Two questions for cell phone users...

I need to replace my phone. It's a dinosaur that has served well enough, but is now unreliable. I'm missing calls -- some of them important.

I don't want fancy. I don't care about camera, or text messaging, or email, or surfing, or games, or even fancy ringtones. It doesn't need to be pretty or cool looking. I just want a phone.

Small has become important, but that's not really an issue, because EVERYTHING is smaller than what I've got. My strong preference is for a clamshell (flip) model. Being able to put it on vibrate is important. Good battery life is important. Reliability is CRUCIAL.

The entry level phones have all the features I need or care about. My problem is this. I've checked out what phones are available from our carrier (Telus), and done some research on the web about specifications, and I was pretty much decided that the LG 3200 was going to meet my needs to a T and I didn't need to look any farther.

Then I started looking at third party reviews. It's a mixed bag, I'll tell you!! The editorial stuff speaks in glowing terms, and those users who like the phone speak in glowing terms. But there are a good many users who don't like it -- or rather have had bad experience with it, sometimes after thinking they liked it a lot -- and they are positively venomous. Not only that, but the problem they complain most about is the phone turning itself on unasked -- a problem I have experienced with a previous phone. GRRRR!

When I look at comparable phones from other manufacturers that are also available from Telus, I really don't see much to pick and choose. The feature sets are the same, and the comments are much the same too, although one of them I saw was being berated for getting too hot. Oh, thanks!

I'm inclined to still talk to Telus about this phone, because it offers what I want, without sticking me with a bunch of features I don't need, and because I like the feel of it in my hand. I want this phone to be the right one. I'm also well aware that too often, it's only the unhappy person who gives feedback about a product, so it's entirely possible that there are bags and bags of people out there using this phone and perfectly happy with it, who simply haven't said that.

Now, my two questions: Does anyone have this phone? What do you think of it?

Well, that's two isn't it. OK, I have a third: Remembering that I'm really not interested in paying for features I don't want, what other phones can you recommend?

All input appreciated.

Well i have a Motorola and its with a camera, i keep on changing my contract because at first i had to pay 20 euros monthly but i didnt even use my 50 minutes free, so i reduced it down to the 5 euro a month contract with 10 or so minutes free.
I never use my phone i only need it when im out and if i need to call bf or vice versa.
My phone is reliable, the battery lasts atleast 3 days.

Like you i dont need all the fancy stuff, although its on every phone now, you can just make your contract that you dont have it and block it by the company if you dont want it and incase you turn it on in your bag ect.
Because i always forget the keylock button haha

I have lower end of line of Nokia and am very happy with it. I also don't need all the bells and whistles. It holds a charge really well, I basically just recharge it once every couple weeks (mind you I don't use it all the time either) but my husband leaves his on 24/7 and he charges it about once a week.

Our daughter who uses hers ALL THE TIME also has Nokia. She has hers on 24/7 also, but usually puts it on charge every night before she goes to bed and it's ready to go every morning.

We have that phone. I had a Samsung before the LG, and I preferred that. The LG is adequate for what I need it for and I have never had any problems with it shutting off in the middle of a call.

I ran into the same situation last February and needed to buy a new cell phone. I also had dropped calls and sometimes my phone wouldn't ring when I'd get a call. Fortunately, some people left voice mail messages and I was able to get back to them. I don't know how much was the phone and how much was AT&T Wireless (now Cingular). I used their service 4 years.

I did switch to Verizon Wireless and also bought a new phone. I have an LG VX-4500. It's not fancy and it's a flip model I merely need to be able to make calls, receive calls, have voice mail, and that's it. I really like my phone and service has been even better than my last provider. The battery life is excellent. I never thought I'd use the speaker phone, but that has actually come in handy at times. The phone also has text messaging and can surf the web, although I've never used these features.

I have a Motorola V66i, which I bought when the model was being discontinued. It's the clamshell type, small, vibrates and has a few ring tones, B&W display, text messaging, and a terrific battery - I usually can go about 2 - 3 weeks without recharging, though I make very few calls. This is the second Motorola I've had, and I find them very reliable.
If you don't like the models Telus offers, you could look into buying an "outdated" cell phone without a contract, and just use it with your current SIM card. I bought mine on line, from a company that buys up the models that are being phased out and sells them at steep discounts. You should be able to find a similar Canadian on line dealer.

After having many phones which died on me, I have finally stayed with Motorolla. This brand has not failed me yet, I've had the Motorolla brand for the last 8 years and have had no problems.

I've had nothing but problems with Nokia, & Samsung....Samsung being the worst!!!

Mines a Motorola(Can't remember was number?)black, flip top with a video and camera.

I talk and text a lot and i only need to charge mine once a week.

But for texting i don't like the size of the text because i think it's too thin and compact, so for good size text it's going to be a Samsung or a Nokia come october.

Originally Posted by catherine

After having many phones which died on me, I have finally stayed with Motorolla. This brand has not failed me yet, I've had the Motorolla brand for the last 8 years and have had no problems.

I've had nothing but problems with Nokia, & Samsung....Samsung being the worst!!!

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I am using the basic samsung flip phone thru sprint and have never had a prob. with it. I also happen to have a Kyocera k9 and a 3 yr old nokia neither of them are flipd but if they would work with your provider I can let you have them really cheap...lol

Originally Posted by rosiemac

But for texting i don't like the size of the text because i think it's too thin and compact, so for good size text it's going to be a Samsung or a Nokia come october.

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I've noticed that with Motorola! I had Nokias for years (my first is still living strong - rotating around my friends!) Then I had a Siemens, which is very reliable and lasted a week and a half before needing charging (and it was second hand as it was!)

I now swear by Sony Ericsson - easy to use interface, decent sized text and everything you could need on a phone! Plus, the battery life is great! (this is also a second hand phone - good ol' eBay! ) It is also compact - although not clam!

Your ask was Understood dear Frannie...
Here´s mine... and I proud of it!
http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?...=pp1&pid=10139
About reception I have no problem......
This is my advice... you say that you don´t want something soooo hard to manage... ... try to choose one phone with big available of memmorie like a Memmorie Stick... this way can you share contacts, appoinments WITHOUT TAPING THE PHONE! ...Is wishable that has "bluetooth" or "infrared"...

Good luck chick!

Originally Posted by BigKittenDaddy

I am using the basic samsung flip phone thru sprint and have never had a prob. with it. I also happen to have a Kyocera k9 and a 3 yr old nokia neither of them are flipd but if they would work with your provider I can let you have them really cheap...lol

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Samsung is very much the "in" brand with my technophile students. I have a Samsung laptop, and when I had trouble with it after Jamie spit up on the keyboard and it shorted out, their customer service was great (they found blades of grass inside the computer, but nevertheless repaired it under guarantee, and that was door-to-door service within three days). I also have a Samsung digital camera that I'm absolutely thrilled with - it's easy to use, i.e., very well-designed, and actually has users' instructions that are comprehensible!

I have a Blackberry - love it!

Originally Posted by BigKittenDaddy

I am using the basic samsung flip phone thru sprint and have never had a prob. with it. I also happen to have a Kyocera k9 and a 3 yr old nokia neither of them are flipd but if they would work with your provider I can let you have them really cheap...lol

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uh, thanks, but......er, no thanks!

I don't know what the deal is with my husband and myself but sor some reason, those brands only last about 60 days with us. I guess we're just too rough with them.

Samsung A650.

Having read the foregoing comments, I surfed for more information about all of them, also remembered that Telus also offers refurbished models, did some surfing and whatnot about those models (I was a busy little girl!). I was once again attracted to Motorola, that being the brand that has served us well for 9 years, and one of the refurbished models was the Motorola
V60c.

So, then we went up the road to Telus, and let them talk. We asked about the LG, mentioning the not-so-hot user reviews; and about the refurbished phones, specifically the Motorola. Immediate response on the refurbished phones was "don't -- too high a return rate". Ok. I've had good experience with refurbished stuff in other situations -- notably my printer -- but when the response is that quick and that unequivocal, it's stupid to ignore it. And the Telus rep's strong advice, then, was Samsung. Not much more than LG, same feature set, more robust, more reliable. OK.

So, the little beast is upstairs drinking up juice, and I'm looking forward to REALLY making its acquaintance.

It was raining when we went out but Rob wanted some exercise, so he walked up to the mall, and intended to walk home. I wasn't even back to the car, when he phoned, just to be the first to ring my new phone It crossed my mind then that it was raining rather harder than before, but I knew he really wanted the exercise so I didn't mention it. The car was barely in motion, though, when Rob stepped out into the rain and decided he might not melt, but would prefer not to drown, and called again to see if he could catch me before I got out of the parking lot. Point of the narrative? Two calls, without fumbling around unduly, so the comfort factor is OK, and basic functions seem to be as expected. And now that I've had a preliminary read through the book of words, it appears that it should be friendly as far as other features are concerned, too. Hope it's also reliable.

Thanks for input. I really appreciate it. I was really thrown for a loop when I started seeing the negative user reviews, but had a sense that the coverage might not be very balanced. However, I've been cursing the old phone for weeks, and had reached the point where I had to get off the pot or go crazy. That was when I decided to throw it to a readymade worldwide consumer group and see if I could get enough info to find a direction forward. It worked.

I think that you will find the samsung to be a good little fone. I've had mine since x=mas and have dropped it a half dozen times and it hasn't given me any grief at tall. Good luck. Howard

I agree as well Fran!. My nextdoor neighbour has had two Samsungs with no problems, and like i say, when my contract is up for renewal with T-Mobile in october Samsungs the one i'm going for

Hope you enjoy playing with your new phone!

I'm not a big fan of Samsungs but congrats Fran!

Oops, guess it's a little late to post my review of the LG, then?

Thanks for trying, Deb. Once I had some info, I wasn't waiting around. I really wanted it dealt with before we took off for a couple of days. I was about to go plunk down my money, when I started running into crappy reviews, and had to get more info however I could in a hurry. It's early days, of course, but I am enjoying the little beast. However, I would be curious, if you care to share your thoughts, Deb.