Cell Phone Research

[Coffee Warlord]

So, been in the market for a new phone, currently have a top candidate, so I ask the question...

Anyone have any experience with the Samsung Rogue (Verizon)?

And aside from that, any other good touch screen phones (that is not an iPhone) that people can recommend?

[DaddyTorgo]

Verizon rapes you on data plans...

[Coffee Warlord]

...how so?

From their site, unless I'm missing something, Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T are all offering identical data plans. Unlimited data & messaging, 900 minutes, 89.99/month.

[DaddyTorgo]

aaah. well at the top level yeah it's probably all the same. that was just what i'd heard at lower levels...

[Coffee Warlord]

Yeah, I need higher minute plans, with this being my only phone. Unless I can somehow find a wi-fi capable phone that doesn't require a data plan (good luck with that), I need a fairly high tier.

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Verizon rapes you on data plans...

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

...how so? ...89.99/month.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Yeah, I need higher minute plans, with this being my only phone. Unless I can somehow find a wi-fi capable phone that doesn't require a data plan (good luck with that), I need a fairly high tier.

shouldn't most wifi capable phones not require data plans? Oh I guess you mean that the carrier requires you to have a data plan with the phone. because the wifi will certainly work without the data plan (that's the point after all)

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

shouldn't most wifi capable phones not require data plans? Oh I guess you mean that the carrier requires you to have a data plan with the phone. because the wifi will certainly work without the data plan (that's the point after all)

Correct. Cell phone providers quickly figured that one out, and won't let you get a phone without their data plan.

[DaddyTorgo]

gotcha. wasn't sure if that was what you meant or not.

[RomaGoth]

Guy I work with, his wife has a blackberry and the monthly data plan is $25. This is in addition to the rest of their service fees, and they are with Verizon. This has pretty much turned me off of wanting a blackberry at this point, I am interested in the rogue but doesn't that require the data plan as well?

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by RomaGoth

Guy I work with, his wife has a blackberry and the monthly data plan is $25. This is in addition to the rest of their service fees, and they are with Verizon. This has pretty much turned me off of wanting a blackberry at this point, I am interested in the rogue but doesn't that require the data plan as well?

Like I said, from what I've seen, if it has wifi, it requires the data plan, over any of the major carriers.

[nfg22]

The samsung SCHI-760 is ok. It has wifi and I dont have the data plan.

[rjolley]

With Sprint, you can now get the Everything Data Plan for $70 with 450 minutes, $90 for 900 minutes, or $100 for unlimited minutes. When I did research on ATT, Sprint, and Verizon last year when I thought about switching, Sprint's plan was the best value. The phones, while not the best, are getting better.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by rjolley

With Sprint, you can now get the Everything Data Plan for $70 with 450 minutes, $90 for 900 minutes, or $100 for unlimited minutes. When I did research on ATT, Sprint, and Verizon last year when I thought about switching, Sprint's plan was the best value. The phones, while not the best, are getting better.

Yeah, the same plans are now available through Sprint & ATT for identical costs. Sprint actually comes in worse now, because the others offer versions of "pick 5 people, unlimited calls" (which can be both cell and landlines).

Sprint has the unlimited mobile to mobile for everyone, but my big minutes go to landline calls.

[rjolley]

That change must've happened recently. I looked not too long ago and the plans hadn't dropped. Nice they did, though.

The Any Mobile, Anytime plan is a good addition, a good twist on the friends' list plans. At least Sprint is trying to be a bit different. I thought for sure they'd be bought out by now.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by rjolley

That change must've happened recently. I looked not too long ago and the plans hadn't dropped. Nice they did, though.

The Any Mobile, Anytime plan is a good addition, a good twist on the friends' list plans. At least Sprint is trying to be a bit different. I thought for sure they'd be bought out by now.

Wasn't it just recently when they bought Nextel? By recently, I mean in like the past couple of years?

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Yeah, the same plans are now available through Sprint & ATT for identical costs. Sprint actually comes in worse now, because the others offer versions of "pick 5 people, unlimited calls" (which can be both cell and landlines).

Sprint has the unlimited mobile to mobile for everyone, but my big minutes go to landline calls.

Can you point me to where you see the same identical plans please. On AT&T's site I see unlimited calling for $99.99 a month, but you have to add at least $15-$30 for data, and then add for SMS/MMS. I hope SMS/MMS is part of the data and I am not seeing that correctly.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Can you point me to where you see the same identical plans please. On AT&T's site I see unlimited calling for $99.99 a month, but you have to add at least $15-$30 for data, and then add for SMS/MMS. I hope SMS/MMS is part of the data and I am not seeing that correctly.

Unlimited calling, no. Sprint does have that down. I'm talking the 900 minute plans w/ unlimited data, which is 89.99 down the line.

[rjolley]

RG: That was 3 or 4 years ago, I think, but they've never been especially stable like AT&T and Verizon. They were bleeding customers for a long time, but seem to have stablized.

CW: Does that $90 plan include test messaging as well? It seemed that the non-Sprint plans were close with minutes and data, but charged for texts.

[Coffee Warlord]

Verizon Wireless

See the connect plans.

AT&T's site is miserable for getting a succinct page like that.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by rjolley

RG: That was 3 or 4 years ago, I think, but they've never been especially stable like AT&T and Verizon. They were bleeding customers for a long time, but seem to have stablized.

CW: Does that $90 plan include test messaging as well? It seemed that the non-Sprint plans were close with minutes and data, but charged for texts.

Yeah that's what I thought, give or take a year. My first ever cell phone was with Nextel and the reception was terrible. After that was T-Mobile, not much better. With AT&T now and the same thing. About all I have left is Verizon at this point, and am really interested in a good phone that does not require the data plan.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

And aside from that, any other good touch screen phones (that is not an iPhone) that people can recommend?

I got an HTC Hero from Sprint last week and have been happy with it so far. Only downside I've had is that the battery life on the default settings was poor and requires some tweaking to improve it.

[rjolley]

mckerney: You like the Hero? I'm thinking of getting that as my next phone.

RG: Yeah, depending on your area, the reception may suck. I would think that Sprint/Nextel would be different that Nextel.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by rjolley

RG: Yeah, depending on your area, the reception may suck. I would think that Sprint/Nextel would be different that Nextel.

I would guess so, it has been several years since I was with them (2001 or 2002 I think). Probably better now.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Unlimited calling, no. Sprint does have that down. I'm talking the 900 minute plans w/ unlimited data, which is 89.99 down the line.

So this is were I suck it up and spend the extra $10 a month. Unlimited and 900 minutes is very different to me, though that is a personal thing depending on how much you use your phone. I used 1400 minutes last month which was less then the month before I believe, and had 1 GB of data usage and 250 texts. Sprint is the cheapest way for me to go by far.

I guess a big thing when they are close is which one has a phone you may love, or which one has better signal where you are. I always here AT&T has crappy data connections (they are slow), but in some areas I am sure they are superior, or Verizons is, or Sprints. Same with phone signal.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by rjolley

mckerney: You like the Hero? I'm thinking of getting that as my next phone.

Very happy with it so far, I'd definitely recommend looking into it if you're going to buy a smart phone. I love the interface and how customizable it is. A friend of mine who played around with it like the UI more than the iPhones. Browsing has been good so far and I like having the trackball in addition to the touch screen.

[dervack]

Sprint's everything plans are everything. Not saying you would use the Verizon Navigator, but if you want to, I believe that's extra, where it's included in the Sprint plan. Sprint TV is included also.

[BishopMVP]

All you kids and your newfangled data phones... I feel like I'm getting old. Last time I went to Verizon I told them I wanted the cheapest one they had that was as close to indestructible as possible, and preferably hot pink or neon green so it was harder to lose.

I think they just grabbed one another customer was exchanging and told me to gtfo. Gets great reception on phone calls though.

[Scoobz0202]

I am really excited about the new Android phone that Verizon is getting, the Droid.

I just want them to release the damn thing! I am able to get an upgrade this wednesday and I would like to get a phone sooner then later as my Voyager's touch screen no longer works, and the inside screen is cracked on the inside so I can't read half the screen.

Anybody know anything about the release date on the Droid?

[jeff061]

Second the Droid. I was looking at getting a Pre, simply because I needed an upgrade, I didn't really love it. Droid looks to be exactly what I've been waiting for and available a couple months ahead of the Pre(on verizon).

[Scoobz0202]

Really what sold me on the Droid was the fact that Verizon is basically taking their hands off it. They are not crippling it, and they are leaving the Android market open for applications to be downloaded

[Scoobz0202]

dola -

the above mentioned is not what totally sold me on it. That was a poor choice of words. That was just icing on the cake after the few previews I have read have been raving about it.

[jeff061]

On top of Verizon not locking everything down, I also read that Google had their hands all over the implementation of the Android with Motorola. Pretty much what they said went.

Really the whole development process sounds as close to the iPhone as you can get. Without it being a god damn iPhone.

[Klinglerware]

I've pre-ordered my Nokia N900, unlocked. It is the next iteration of Nokia's Maemo internet tablet, this time adding cellular telephony.

The Maemo OS is still a work in progress, but is completely open and has a lot of potential. I have the older N800, and for something that fits in my pocket, I manage to do quite a lot with it: calendar sync, note taking via stylus, and open office for work; music/video/dosbox for play; and web-browsing, e-mail, VOIP, logmein/VNC, access to linux distros and a palm emulator for both. It already has almost everything I need to be able ditch my laptop on business travel.

Aside from the telephony and the improved processor, I'm especially excited about the 5mp camera w/dual-led flash. This is definitely one of the biggest upgrades over the old tablet. Of course, a cell-phone camera won't be as good as a stand-alone digital camera, but this one will be close enough where I will be able to carry just one device rather than lug around a phone, tablet, camera, and mp3 player.

Maemo software | Nokia › Nokia N900 mobile computer

[Scoobz0202]

Yea, Jeff, from what I understood Google pretty much told Verizon that unless they backed off totally they would not do business with them. Thank god for that.

[Passacaglia]

I guess I had some good timing -- my T-Mobile Dash has wifi, but didn't require a data plan (new versions do require it, though). But I hardly ever use the wifi -- never seem to be near a hotspot when I want to use it.

[Scoobz0202]

Spent the past hour or so researching Android phones, and really, the Droid doesn't seem like the only really nice Android phones coming out. HTC apparently has two coming out, one around the same time as the Droid called the HTC Desire and one that is still relatively unknown, but looks sweet from an early picture, the HTC Passion (Holiday season release is all I heard).

The UI that HTC designed for the Android phones looks spectacular. Oh, the decisions!

[ISiddiqui]

Droid looks pretty sweet. But I'm liking my Blackberry Tour. Maybe in a year and a half, I'll pick up a Droid 2 or Pre 2 .

[Scoobz0202]

Jeff, or anybody else, did you get the Droid? I just got mine today and while I need more then a few hours to make a good judgement call I am absolutely loving it.

Coming from the Voyager to this is such a big difference. So much I can do..

[jeff061]

Yeah I got one. Having come from the dark ages on my personal phone, I only can compare it to my Curve work phone.

I love it though. Prefer the Curve's keyboard (RIM's still the best at them), but the Droid's is plenty good enough. Even find myself using the touch keyboard often. Something I was extremely prejudiced against.

I bought an RDP app so I can manage my servers from my phone, which kind of blows my mind a bit. There's not a web page I can't view in its full glory, even zoomed out the resolution is high enough to display everything. 3g coverage is consistently there, though most my time is spent in the Boston area. Visual Voice mail is a nice option too, though Verizon screws you over for $2/month.

A long long overdue upgrade for me.

Edit: Battery life is generally good for 24 hours, but if you put it through it's paces you can easily cut that in half or more. I'm going to buy a spare or two.