New Phones from VerizonWireless

[princesspwrhr]

I desperately wanted a chocolate. really really really wanted it - until I played with a demo model in the store. The front interface is WAY to touchy and moves through your options to fast. This is how you access your main menus. The slide part was also very umm slippery for lack of better term. It slid open very easy which was nice, but it also slid closed just as easy - which would disconnect you. The keypad underneath is also to small to comforatbly use one handed (I have long skinny hands and short to average length nails)

I ended up with a pink RAZR. I'm not in love with it, in fact I did seriously think about returning it. My reasons were -

• I did not want a flip phone. My girls get ahold of my phones WAY to often and a flip phone has disaster written all over it. -

• I don't really like the feel of it, and I know it's supposed to be thin, but if I don't have my headset it's *too* thin. You can't rest it on your shoulder if you need to use 2 hands for something.

• - I can't set it to ring AND vibrate at the same time.

• - I cant plug a headset directly into it. It comes with an adapter cable which is a pita or you get bluetooth.

Why did I keep it?

• My 2 yo can't pull the keys off of it, dismantle it and otherwise backwards engineer it and bring it to me in peices like she did my dh's old phone

• I didn't like any of the other non flip phones in my price range

• I honestly didn't have the time to return it and further shop for a phone.

I haven't had a problem with the battery on it. It keeps a charge as well as any other phone I've had. It does run down quicker when I use bluetooth but both the headset and the phone manuals tell you that. I don'thave any more or less problems with dropped calls (which seem to only be when I'm on the phone with out of state people). It's still not my favorite phone, but it does the job, I got it free, service is reliable and it does have some pretty cool features - some that I don't use. Oh and the camera which was not a deciding factor at all appears to be pretty good quality, but I haven't uplaoded any of the pictures yet.

 

[Goofy22]

I did not like it for a few reasons...

The first one is that the numbers are flat on the phone. so if you try to hit 2, and your finger moves at all you get a 2 and a 3. the only way to describe it is to compare it to the flat stoves..... I didnt like that

The other thing was that to select different features there was a dial you have to in essence, turn. you run your finger down the side and then across...WHAT A PAIN.

The other thing was that while i was talking the phone would slide closed a little and i would get disconnected.

My original phone was not broken or anything, but i was eligible for the free upgrade. So i went back to my original phone.

I agree they are horrible! I still have mine and have to put up with it for another year and I cant stand it! The buttons, it gets dirty easy and everything everyone else has already stated! The only good option is like the one person above stated you can drop it and nothing happens! where others may break!

 

[elgerber]

I agree they are horrible! I still have mine and have to put up with it for another year and I cant stand it! The buttons, it gets dirty easy and everything everyone else has already stated! The only good option is like the one person above stated you can drop it and nothing happens! where others may break!

Do you have the Chocolate or Razr?

 

[TOTMGMWDW]

I just got the Strawberry Chocolate and love it. The keys are touchy but you can adjust that so they are not so. Also, you change how you answer the phone....instead of using the slide, you can answer by pushing buttons on the side and front. I have noticed that the battery runs down within a week but other than that I love it! Hope that helps!

 

[jekjones1558]

Please check the cost of your plan before you get your "free phones every 2 years." Our family plan had gone up in price over the 2 years. As long as we keep our old phones, we don't pay the new, higher monthly rates. We don't much care about a fancy phone so we're staying with our cheaper rate for now.

 

[BethR]

Thank you all so much for your great information regarding all of these phones.

We are getting new phones now because the several two of the phones that we currently have are no longer really functional. One DD is using an old phone, and another is using my phone to charge her battery since the charge port on her phone fell out (the same thing that happened to the DD that is using an older phone.) My phone is OK, but the battery is not lasting as long as I would like. I get "low battery" after using the phone for 20 minutes on a fully charged battery.

I think that our oldest DD is going to buy the KRZR for herself. She is now on her own, has a full time, well paying job -and we are turning her out on her own.

I know that one DD wants the LG 8300. We can get it for $20. I may get that one too since the talk time and the stand by time is better than the 5300 which we can get for free.

Thanks again for all of your reviews. It really helps to make our decision easier.

 

[princesspwrhr]

If you ask to keep your old plan you can and still get new phones. We didn't want a new plan but needed new phones - as someone else said they seem to be set to self destruct every 2 years. We asked to keep our current plan and did. It's not an option on the website,and it's not even something that they tell you at the stores because (my opinion) most people are going to research the new phones online and 'assume' from that research that they HAVE to get a new plan - you don't! Just ask to keep your old one.

 

[elgerber]

I have had Verizon for many years, and I've never been asked to, or been changed to a new plan, when I get a new phone. My plan always stays the same, they just extend my contract.

 

[BethR]

I hope that that continues for you Erica. Because I just had this conversation with our company's VW rep. She said that if you get a discounted phone then you must do a new contract. I told her how my DH had a $9.99 plan for many years and got new phones a couple of times and never had to change his plan.

Of course she had to tell me that "things change" and how "they must stay competitive with the other carriers," blah, blah, blah.

Funny. I spoke with a representative over the phone the other day and she told me that we could just "re-up" on our current contract. But that that was just available over the phone - not through the reps for private companies.

I have learned that the phones, plans, and policies differ from phone rep, to in store rep, to on-line promotions, to private company reps. It's crazy.

 

[BethR]

Thanks for the website, Tom. Spent nearly an hour talking to a Verizon rep on the phone this evening and I am still undecided. I think that I am pretty set on at least 2 LG 8300s. But after talking to this rep, the older two DDs may want to look at the Chocolates? I don't know.

I would love to have this done and over with. Our one DD is hobbling along on a old phone with really bad reception. (Which was not bad until she switched to this older phone.)

 

[elgerber]

Thanks for the website, Tom. Spent nearly an hour talking to a Verizon rep on the phone this evening and I am still undecided. I think that I am pretty set on at least 2 LG 8300s. But after talking to this rep, the older two DDs may want to look at the Chocolates? I don't know.

I would love to have this done and over with. Our one DD is hobbling along on a old phone with really bad reception. (Which was not bad until she switched to this older phone.)

Beth, I was wondering which phones you went with? I got the Mint Chocolate, and returned it after a week. It wasn't bad, but I couldn't adjust to the touch sensitive buttons. I traded it for the new Samsung U740 and I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a fantastic phone! Dh and ds got the LG 8300, and that's a very nice phone too.

I also did not have to change my phone plan, we kept the same one we've had and got the new discounted phones.

 

[msdznyduck]

We have our phones for 23 months now. When we hit the 22 month mark, I, as the primary phone on our family plan was eligible for "new every 2". But just me. In order for all of us to get new phones, we need to go to April, to complete our 2 year contract. (That was per 2 Verizon reps) I am not sure what DH wants next month, except he only wants a basic model, DS is in college, and I am not sure about him either. DD wants the LG enV, since she does a lot of texting. I will probably get the 8300 or 8600.

 

[elgerber]

Your dd should also check out the Samsung I got for texting, the front flips 2 ways, and it has a keyboard. It's a lot smaller than the EnV if that matters to her.

 

[msdznyduck]

Hmmmmm, I'll have to have her check that one out. She is pretty set on the enV though. But price may be a factor.

 

[BethR]

Hi!

Well, we got our new phones on Wednesday (after a HUGE run-around with the VW rep for DH's company - but I will spare you THAT story ). We three here in Pittsburgh got the LG8300. DD's in VA and NC got the LG8600.

I was just talking to our DD in NC and she was telling me that she is very happy with her phone.

I am very happy with my phone too - so far. I charged the battery on Wednesday evening and since then have had several extended calls on it, lots of short calls, and I have been playing with it a lot and I am just down to one bar now. So I surely can't complain about that!

The only thing about it is (and this is really petty) is that I don't think that we can make recordings that we make on the phone into ringtones. On my other phone, we had recorded the first couple of minutes of Fantasmic when we were at Disney last August and I had made that into a ringer for my one DD. And then my other DD had recorded a promise that she made to me, and I used that for her ringer. So far on this new phone, I can see where you can record things, but I don't think that you can make the recordings into ringers. Bummer. Also, there are not a ton of ringers on the phone, but I am sure that is because VW wants you to buy ringtones from them.

 

[T. Lynn]

I loved the enV phone but Cingular is the better choice in my area. They have the best coverage and 95% of my friends and family had them as well so it seemed like a no brainer.

I got a PDA that has a pull-out keyboard similar to the enV and I'm in love with it and couldn't be happier. It's so much easier when entering my contacts now.

 

[tinkerbell13]

http://consumerist.com/consumer/verizon/8-confessions-of-a-former-verizon-sales-rep-241665.php

A little reading for you....

 

[bevtoy]

I love Verizon service but hate their phones. We have a family plan for 4 people and almost every phone we have breaks before the contract is up. I find a great savings on these phones at EBAY and then I do not have to renew the 2 year contract for only a 50 dollar savings.

 

[starwood]

I finally decided - DH talked me into the LG8600. It should come Monday. I ordered it online - $179-$50 online discount -100 new phone credit = $29.00. I also ordered some accessories for it from thecellphonestore.com. I used paypal with the $15 rebate so the holster, data cable and car charger should only run me around $17.00

 

[starwood]

The only thing about it is (and this is really petty) is that I don't think that we can make recordings that we make on the phone into ringtones. On my other phone, we had recorded the first couple of minutes of Fantasmic when we were at Disney last August and I had made that into a ringer for my one DD. And then my other DD had recorded a promise that she made to me, and I used that for her ringer. So far on this new phone, I can see where you can record things, but I don't think that you can make the recordings into ringers. Bummer. Also, there are not a ton of ringers on the phone, but I am sure that is because VW wants you to buy ringtones from them.

You should be able to get a data cable for the phone which will connect it to the computer. Then all you need to do is get a free program (like bitpim) and you can put any midi or mp3 on your phone for a ringtone.