Calling All Cell Phone Experts......Newbie Needs Help!

[eclectics]

Okay, I'm one of the few people left on the planet without a cell phone. I'm selling my house (don't get me started) and getting rid of my land line. I figure it would just be easier to get a cell phone I can take wherever I end up. I'll be getting cable internet so I won't really need a land line at all.

I'm not one to gab on the phone and in fact I don't like talking on the phone much at all. I will probably end up staying here on Long Island (if I'm lucky) or in the tri state area or maybe PA. The longest distance I will be calling will be Florida and I won't be calling west of PA at all.

What kind of plan would make sense for me and what provider do y'all like? I would think I could get by on the least amount of minutes but would like one of those "free" phone deals. My cousin has Verizon. He pays 39.95 a month for 450 minutes and he got a free phone. Good deal? Will my number be good anywhere I move? If I sign up with a provider here, can I still use the plan if I move to PA? Thanks in advance. I know I'm a dork!

 

[Sherri]

I like my cingular plan. Is it just you that will be on it, or will there be other immediate family members? Cingular works well as a single plan or a family plan, plus I like the fact that I can call anyother cingular customer and it won't cost any minutes from my plan. I also have long distance so there are no roaming fees that I have experienced.
I would shop around though.

 

[powellrj]

Yes you will have the same number, but remember if you move your number will be local to where you live now. When you move your cell phone number will no longer be a free local call to others where you move to. I don't think I am explaining this well.


When you get a cell phone, you will get a local number based on where you live. People who live in your local calling area will be able to call you for free.

When you move you will still have the same phone number you had when you first got your phone number. People that call you from your old hometown will not have to pay to call you. People that call you in your new hometown will have to pay for a long distance call to call you.

I would suggest a trac phone until you know where you are going. You get a free basic phone and minutes. Its not for people that talk on the phone. Its mainly for people who only need it for short calls. Thats what DS does. He is in the army in MS. His cell phone is a local # for central Indiana that he has from cingular. Thats the phone is uses the most because he calls us the most. He also has a trac phone that he uses for call in MS. That way he has a local phone so people that need to call him where he lives don't have to pay for a long distance call when he just lives down the street from them.

You might also want to consider a VIOP phone like Vonage. Its alot cheaper than a regular phone for long distance and you can take your number with you. This is what DS used when he was in Germany. He had an Indiana phone number when he was in Germany so it never cost us to call him. He also had a German cell phone so people in Germany could call him.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Check out T-Mobile. I can't remember the exact number of minutes but I think they have a promotion with a much better allotment than what your cousin gets with Verizon. In fact, that sounds pricey for 450 minutes.

 

[ZuZugal]

One main selling point for Verizon is their network. Fewer dropped calls, which will be important since you won't have a landline phone. I've had Verizon for 8 years now (have not ever switched carriers if you can believe that.) Years ago I had some problems with billing, but other than that I've had good service.

Get more minutes than you think you'll need....you can always adjust later on down the road.

Forgot to add that you can get their national plan, and not have to worry about "long distance" calls or roaming.

 

[N.Bailey]

When you're on the phone (as seldom as you are) who are you talking to? Do they have a cell? You said your brother is with Verizon. Do you plan on talking to him much? If you get Verizon, you can call anyone else that has Verizon for nothing. You won't use your minutes up. If the main person you talk with has a provider, that's who I'd recommend you go with. I believe the others give free in network calling too.

Most will also give you free evenings (after 10 I believe with Verizon, but I'd have to recheck that), and free weekends. This would allow you to call anywhere in the country without using minutes on the weekend and/or evenings if you talk that late.

Also, I'd highly suggest you not get a cell till you make your move. What may work best on Long Island, may not be the best choice elsewhere. When you move, talk to people and see what providers have the best signal for that area.

The amount of money you stated seems pretty accurate for a cell. You may do a little better or a little worse, but it's about in that target range. As for a free phone. WELL.....I guess it depends on what type of phone you're interested in. You could probably get it free if you just want a phone with no bells or whistles, but if you're after a camera phone, video phone (I think you can record like 1 to 3 minutes on these), Internet, etc.... You will have to pay something for it. You'll probably have to pay for any phone you get, then wait on a rebate. If you buy an LG, watch out, they wouldn't honor their rebate with us. They told us they didn't get our UPC, but it was in the envelope, they had to have lost it (or tossed it) then stated they didn't get it and there was nothing further they'd be willing to do. The store where we bought our phones mailed it directly from their business, so it surely wasn't our fault. They lost all future business from us. The other phone we bought that day the rebate came within like 2 weeks (Samsung).

 

[bsnyder]

I'm another satisfied Verizon customer. Their unlimited long distance plans are reasonably priced and their coverage is extensive. I'd check their online site and see if they have coverage where you are now, and where you might possibly move.

You'll get a very good deal on the phone itself, if you sign a one or two year contract with them.

 

[eclectics]

Thanks Everyone! Good advice from all. I'm not going to rush and I'll do some homework. My neighbor has one of those "phone card" deals that you buy more minutes as you need them for his cell. I'll have to talk to him further about what provider he uses etc. Lots of choices out there.

 

[Imzadi]

One main selling point for Verizon is their network. Fewer dropped calls, which will be important since you won't have a landline phone. I've had Verizon for 8 years now (have not ever switched carriers if you can believe that.) Years ago I had some problems with billing, but other than that I've had good service.

Get more minutes than you think you'll need....you can always adjust later on down the road.

Forgot to add that you can get their national plan, and not have to worry about "long distance" calls or roaming.

I live in NYC & have service with Verizon. Verizon bought out NYNEX, previously Bell Atlantic, before that AT & T. So they have the best equipment already installed. So this is known as "Verizon Country."

Recently, I bought the V170 phone thinking to switch phones as I wanted a lightweight flip phone. The new phone works with Cingular in the Metro Tri-State NYC area.

I have such sucky reception with Cingular in my apartment, (with their lack of cell towers) that I ended up keeping my old Verizon phone and now have BOTH phones running temporarily. My old phone, although it is the shape & weight of a garden brick, has crystal clear reception.

Go with Verizon. I know other people who say the same thing about Cingular here. Don't know anything about T-Mobile. Sprint has a lot of drop outs as they have the all digital network,but you might not be able to get a digital signal everywhere.

Also a thing to consider is that if you have bad reception and are talking to another cellphone with lousy reception, forget it! You get the patchy drop outs, echoing, pauses while there is a delay until the other side hears what your saying, etc.