Searching for a USA (AT&T) basic GSM Clamshell Flip Phone similar to StarTAC

M

mj4life96

New member
Hello.

For years I used a StarTAC as my main phone. I loved everything about it. It was, and still is, simply the perfect phone for me. I had to switch providers and give up my StarTAC, moving to a V60, which I also liked though not quite as much. More recently, I switched providers again, to Cingular (now AT&T) and I now have a Sony Ericsson K850i which I also like, though again not as much as either of my old Motorolas. The only reason for this is that I prefer the design and feel of a flip phone to a bar phone, otherwise a Sony Ericsson would be perfect.

For various reasons I am stuck with AT&T and switching providers is not an option. I have searched and searched for a phone similar to the StarTAC that will work with AT&T's GSM network, but have had zero luck. I have tried the Motorola Razr, which several of my relatives have owned for years, and found the quality to be abysmal. Two of them which were babied ended up falling apart after a few years, the logo above the screen and the entire screen cover fell off on both with no provocation. They also had problems with some keys not clicking properly and turning to mush. I also found the software to be slow and just downright horrible and painful to use.

I use my phone only for making and receiving calls. The quality of the handset, keypad are absolutely important to me. I want something solid that feels of pure quality, like my StarTAC did 100%. Aside from that I just need good call quality/reception, fast, simple menu/phonebook, and decent battery life. I want an "all business" plain black flip phone, like the StarTAC... I do not need a color screen, camera, or any other extra features, but I don't mind a few extras if they are unobtrusive.

I am fairly satisfied with my K850i, but I was a StarTAC enthusiast and will never be truly phone-happy until I can have something similar again. I'm hoping someone here has some suggestions that I have been unable to find. To add; I am fine with buying a brand new OR old, used phone if it meets my desires and will work on AT&T. If it's an impossible task, I will keep enjoying my SE and just keep my hopes up for the return of the StarTAC.

Sorry for the long post, but thank you for reading and I appreciate any suggestions.
 
Take a look at the SE W518. It can be had @ Frys for 99 w/o a contract or free with activation at any ATT retailer other than corporate
 
I did see that before and really liked the look of it. I read a few complaints about problems (especially problems with the phone freezing) that made me a bit worried about the quality, but I'll look for more reviews and opinions and maybe try to check one out in person. My K850i is top quality and hasn't had the slightest issue so I would hope for the same from any SE. I think that might be the way to go as long as the quality is up to the same standards as the K850i.
 
While not a true "flip" phone, have you tried the pre-Sony merger Ericssons? The T28W and T39 phones are GSM (T28 is dual, T39 triband) compatible and can be had on eBay refurbished for a relatively low price. I had a T28W when my neighbour had her CDMA StarTAC and mine outlasted it until I made the move to a BlackBerry. These are basic, no frills phones but perhaps this might be what you are looking for?
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I've always liked vintage Ericssons, but none of them (or any other older GSM phones) seem to have the GSM 850 band. I'm not sure what my area uses but I've heard that there are a lot of areas in which AT&T only has GSM 850, so none of the older GSM phones will work there.

I don't travel often though, so I may see if I can get by without 850 around here. If so, one of those vintage Ericssons would be sweet. I'm not sure on this, but I think there is actually a rare GSM StarTAC model that supports the 1900 band as well.
 
It's odd that you find the quality of the original RAZR to be bad. It's made out of mostly aircraft grade aluminum. My mom has been using the same one since 2004 and it still looks brand new, even after being dropped many times.
They were some of the best phones ever built. I keep a couple V3xx's around for spares.
 
The aluminum shells were very nice, and I do like the overall style. However, 2/3 of my relatives had their display cover fall off after a couple years, which basically ruined the display with excess glue that seemed impossible to clean off. The one that didn't was retired because the main display just stopped working one day. On each of them, some of the keys became mushy and lost their click, though they still worked. My mom is still using hers, complete with glue all over the LCD and tape around the cover to hold it in place. Maybe it's just some really bad luck.
 
You can buy 'new' ones all day on eBay for around $50 shipped. Heck, buy a half dozen of them and have at it. As far as RF performance goes, they are hard to beat.
 
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