pay a little more and sacrifice some in terms of coverage and the minutes you get out of a plan. I don't know all the intricate pros and cons of the Cingular phones you're considering though or specifically how to tether with them so I'll leave that to somebody else to advise you on...

Try not to let the fact that Alltel is a smaller carrier alone persuade you against them though. A lot of times, the deal you can get with a smaller carrier is a lot better because they'll offer more in a plan and have better customer service that's not so focused on policy. Throw in better coverage to boot and it's often a win-win. With the U520 and the 8600 though, there are even some good mp3 options. Alltel also free roams on Verizon and Sprint anywhere in the country where there's no native Alltel signal so you basically get all the coverage advantages of one of the larger providers. Alltel's coverage advantage in Charleston is mainly due to the fact that they use a lower wavelength signal than Sprint, T-Mobile, Cingular or Suncom. The latter 4 are PCS carriers using a wavelength in the 1900 MHz range. Alltel is a Cellular carrier with a signal around 850 MHz. Meaning it travels further from the tower and penetrates indoors better. I also prefer the CDMA technology because to me, it sounds a little better. But everybody has an opinion on that also so I'll leave it there.
 
so alltel is 850 and is cdma and not gsm? So far Alltel seems to be the way to go.

I'm interested in the SonyEricson W810I. seems like another good mp3/camera/USB2.0/cell that could potentially tether.

However, tethering doesn't seem like a very good option as far as home internet access. I just wish I could get my internet/cell bill in one.

imagine the future when everything is wireless whenever wherever. tv, internet, phones. All you will need is a username and password for everything. the only thing you will need to plug in is the power cord.

anybody ever look into sim card duplications? Could you just have multiple phones and devices running on cloned sim cards? cellphonehacks.com is good for some of this stuff

P.E.A.C.E.
 
Correct, Alltel is CDMA and 850 and Cingular is GSM and 1900. The other 850 carrier is Verizon as the 850 band is split only into an A and B side. The Carolinas and Virginia combined are a relatively large chunk of the country where CDMA dominates the 850 band. The coverage maps really help to visualize the difference. Cingular is 850 in much of the country, but not in this area.

Tethering might be something to try to start out with maybe for a month and see how it works out for you. To just try it out, with Alltel you can still tether using minutes, and all plans have unlimited night and weekends. But I would avoid over-using it just incase they ever did start charging per kb just to be cautious. I'm sure it would be better than nothing and you could always step up to DSL or Cable or a tethering plan later. The next step up in wireless besides an actual tethering plan is a wireless modem card for a laptop such as this for Cingular and this for Alltel. They're a little more expensive though, around $60/month. They'll be on the same bill but it's about 3 times as much as DSL. Because of the price, they're mainly just marketed for businesses.

The Sony Ericson model you mentioned looks like a pretty slick model that appears to have all the features you're looking for. Just be aware that Sony only produces GSM handsets though so they would only be an option with Cingular. Same is true for SIM cards, they're only used with GSM handsets. There is a CDMA counterpart but it is currently only being used in Asia for now. Just something to consider when you're considering which provider to choose depending on how important that specific model of phone and the presence of a SIM card is. Also, cloning SIM cards in basically impossible now days from what I understand although I've never tried with mine. It use to be possible back in the Analog/TDMA days but many security advancements have taken place since then to prevent a copied SIM from ending up in Costa Rica.

Good luck making the decision and getting all the small details figured out and going with the provider that works out best for you and phone that is what you're looking for!!
 
Keep in mind that tethering will be really slow. It all depends on the connection and the phone's processor. Speeds could range from 40-70 kbps on EDGE to about 750 kbps to 1.2 mbps on EV-Do (and 3 G probably).
 
so even EV-DO is only as good as a low-end DSL connection?

maybe i should just get a cheap cellphone plan, no wireless data crap about $30/mo
and just purchase DSL for my house at about $35/month

total $65/mo
versus $70 alltell data plan, contract, etc. etc. slow downloads....
 
I would call it on par with dial-up, depending on the carrier, connection and the processor in the phone. If you want to use it as your primary Internet, then I wouldn't, I'd opt for DST or Cable at home.

Make sure you checkout the voice plans for roaming and long distance charges as well. teh plan you want is no roaming and no long distance. Probably in the $40 a month range.

Where in Charleston do you live? I spent my honeymoon there many years ago. We stil go back once in a while.
 
Alltel's EVDO in that area would be a lot faster than dial-up. Closer to about 700 kbps with bursts up to 1.2 mbps rather than the 56 kbps dial-up speed. Perhaps a little slower since Alltel is pretty popular there and the tower might be a little busy. Cingular is Edge there, equivalent to 1x, so that would be comparable to dial-up. But yeah, still on the low end of a DSL/Cable connection even for EVDO. As far as using it as your primary internet, well you couldn't use your cell phone and surf on the internet at the same time if you're tethering, so it really depends on how much you want to use it. Data also drains a cell battery rather quickly. But I still think it's a good option for some situations. I use it quite a bit, but it all depends on your usage habits and if you don't care to go though the trouble of figuring out the process, connecting the phone to your computer, dialing into the tower, etc. For an equivalent price, DSL may be a better, quicker option for most people, but I don't even have a home landline phone line so tethering saves me quite a bit and it's worth the extra few seconds since the tethering add-on is $25 and DSL is $35 plus having a landline which I got rid of.

Dub Dub was correct about the price of the cheapest plan. As far as post-paid plans go, $40/month plus taxes are the cheapest plans that you'll be able to find through anybody now days. Alltel's most basic plan for $40/month is the National Freedom 500 plan with no roaming/long-distance charges anywhere around there, with unlimited N&W & M2M. If you only want to spend about $30/month on a plan, you might be able to do that on AlltelU pre-paid. But the phones are more expensive, there's a higher activation fee, and 10 cents/min can really add up especially if you start using it more as time goes on. In your original post, I know you mentioned wanting a contract plan, but for the price and features I thought it might be worth mentioning.
 
I'm thinking about going with the blackberry pearl on alltel. But i'm willing to give this another week of consideration. I'm worried that with a 2 year contract the phone will become obsolete, judging by how fast technology innovates.
 
The Blackberry Pearl is another exclusive GSM phone. Alltel's CDMA Blackberry counterpart is the Blackberry 8703e. But from what I understand, every Blackberry uses a proprietary technology that requires about a $45 mandatory data add-on just to use the data on the phone. I was also thinking about going with a blackberry until I found that out a while back. The Blackerries have also always struck me as designed more for business rather than the mp3 functions nor a camera you were talking about earlier. Here is the link to the Alltel phones if you want to focus in specifically on those.

Technology does innovate pretty fast now days, and if you want the latest, greatest, newest, coolest the 2 yr contract sounds like forever. There are a few bright notes though. There are 1 yr contracts available but they usually tack on about $50 to the price. Some retailers don't do this but some do so if you really want a 1 yr contract, ask the local store about it. Alltel actually allows a new phone to be purchased at a 2 yr contract discounted price within 90 days of the end of your current contract. So as long as you're aware of the date, you only have to ride the phone out 21 months. Also, there's always eBay phones that are often cheaper than retail price but still more expensive than a 2 yr contract price.
 
I'm thinking about getting a high powered wireless network card to plug in the back of my PC by USB2.0 or pci that might allow me to just pick up someone's wireless connection or the starbuck's connection just down the street. I mean i'm on the 3rd floor. I think its possible the signal goes that far.

something like this: http://www.jeffcosoho.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=145054

And yeah, the blackberry seems cliche. I'm still researching which phone is the easiest to hack, customize, create programs for, tether, and importantly a good mp3 player, etc. etc. I could care less about actually using the phone as a PC. I just want mp3, maybe a camera, SD card, tethering, maybe bluetooth, ...

any way to use a bluetooth phone to change the channels on my television? lol i'd be sold.
 
lol They actually are testing several ways so your phone can be used as a tv remote. I know that AT&T is testing one but it's only in certain markets, only on Dish network (or some satellite), and still buggy. But here in a couple more years .... Here's an article on it on MSNBC.

That looks like a powerful WiFi card. It's really hard to tell with WiFi though. I bet it would work great but you might want to order from somewhere that accepts returns just in case. Where I work, the signal won't make it through the building. But where I live, I can usually pick them up from down the road no problem ... too bad they're all password protected.

With the mp3 conditions, I'd have to look to find the GSM options, but considering Alltel, I really think the options are narrowed down to the LG AX8600, Samsung U520, Moto Razr, and the Moto Krzr. Hacking, customizing, and creating programs though, are not something I've ever researched or really been concerned with.
 
I ended up just piggybacking on my boss's family plan. For $10,00 a month I get 400 minutes on a cheap flip phone LG. free nights weekends. no mp3 player. no tethering. But with the money I saved I can just get cable internet at home.

GhostChild, thanks for all the help, for real. At least i'm more up to date on wireless phone technology now, even if I settled for less.

P.E.A.C.E. howardforums 'til I need you again
 
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