Cell phones!

[FreddyKnuckles]

I actually just got a verizon plan, they were $9.99 with the contract.

Did you do it online?  Online=cheaper

[nonotyet]

US Cellular = NO NO NO BAD.

[FreddyKnuckles]

pretty good consensus that you should either go with verizon or tmobes

[dieblucasdie]

I actually just got a verizon plan, they were $9.99 with the contract.

Did you do it online?  Online=cheaper

Yeah, I'm going out as little as possible in this weather.

[El_Josharino]

I've been with Alltel for like 6 years now and haven't minded them much. Their customer service isn't great, but I've only had to deal with them about 3 times ever, and they've been very tolerant of my late payments when I've been forgetful/broke. I have more minutes than I'd use anyway, free nights/weekends, nationwide long distance, nationwide roaming, and the typical caller id/waiting/voice mail/etc and it's right about 50 bucks a month, and text messaging i could get unlimited for another $6, but right now I just do pay per use because I don't use it often enough to ring up 6 bucks a month on it anyway. Overall pretty dece.

[FreddyKnuckles]

FUCK
ALLTEL

also, verizon still thinks I work at starbucks which means I get 20% off my plan muah hahahah

But if any of you work for a major corporation or the government, you probably get a discount that you don't know about, because they don't tell you

[mriley]

I worked for Cingular/ATT for a couple years and it is also the only service I have ever had(for about 8 years)  For me, they have always had good service, and coverage.  You should base your decision on which company has the best coverage where you live, and also which company the people you usually talk to have.  I managed to get just about everyone I know onto Cingular while I worked there, and I am able to be on the lowest plan they offer since almost all of my calls are free mobile to mobile calls.

As far as phones, I sold alot of them and the ones that were always the most reliable and had the best reception were the Nokias.  Even the cheapest and most basic models usually lasted alot longer than other brands of phones.

[Good Intentions]

Nokias are famous for their battery trouble, though. I haven't used any of the new ones, but that's something that's plagued them for some time.

[SPACERACE]

these



are the most durable phones created, i think. LG VX 3300. it is a phone that makes phone calls. pretty sure they grow on trees so they're either free or close to it. verizon gives them away, and i have nothing to complain about w/r/t their service, though the coverage isn't perfect.

i only broke my last one when i got a little drunk and fired it into the ground fully knowing it was going to break into pieces. and it did, many of them.

[dieblucasdie]

yeah, don't get alltel

[Thermofusion]

I roll with American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and rock a pretty basic Nokia 6030 (candybar style).  I get pretty good reception, never a problem in the city and usually pretty strong out in the boonies (really remote mountainous areas are dicey, though). 

I had an older, monochrome, more stone age Nokia and it had some serious battery issues, but this one I've had a couple of years and I can't tell any noticeable battery life degradation.  Rollover minutes are the shit and the data plan for text & web access is pretty reasonable too.

[elpollodiablo]

these



are the most durable phones created, i think. LG VX 3300. it is a phone that makes phone calls. pretty sure they grow on trees so they're either free or close to it. verizon gives them away, and i have nothing to complain about w/r/t their service, though the coverage isn't perfect.

i only broke my last one when i got a little drunk and fired it into the ground fully knowing it was going to break into pieces. and it did, many of them.

I had the precursor to that model and it lasted about three years of being dropped and kicked around and used to open beer bottles and shit. it didn't even stop working, I just replaced the thing.

[SPACERACE]

yup. i played hacky-sack with mine almost every day of the week.

[Little Sixes Little Nines]

I've had a Sanyo 9000 for a couple years now. It has loads of features for how much it cost; video camera, mp3 player, miniSD slot, a real simple interface, a high-quality speakerphone and heaps of other stupid crap. The phone rules cause it's so big and chunky it can deal with anything. I left it outside in long grass in a storm while stoned once. I found it three days later and it still works perfectly.

[jess]

I have AT&T and a dying razr. Am very happy with AT&T, less so with the razr. My first RAZR needed most of it replaced while still under warranty because the charging port got out of whack, and it had terrible sound. The same thing is happening to charging port on my current razr, plus it often turns off for no reason and won't turn back on unless I pop the battery in and out. Also the button that usually is the back button (the left one under the screen) just died. I think I've had this one for a year and a half, and I think that's kind of pathetic, though granted, I drop my phone a lot. Still, I wouldn't recommend a razr.

Anyway, I have some funds set aside for an iPhone, especially once I realized they're actually thinner than the razr and that then I could access the 'net freely at work, but I've been waiting to see if my phone will last until the second gen comes out. I'm starting to think probably not, since rumors have it not being until this summer now.

[Thermofusion]

those Jitterbug phones are pretty sexy.  all the indie kids have 'em

[FreddyKnuckles]

I have a razr too jess and its ok.  The first one I had was great.  I never had the slightest problem with it until I dropped it in the river.

Next razr was made out of carboard.  The screen fell out

next razr is ok but the hinge is all brokey

Upgrade comes this summer, so I will probably get something that is like +$40-$80 on the freeness depending on what's available.

[morgan]

I don't think I want to get a flip phone or a sliding phone, just 'cause I know that if I had one I would be fidgeting with it all the time and would likely wear out the hinge or slide thing or whatever.  You guys are being awesome, still!  Thanks for all the advice.  I looked at coverage for T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T in Madison and Philly.  Looks like T-Mobile gets really bad reception in Madison, so I probably won't go with them.  We'll see.

[jebreject]

any excuse to not go to madison is a good one

"sorry, i don't have phone reception in madison. i can't come visit you. see you later" etc.

[morgan]

My boyfriend lives there, we're moving in together in March.  In Madison.  So...yeah.

[jebreject]

Not good enough reason to go to Madison

[jebreject]

Heh, sorry, Morgan. I just think it's really fun to hate Madison.

[morgan]

Eh, so do I.  No problem.  I didn't like Madison at all the last time I lived there, but I think things will work out well enough with the boy that it won't matter.  Besides, we're planning on moving to Philly in a year or so, anyway.  I can deal with a year in Madison.

[lesser.saint]

I exchanged my ancient Nokia for a newer model and it's a good little phone.  It's this one:


I got it mostly cos I didn't want a flip phone and I don't need a damn camera in it or anything.  My plan is through AT&T and it's decent.

I have that phone and it drives me crazy - the center Menu button is way too loud when pressed.  I'm weird, I can't stand loud clicky buttons and I can't do the touch-screen business either.

[nonotyet]

Because of a story that is too long to tell here I did not get my federal tax refund last year. I got it this year. I have decided to get a new phone because every time I try to have a conversation with someone they are like "YOU SOUND LIKE YOU ARE IN A HURRICANE I CAN'T HEAR YOU" and US Cellular fixed it once but it's doing the same thing again and: whatever. I  do not think that my contract is up yet so I think I am eligible for either a free phone or a really cheap one. Whaddoo I get.

Things I don't care about:
picture messaging
mp3s/custom ringtones
Things I do care about:
it should be pretty