Thinking about getting a cell phone...

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[[BDS] Kagenin]

...for the first time ever.

I know, right?  I'm almost 28, and I've never had a cell to call my own.  I'm just looking for suggestions to

I guess I've been holding out waiting for now.  Android looks pretty sick, although all my friends and family have iPhones.  I've been weighing my options and I have to say, shopping for cell phone service sucks.

I don't really want an iPhone.  My girlfriend is on AT&T, however, and adding a line wouldn't be so bad.  I could buy a phone outright and just use it on their network (like a Nexus One or something).

Verizon has the best Android phone on the market (for now, the Droid Incredible, with 8x the storage the Nexus 1 with better camera to boot).  But I'm iffy on Verizon - I live in rural nor-cal, so reception and all that is going to be tough to work out.  Cost is another issue - those two years cost about $2500.

T-mobile offers the Nexus 1 subsidized with a 2-year plan, and I think I can get a good discount on them through my massage insurance.  Their coverage is not great up near my parent's place, according to their own coverage maps.  Not as cool as the Incredible, but still a very nice phone.  Still, over 2 years, that plan costs about $2300.

I could hold out until this summer when Sprint releases an Android-based phone that surpasses the Incredible, the EVO 4G.  Again, iffy coverage might be a deal breaker for me, as Sprint has downright awful coverage around nor-cal (It's not like I'll be able to use the 4G spectrum here any time soon).  I don't know many people who are on sprint either.  Sprint isn't cheap either.

I could just settle for a cheapo phone for now.  I've been delaying getting business cards until I get a cell phone number I can put on them.  I could always yank the SIM card and upgrade myself later, I guess.

It would be nice if I could just test drive all my options... *sigh* but I can at least Ask Kyace and see what he (and the rest of BDS) like.

[[BDS] Kyace]

Wow, 28 and no cell phone. 

Before you decide on what kind of phone you want, first you have to ask yourself… what do I want to get out of my phone? If your looking for just a phone with no bells or whistles, just something that you can text on and make calls on, I would suggest a go-phone or a disposable phone. They run $20-$100 and you don’t have to worry about losing it or breaking it because they are relatively inexpensive. Don’t let the cost fool you either, go-phones are extremely durable. Ive seen a blackberry go phone go for $80 at a best buy.

If you want internet at your disposal 24/7, smart phones are the way to go. They come in several different flavors, I owned an Android G3 for a while (before it took a dump on me) then I jumped on the iphone band wagon. Personally I think the iphone OS is much more stable than that of Android OS. That and the app market on the iphone has a lot more variety then the android app market. Apps are what give smart phones versatility, so a diverse app market is a must. On the other side of the smart phone spectrum is the blackberry. Ive never owned one before, so my knowledge on them is pretty limited. I can tell you that I still don’t know how to turn Pandora radio off on my buddies blackberry after playing with it for 20 + minutes.

I hope this puts some perspective on your cell phone conundrum. 

[[BDS] hav0k99]

28 and without a cell phone? I applaud you!! and now you want a digital leash. 

[[BDS] The Rock]

Get a pay-as-you-go phone and track how often you use it for a couple months--its a lot cheaper/easier to upgrade to a 2-year plan than it is to cancel a 2-year plan.       sounds like your biggest concern will be a provider that has decent coverage/service...

Don't forget to factor in the cost of the mandatory Data plans (in addition to the minutes/texts) plans if u get a smart phone, thats a nice hidden cost when u get one.   I still have a 4yr old Motorola RazR that works fine for texting/calls.... but then I don't need to be online 24/7 or check emails all day long. 

Personally, I don't find the cost of a smartphone and data plan worth the convience of having 24/7 internet.   There's no question/email on earth that is so urgent for me to answer that it can't wait till I get home to look it up. If its urgent, they'll call me (isn't that what the phone is for? )
Plus, I know how to read maps (remember those?), so GPS/directions aren't that big a deal to me either 

[[BDS] Mahones]

m-m-mm aps?

[[BDS]ANT]

Get a pay-as-you-go phone and track how often you use it for a couple months--its a lot cheaper/easier to upgrade to a 2-year plan than it is to cancel a 2-year plan.      sounds like your biggest concern will be a provider that has decent coverage/service...

Don't forget to factor in the cost of the mandatory Data plans (in addition to the minutes/texts) plans if u get a smart phone, thats a nice hidden cost when u get one.   I still have a 4yr old Motorola RazR that works fine for texting/calls.... but then I don't need to be online 24/7 or check emails all day long.  

Personally, I don't find the cost of a smartphone and data plan worth the convience of having 24/7 internet.   There's no question/email on earth that is so urgent for me to answer that it can't wait till I get home to look it up. If its urgent, they'll call me (isn't that what the phone is for? )
Plus, I know how to read maps (remember those?), so GPS/directions aren't that big a deal to me either  

yeah i totally agree go with the go phone and see how that works out before committing to a 2 year contract.

[[BDS] The Rock]

m-m-mm aps?

I just watched Tropic Thunder. That sounds like Simple Jack "that m-m-m-m-m akes me s-s-s-s-s-s-saaayud" 

[[BDS] Kagenin]

28 and without a cell phone? I applaud you!! and now you want a digital leash. 

Want has nothing to do with this.  I've never really needed one until now.  I'm going to become a CMT, so having a cell phone, as well as a business card with that cell's number on it, will be extremely crucial to me as I try to build my client base.  A phone that I can use to run my business from would (I think) help me a lot (tracking expenses, travel, managing my schedule, etc).  Apps are fun, too, I'm sure.  In the long run, I think android will get more stable, and that the more open philosophy with regards to development and app publishing will only help it to populate app catalog.

Just after I made the above post, I found this enlightening article of ars.  I was gun-shy about Sprint, but I just might wait until summer for the EVO 4G (not that 4G is in CA, but the EVO does look sweet), but in the meant time play with a pay-as-you-go phone.  Price is a big factor as well, though.
Sprint's unlimited voice/sms/data plan goes for 100/mo.  A comparable Verizon voice/sms plan is 90/month, but the data plans are tiered - older, less sophisticated phones use the 10/mo plan, newer smartphones require a 30/mo plan, so that's 120/mo to run an Android-based phone with unlimited voice/sms.  Over the course of a 2-year contract, that's almost $500 saved by using Sprint...

I don't seem to hear good stuff about AT&T, or T-Mobile for that matter.  A lot of people I know love their iPhone, but dislike their coverage.  T-Mobile has always been spotty, but they are the cheapest 2-year plan out there for a smart phone  But most people I talk to who have Verizon seem to like them.  I don't seem to know many people on sprint, so I dunno how reliable they are up here, but yeah, we'll see.

So that's where I guess I'm leaning in the long term... for the short term, I might just do the pay-as-you-go thing to start.  If I do that, do I have to get a new number if and when I do decide to commit to a carrier?  Changing my phone number isn't something I want to have to call clients about...

[[BDS] Kyace]

  Changing my phone number isn't something I want to have to call clients about...

i want to say that you are not required to change your number, nor can any carrier tell you to change your number.

 http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/numbport.html

[[BDS] The Rock]

  Changing my phone number isn't something I want to have to call clients about...

i want to say that you are not required to change your number, nor can any carrier tell you to change your number.

 http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/numbport.html

Yup, I got to keep my number when I went off my parent's family plan 3 years ago. 

Here's another good article, pretty recent too, about general Cellphone tips 
http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phone-buying-guide/

ugh.  +$100/month is steep to me--that's what I pay in Cable+internet for my land line service.  feels like the Telco/Broadband carriers get to gouge us cause they're the only ones with the networks... 

[[BDS] hav0k99]

Get an iphone, I really hate to say it but it's got some killer apps. Angry Birds has caused me many sleepless nights.

[[BDS]•ﮎñÂpŸăßăÇк•]

The iphone is the hotness i love mine will never have anything else.. its like having your computer in your pocket all the time i am never bored i play words with my friends at all hours of the night and day i watch movies at dmv while people lean in, i listen to music at the gym and god damn i am never lost! fuck i bet there is an app to make it shake and i could shove it up my girls you know what really!

[[BDS]•ﮎñÂpŸăßăÇк•]

This is my four year old playing my iphone she will be a [BDS] member Hotness someday!! promise

[[BDS]•ﮎñÂpŸăßăÇк•]

This is my four year old playing my iphone she will be a [BDS] member Hotness someday!! promise

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ka0Jwdk6p-8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ka0Jwdk6p-8&rel=1</a>



Sry had a few beers!

[[BDS] fuzzynuggets]

Yeah iPhone is they way to go, but wait until later this summer for the new one.