new phone help

[erkishhorde]

I've just about killed my old phone (Ericsson W300i) and I'm looking at a new phone. Service is non-negotiable; I'm stuck with at&t.  I'm also too cheap to pay for a phone so I'm looking at their freebies. I'm a really slow learner and it's taken me a couple phones to learn that phone+keys = bad.  Also, 2 story balcony +phone = bad.  I'll be trying to take better care of my phone. I think I'll try to go back using a belt clip. Didn't use to break my phone all the time when I used those. Anyway...

Oh yeah, I'm not a texter. It would be nice if it had a decent calculator though. 

Anyone have a Motorola Z9, Ericsson W350, or Pantech C630? What are your thoughts. When getting a new phone for "free" I figured, why not get the most expensive one? But if the most expensive one is just an expensive paper weight it's not really worth it, now is it - even if it's free. I'm open to other suggestions. Here's the list of the current "free" phones from att.

[Privateer]

I have ATT and the Sony Ericsson W580i.  I like how small it is and has enough functions to make me happy.  The only reason I got it was because it had the walkman function and stereo bluetooth output.  It allows me to connect my phone to my chatterbox so i can talk on the phone and listen to music with no adapters, no wires, no earbuds, and I only have to carry one device instead of a phone and mp3.

It looks like the w350 is pretty similar in functionality.  If you want the least amount of learning curve, get a phone from the same manufacturer as the one you killed.  I find the menus and key combinations are very similar between mfg's models.  Nothing i hate more than having to learn a new phone.  Once I get one figure out completely it's usually time to get a new one.

Once you get it, whatever you get, I recommend Zagg protective covers.  http://www.zagg.com/  They don't add bulk to the phone like a silicone or leather case does, and the damn things are indesctructible.  I have them on my PDA, my PSP, phone, wife's phone, sister's phone, dad's iPhone, mom's crackberry.  I was an early adopter, and my family has fallen in love with them as well.

[erkishhorde]

Doh, I wish I had known about the Zagg protectors earlier. My Samsung K5 would have benefited from it a lot.