Cell Phones

[Tiramisu]

I don't need a new cell phone, BUT I want the new IPhone. My Blackberry Curve does all the things I need it to, but the IPhone is faster. I only get on the internet when I have to with the BB because it's so slow. I pay $35/m for BB services. The IPhone services are $27/m. I want to be able to check 4W, Facebook, Yahoo, news, weather, etc. wherever I am. I do text alot when I have puppies. I'm eligible for an upgrade and can get the new IPhone for $199. Hubby didn't say no and my son wants my BB.

What phones are y'all using? What to do?

[Blueyes]

Sounds like a good plan all the way around! I want one, too!

[DianaB]

I still have a RAZR. I don't use my phone enough to warrant getting a new one.

If you check on e-bay you can get cell phones on there that's compatible with your phone plan and have your provider transfer your number and info for you. I'm with Alltel so I would type in -- "Alltel cell phone" There are lots of used ones and new ones as well. It's a good way to upgrade without spending a lot. I don't know if you have to upgrade your plan when you have a Blackberry or one of the fancier phones or not. You might need to check on that before you buy.

[gja1000]

You can get the old iphone for $99 right now. I did that a week or so ago - I didn't care about having the brand new one that comes out this week.

Yes, the iphone is FAST and the new one won't be any faster than the current ones (at least I dont think so and the current one is FAST!).

I LOVE the iphone - I'll never be without one. If I broke it and it wasn't under warranty - I'd pay full price for another one - I love it THAT much!

[Tiramisu]

THANKS Gayle, I'll go back and re-re-compare the IPhone 3G and the IPhone 3GS. I think I'll love an IPhone, too.

[Janet]

I would love to have an Iphone, but don't think I could afford the services. I don't know that much about them either. My son has an Ipod touch (not the phone) and he can get on the internet with that wireless. Can you with the phone too or do you have to pay extra. I don't know if I asked that right, but I bought him the IPod Touch...and since we have a router...he can get internet....is that how the phone works? I love his IPod Touch.

[gja1000]

You can get on the internet on the iphone through wireless or through the phone. The plan for the phone is an extra $29 per month. With that plan you can get on the internet anytime or anywhere (that you have a phone signal). The 3G network with AT&T is the best network and it is FAST! With wireless, the connection is slower (I think) at least it was pretty slow on my last phone which was a T-Mobile Dash. I never used the wireless connection much because it was so slow. But the iphone 3G connection is so fast, I get on the internet from my phone all the time.

One advantage of the new iphone is that the battery lasts longer (or so they say). If I"m on the internet a lot during the day, I will have to charge my phone every night. They say the batteries in the new phones are better. So that is an advantage for the new iphones.

[Marilyn]

I have both, and Blackberry Curve for work, and an IPhone for personal use. I LOVE MY IPHONE!!!!!!! I agree with Gayle, if anything happened to my IPhone, I too would pay full price if I had to to get another.

The BB is great for work. My e-mails come in as messages and I know as soon as I have a new e-mail and can dash off a reply or forward it wherever I need to. It's great for my over 1000 contacts that I have to manage and all of that, but it's too slow on the internet, and the screen is too small.

My IPhone is a life saver. I have one of the old originals. Hubby got it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago. A friend had one, and I thought it was really cool, but too extravagant, something that I did not need, but now that I have one, I'm hooked. Hubby has offered to upgrade me to one of the newer faster ones, but I'm fine with the one I have for now. I use Google maps all the time on it, and do check 4WT from time to time. It's sooooo handy for finding a phone number of a business or whatever you need online from anywhere, anytime. Some of the new apps are really cool, too.

Texting is MUCH easier on the IPhone than on the BB Curve. For me the touch screen keypad is much easier to type on.

So you wanted opinions, and probably got more than you wanted, but I do love the IPhone!!!!!

[Tiramisu]

I've made my decision to spend the extra $100 and get the new IPhone for these reasons:

battery life is longer on 3GS
download speed
storage = $99 3G is 8g - $199 3GS is 16g
camera = $99 3G is 2mp - $199 3GS is 3mp w/auto focus

I'll actually save $7/m with the IPhone. I pay $35 for my BB Curve and will pay $27 for the IPhone. I get a small discount through ExxonMobil.

So, I'll be at the Apple store tomorrow morning at around 6a. The store (inside a mall) opens at 7a. I reserved my phone online, so I'm hoping I can whiz through, with no too long a line.

My decision now is whether to pay $79 warranty or not.

[gja1000]

GREAT Sandy! I'll be downloading the new operating system to my iphone when things calm down - I can't wait to get the new features! I wish I had the longer battery life, but I can wait till I qualify for an upgrade. One thing is for sure though, I will NEVER be without my iphone!!!!!

Also, be prepared for a few extra fees today - activation fee, and the like. It's not too much extra, but it will be a little more than the actual monthly charges/fees.

[Janet]

The iPhone sounds wonderful. I got to thinking that US Cellular doesn't have that I don't think. That is the company we are with and never EVER have any problems. I'm just gonna have to check.

Gayle....when you said you could have internet wireless or through the phone....what did you mean. We don't pay extra for Ricky's iPod Touch.

[Tiramisu]

GREAT Sandy! I'll be downloading the new operating system to my iphone when things calm down - I can't wait to get the new features! I wish I had the longer battery life, but I can wait till I qualify for an upgrade. One thing is for sure though, I will NEVER be without my iphone!!!!!

Also, be prepared for a few extra fees today - activation fee, and the like. It's not too much extra, but it will be a little more than the actual monthly charges/fees.

We've been with AT&T (Houston Cellular - Cingular) for almost 14 years, with discounts through the couple of large corporations I've worked for. I've always had good luck with getting them to drop the activation fee, but I read where there's a $36 activation fee for the IPhone.

I've only ever had this one cell phone number!

[gja1000]

Getting to the internet through wireless means that you have to have a wireless signal to access the internet. I have wireless here at my house, and I think I remember that you do too. So I can get on my iphone through my wireless when I am at home. However, if I am at the grocery store, which does not have a wireless access and I want to get on the internet to check 4womentalk - then I have to go through my cellphone number. If I didn't have access to the internet through the cellphone number (connection), then I couldn't get on the internet at the grocery store.

My other phone, T-Mobile Dash, I didn't pay to have access to the internet through the phone number so I could only get on the internet when I had access to a wireless signal.

Now, with the iphone, I pay the extra $29 per month and I can access the internet any where I have a cellphone signal. That means that I can get on the internet 99% of the time, whereas when I could only get on when I could access a wireless signal, then my time on the internet was much less.

Does that make sense????

[Tiramisu]

Hubby and I have the Family Talk Plan. We share 700 minutes, with unlimited mobile-to-mobile and nights and weekends. In a normal month, we use about half and the rest goes to rollover.

With ExxonMobil discounts, we pay $54/m for 1st line and $9/m for 2nd line. Then, my BB is $35/m for text messages and unlimited media. I'd like to cut down on the minutes, since we don't use them, but next lower rate is 450, for about $20 less.

It's a lot, but it's one of my few splurges!

[Tiramisu]

Getting to the internet through wireless means that you have to have a wireless signal to access the internet. I have wireless here at my house, and I think I remember that you do too. So I can get on my iphone through my wireless when I am at home. However, if I am at the grocery store, which does not have a wireless access and I want to get on the internet to check 4womentalk - then I have to go through my cellphone number. If I didn't have access to the internet through the cellphone number (connection), then I couldn't get on the internet at the grocery store.

My other phone, T-Mobile Dash, I didn't pay to have access to the internet through the phone number so I could only get on the internet when I had access to a wireless signal.

Now, with the iphone, I pay the extra $29 per month and I can access the internet any where I have a cellphone signal. That means that I can get on the internet 99% of the time, whereas when I could only get on when I could access a wireless signal, then my time on the internet was much less.

Does that make sense????

So, Janet, the IPhone would work just like Ricky's ITouch. AND, for $29/m, with the IPhone, you would get internet almost everywhere - going down the road in your bus.

[gja1000]

Sandy, that is the same plan that Gary and I have - we share 700 minutes - plus I have unlimited texting because my g-daughter texts me ALL THE TIME! My daughter texts me some too when I am in meetings and can't answer the phone.

I also have a discount through the University of Texas - I think it is a 20% discount.

[Tiramisu]

Nice discount!

Harold actually carries two cell phones - his company got him one last year, when we had just renewed our personal contract. They wouldn't port his number or try to transfer the account. All the kids have their own service, so I'm just hoping to run across somebody who'll take over his part or we'll pay it another year and not renew it.

[Janet]

Getting to the internet through wireless means that you have to have a wireless signal to access the internet. I have wireless here at my house, and I think I remember that you do too. So I can get on my iphone through my wireless when I am at home. However, if I am at the grocery store, which does not have a wireless access and I want to get on the internet to check 4womentalk - then I have to go through my cellphone number. If I didn't have access to the internet through the cellphone number (connection), then I couldn't get on the internet at the grocery store.

My other phone, T-Mobile Dash, I didn't pay to have access to the internet through the phone number so I could only get on the internet when I had access to a wireless signal.

Now, with the iphone, I pay the extra $29 per month and I can access the internet any where I have a cellphone signal. That means that I can get on the internet 99% of the time, whereas when I could only get on when I could access a wireless signal, then my time on the internet was much less.

Does that make sense????


Yes it makes perfect sense, thank you. It's what I thought, but I just wasnt' 100% sure.

[Janet]

I wish we could afford it. Sucks...LOLOL Oh well. Between my husband, son and myself...we have 700 minutes...unlimied mobile to moble, free nights and weekends. My son also has unlimited text on his. I'm not much on texting so I just do it through the computer if I feel the need. We pay $99.29 a month. So there is no way we could afford another $30 a month for internet through the phone. I wish we could!

We're probably paying too much, but with the other services around this area....many have so many dead spots and we only have one short area between home and Lafayette. I haven't checked the other prices because I knew the services weren't quite as good and I would be afraid we wouldn't have the great service we have now.

[Tiramisu]

I am now the proud owner of an Apple IPhone 3GS. I'm at work, so I won't get to play with it until tonight. We going to MIL's tomorrow, so I'll have lots of time to figure it out there. I got to the store at 6:15 and the line wasn't too bad. They divided us into two lines, pre-reservers (ME) and walkups. So, it ended up that there were only 12 people in front of me.

[Janet]

If I heard correctly...the iPhone is an AT&T exclusive...is that right? So if anyone wants an iPhone they have to have AT&T service?

Congratulations Sandy!! I am so envious!!

[DianaB]

I am now the proud owner of an Apple IPhone 3GS. I'm at work, so I won't get to play with it until tonight. We going to MIL's tomorrow, so I'll have lots of time to figure it out there. I got to the store at 6:15 and the line wasn't too bad. They divided us into two lines, pre-reservers (ME) and walkups. So, it ended up that there were only 12 people in front of me.

Congrats on your new phone!!!! I can't imagine being at a store THAT early and being #12 in line!!!! We don't hardly have lines here much over 3 or 4 people.

[Tiramisu]

If I heard correctly...the iPhone is an AT&T exclusive...is that right? So if anyone wants an iPhone they have to have AT&T service?

Congratulations Sandy!! I am so envious!!

Yes, only AT&T has the IPhone.

[Marilyn]

Congratulations, Sandy!!!! One of the guys I work with got his yesterday, only he had ordered it, so it came to the office. He got a white one. I wouldn't care about the color, because I keep mine in a silicone sleeve with a hard plastic shell. I've dropped it on concrete twice, and it bounced both times with no damage.

Enjoy!!!!!

[judy]

Congrats Sandy!!! I bet you're going to have fun with your new phone. Don't you love new toys???

I don't get cell phone service up here much. I cancelled my plan and got AT&T Pay as You Go. I kept my old phone too. I think it comes to about $10/month, which annoys me because only Jessie has my number and I usually don't even know where the phone is.