Switch to Verizon...

[marvellous]

We're having to make the switch soon (Unicel was purchased by Verizon and they're switching in February) and our current phones will become obsolete.  I actually love my current phone (Sony Erickson w580i) and G has a Motorola she's had forever that she loves.  We don't 'need' a touch phone, or a PDA, but since we have to change, is there a certain phone we 'have' to have? 

Muchos thank you all!
m

[jdubbs32584]

My Storm has a lot of issues. Its already been replaced by verizon once and it randomly shuts down every couple of days. Its still buggy.

That being said, it does email very well and once you load the Opera Mini browser on it, its a pretty good internet phone. The camera is pretty cool and can take video.

[krolik]

Beer can on a string. 

[marvellous]

mmmm.... beer... 

[Tailgunner]

Beer can on a string. 

I love it when someone makes me laugh. That was fun 

[duc_fan]

Beer can on a string. 

+1   


I have a Storm, and it's been pretty good to me.  Had some software issues early on, but those were remedied with the first OS update they released back in early December.  The built-in browser is fine... until you try to do a Google Image search (then it's useless).  And don't go to YouTube via the web.  Download the YouTube app.  Ditto for Google Maps... just get the app.  Battery life is fine for right now... we'll see how the batteries (I bought a spare) hold up over the course of a year.  I swap 'em out once a week or once every other week so I always have a hot spare that's fully charged and ready to go (and hasn't been sitting there self-discharging for the past several months).

Potential issues: every now and again the screen doesn't want to recognize the "click" once I've highlighted something and want to select/launch it.  Usually this only happens when my fingers are too cold for the screen to recognize the heat signature.  The screen edge is also not sealed... don't get liquids or dust under there.  When I'm clicking away on the keyboard typing an e-mail or text msg, I have to wonder how long that screen clicker is going to last.  Imagine if you only had one key on a computer keyboard or cell phone keypad... that's essentially what the "click" function of the Storm screen is.

Oh yeah: the camera is just a glorified mobile-phone camera.  Don't expect it to substitute for a real digital camera.  3.2MP... sure that's what the CCD is, but that miniscule lens can't even begin to resolve images to that level of detail.

I've never had the self-reset problems that a few others have described, and the only real SW glitches I had were related to the screen auto-rotation, and that was fixed with the software release last month.  Otherwise it seems to work fine.  Call reception is clear and reliable here in the Portland area.

-------

If you don't need a "smartphone", check out the Krave and see if you like it.  If that still has too many bells and whistles, I'm partial to the simple ruggedized Motorola flip-phones (any model with a metal frame and hinge). I was happy with the performance of my Motorola KRZR.  I only upgraded to the BlackBerry because I wanted smartphone functionality (interwebz).

[Mother]

if you have sim cards you do not have to change phones

Cingular lost their ass because they did that

bought AT&T and then told everyone their phone didn't work and they "had" to buy new phones

it was bullshit

there was a class action lawsuit due to the fact that cingular blocked the phones forcing all the former AT&T customers to buy new phones

they lost in court and had to release the unlock codes

[duc_fan]

Mother makes a good point... unless Marv's w580i is a GSM-only phone.  Verizon's network is CDMA, IIRC.  Two different forms of electronic communication, requiring different hardware.  It takes more than a SIM card to make a phone switch between GSM and CDMA.

The Cingular/AT&T claim was complete BS because they were both GSM networks.  That was a software-only change.

Now... if Unicel is using the same transmit/receive protocol as Verizon, and they still say a phone change is needed, then I call BS on Verizon.


On second thought... All of Verizon's handsets that I have used have proprietary Verizon operating systems.  This may be why VZW is claiming you need a new handset.  I think that's BS, though... as long as the device hardware can communicate with the network, you should be allowed to use whatever phone you want.  Sadly, this is one of the crappy things about dealing with Verizon: the castrated handset software.  It was really obvious when you compared a Sprint or AT&T Motorola RAZR or KRZR with the Verizon equivalent... same hardware, totally different software.  The Verizon phones were missing some Bluetooth functionality and had all that VZ Navigator and proprietary streaming media crap. 

[marvellous]

My phone DOES have a SIM card but hers does NOT... interesting, will investigate further (she actually wants a new phone, I'm fine w/ mine)...

[marvellous]

According to G, ALL Unicel phones have SIM cards... So now I'm confuzzzed... 

[oregunduc]

I like Verizons coverage but I would stongly advise not misplaceing your new phone without insurance to replace it Verizon and i'm sure others will F*#% you in the arss to buy a new phone if you aren't within the allowed time to sign a new every two contract... This is how i ended up with a friends old pink razor after I lost my phone, I'm just not willing to give 100 bucks for a refurbished pile and anything decent seemed to run about 250 screw that it's just a phone.

and deep down i wuv my obnoxious pink phone