Need Cell Phone Advice

[Neurotic Guy]

Need a new cell phone from verizon wireless and hoping for some advice/recommendations on a phone.  I do not use (nor plan to) my cell phone for anything other than phone use and an occasional text message to/from my daughters.   I want durability, long battery life, good call quality and a flip phone style.  I also should probably use bluetooth, so any advice on bluetooth devices would be great.

As you can tell, I am not an electronics-savvy guy and have no interest in games or using my phone for music or GPS -- but if there are other practical apps available in today's phones that you think I should consider (easy to learn and understand), please advise. 

Thanks!  NG

[FatKidsDad]

N-Guy

A lot of people might disagree, but I am a hard-core Motorola fan.  The phones are not as up-to-date in styles or features as some, but you can't beat them for durability and performance.  The phone shown here:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=3785

is an updated version of the model that both the Fat Kid and I carried for 2 years.  When I retired mine it looked and performed like new.  The Fat Kid had beaten his to a pulp, but it still worked. We upgraded to fancier Motos with more bells and whistles.  The Fat Kid's Mom is still using a 3+ year old predecessor of the one in the link.  She is eligible for a free upgrade, but she has no interest in learning a new phone.  She is like you...she wants and needs a basic phone.  She is on it all day, and the battery never gives out.  We rarely lose calls, and the clarity is almost landline-like.  We get signal where other people don't.

Can't beat it for basic phone service, and its FREE!

[Evantime34]

Are you eligable for a rebate on your phone? If not you should get one off ebay, because buying them through verizon without the rebate is extremely expensive. If you have a rebate I'd advise wirefly.com which gives a discounts on phones if you sign another two year plan. I'd just go with the best phone you can get for free and to determine this you should look on cnet.com for reviews.

[Neurotic Guy]

N-Guy

A lot of people might disagree, but I am a hard-core Motorola fan.  The phones are not as up-to-date in styles or features as some, but you can't beat them for durability and performance.  The phone shown here:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=3785

is an updated version of the model that both the Fat Kid and I carried for 2 years.  When I retired mine it looked and performed like new.  The Fat Kid had beaten his to a pulp, but it still worked. We upgraded to fancier Motos with more bells and whistles.  The Fat Kid's Mom is still using a 3+ year old predecessor of the one in the link.  She is eligible for a free upgrade, but she has no interest in learning a new phone.  She is like you...she wants and needs a basic phone.  She is on it all day, and the battery never gives out.  We rarely lose calls, and the clarity is almost landline-like.  We get signal where other people don't.

Can't beat it for basic phone service, and its FREE!

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this info and provide the link.  I know nothing, but had thought that LG was most folks' choice for top cell company.  But you seem to have heard my situation perfectly and the recommendation looks good.  If the Fat Kid, Fat Kid's mom, and FatKidsDad all agree then that's a heck of an endorsement.  Thanks and TP!

[Neurotic Guy]

Are you eligable for a rebate on your phone? If not you should get one off ebay, because buying them through verizon without the rebate is extremely expensive. If you have a rebate I'd advise wirefly.com which gives a discounts on phones if you sign another two year plan. I'd just go with the best phone you can get for free and to determine this you should look on cnet.com for reviews.

I am eligible for the New Every Two, so lots of choice for free or minimal. Thanks for the CNET advice.  TP

[JSD]

I just picked up the Droid and so far so good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDviTGDCvGM

[dark_lord]

Need a new cell phone from verizon wireless and hoping for some advice/recommendations on a phone.  I do not use (nor plan to) my cell phone for anything other than phone use and an occasional text message to/from my daughters.   I want durability, long battery life, good call quality and a flip phone style.  I also should probably use bluetooth, so any advice on bluetooth devices would be great.

As you can tell, I am not an electronics-savvy guy and have no interest in games or using my phone for music or GPS -- but if there are other practical apps available in today's phones that you think I should consider (easy to learn and understand), please advise. 

Thanks!  NG

based on what ur looking for, i would suggest the enV3 from verizon.

[Neurotic Guy]

After feeling somewhat consoled by Jeff's front page article this morning, I am now back to obsessing about my cell phone purchase and want to name a few basic phones that I think I am down to -- partly based on recommendations here, consumer reports, cnet, and user reviews.  Remember, I am looking for simple things -- battery life, durability/re;iability, good call quality/reception, simple messaging, and a clamshell/flip phone (ruling out the otherwise good recommendations of the env 3 and Droid. 

Here are my current choices:

LG 8360
Motorola Entice (W766)
Samsung Alias 2

Thanks!

TPs for your advice!