Getting a new phone -- updated

I thought there used to be a running cell phone thread, but could not find it (truth be told, I didn't look very hard), but anyway ...

My new-every-two with Verizon comes up in a couple of weeks, and I'm looking at a new phone. I want something with a full keyboard as texting has become my primary mode of communication, and after a quick browse on Verizon's site, I'm considering the LG enV3. Just wondering if anyone else has that phone and would recommend it (or steer me away from it), or if anyone would recommend a different phone.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

Went from Verizon to the iPhone in April and don't regret it for a second.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

Same here. I made the switch last December.

The iPhone 3GS is nice, but the 3G is easily the best bargain in wireless at $99.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

Have Verizon and I text A LOT (the wife says I'm like a teenage girl). I have the Verizon Blitz. It has a slide out keyboard, can double as an MP3 player if you get an SD card and has been all-around awesome for me. It was $20 with the two-year commit. The wife upped our bill and get a Blackberry Pearl for free with a $50 a month unlimited data plan. She's having a blast with it and I'm a bit jealous.
Hope that helps.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

Just do not get the LG Vu, the poor man's iPhone. Mine up and quit working last week, for no fucking reason. Touch screen went to shit.

ATT replace it, because it was under warranty, but if I ever own another touch screen, it'll be a rich man's iphone.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

I have the Verizon Voyager and love it. Touch screen on the front, but it folds out to a full QWERTY keyboard. Also, the camera is really freaking good.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

I have been a slave to Verizon since 2001. I love the network but hate the hardware.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

I have the Samsung Alias 2 and love it. It flips open in two directions - one way for the phone, the other for a full QWERTY keyboard, and the button change so they're clearly readable in either direction. Plus, you can do email and web without the ridiculously expensive smart phone data plan.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

You know, I said I'd never get a Web plan for my phone, but that's a major consideration with this one now. Maybe it's a sign of laziness, but I love the idea of being able to check my e-mail without having to boot up my computer.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

And keep this in mind, because it's confusing as hell on the Verizon web site: all of the smart phones have an additional $30 a month data charge before you even get to a usage plan. So, if you get a cool iPhone-ish model like the Samsung Omnia:



You immediately add $30 to your monthly bill. Whereas the Samsung Alias 2:



...which can do essentially the same thing minus the cool touch screen, does not have the $30 monthly charge.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

I have a T-Mobile G1. Awesome phone! It has a slide-out QWERTY keypad. You can expand the memory via memory card. The phone automatically checks for firmware and app updates without having to be plugged into any kind of charging base. Thanks to the Cupcake firmware upgrade a few weeks back it now has a touch screen keyboard and the built-in camera [which is your typical phone camera...good in daylight; suckass in low lighting] now shoots video as well.

One of the other reasons I went with the G1 over the iPhone was my belief that the G1 will be able to play Flash-based material before the iPhone has that capability. Apple will want to shove Quicktime down the developers throats. Also, the majority of the apps on the G1 cost nothing. The app that scans barcodes and tells you if a local or web retailer has a better price? Free! Pac Man? Free! News/sports/stock tickers? Free! Turn your phone into a tricorder? Free! Zombie tracker? FREE!!! Seriously though...there are some solid apps that cost nothing on the G1. When I looked at the iPhone I saw app after app that cost 99 cents or $1.99. Those little charges add up quickly.

I'm also a geek for Google stuff and I like that all of my Google stuff [Gmail, Docs, Photos, Reader, etc.] sync up with the G1. If you add a contact in Gmail on your desktop they're automatically added to your contact list on your G1.

The only gripe I have about the G1 is that after ending a call the call log automatically comes up. If you forget to exit from that screen you will likely accidentally call someone when you put your phone away or pick it up. But that's just one of the nuances of adapting to a new phone in my book. Not having calls drop all the time as I did with my AT&T phone more than makes up for having to remember to exit the call log.

 

Re: Getting a new phone

Question for the Verizon folks: Is there an unlimited plan and if so, how much does it cost?

I'm thinking about finally dropping the landline and getting a CrackBerry or something similar that'll let me call, text and get online. But while Sprint and T-Mobile offer 'em for less than $100, the equivalent Verizon plans seem either nonexistent or prohibitively expensive.