Suggestions for cell-phones with full keypads
June 5, 2010 6:15 PM Subscribe
I'm considering upgrading my cell-phone this summer. All I want is something that I can use to make phone calls, take pictures, and send/receive e-mails and the occasional text message. And I want a full QWERTY keypad with actual keys, no touchscreen.
I was considering getting a Blackberry, but I understand that service plans can get expensive. Any suggestions?
NOTE: I'm not a big technophile, so I don't really care about whether I can use my phone for anything other than phone calls and text-based messaging. The simpler the device, the better. Any and all advice is appreciated.
NOTE: I'm not a big technophile, so I don't really care about whether I can use my phone for anything other than phone calls and text-based messaging. The simpler the device, the better. Any and all advice is appreciated.
All you can eat blackberry data plan on t-mobile is $20~$30/month, but Blackberry is over kill for just text messages.
My 15yo has a Samsung Gravity 2 which she likes a lot and that meets your requirements.
posted by Long Way To Go at 6:37 PM on June 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
My 15yo has a Samsung Gravity 2 which she likes a lot and that meets your requirements.
posted by Long Way To Go at 6:37 PM on June 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: How about a Blackberry from Virginmobile? $299 for the phone and $39/month (unlimited web and texting, limited talk time) and NO contract. I have Virginmobile with a pay-as-you-go service. I have had it for years and have no complaints. I was just looking at the Blackberry, I am considering getting this.
posted by fifilaru at 6:38 PM on June 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by fifilaru at 6:38 PM on June 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
oh also, Virginmobile has some other nice phones that are not as expensive as the Blackberry (for the phone or the plan). Some of the phones have a full QWERTY keyboard. My "plan" is $15 every three months. No, I am not a Virginmobile sales rep.
posted by fifilaru at 6:45 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by fifilaru at 6:45 PM on June 5, 2010
Putting in your criteria on Phone Scoop's Phone Finder returns a bunch of phones. You don't mention if you're tied into a certain carrier (Verizon? AT&T?) so I couldn't use that to narrow it down. You can use the first link to search on your own. Personally I'm partial to Sony Ericssons. I don't like Nokia phones. The enV3 that desjardins mentioned is a good phone; my friend has it.
posted by IndigoRain at 6:48 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by IndigoRain at 6:48 PM on June 5, 2010
I have an earlier model LG Lotus, which fits your criteria, but is no longer offered. The new one doesn't look much different. I call it my 'hamster laptop' and it felt a little awkward to use at first, but I've gotten used to it. It interfaces nicely with Gmail (and G-cal), using a specific icon, which I appreciate, as it's my core e-mail.
Mine's through Sprint, so if you don't want Sprint, I'm not sure who else supports this phone.
posted by cobaltnine at 6:56 PM on June 5, 2010
Mine's through Sprint, so if you don't want Sprint, I'm not sure who else supports this phone.
posted by cobaltnine at 6:56 PM on June 5, 2010
Ooh, apparently the new one has a keyboard AND a touchscreen. Mine does not. You might still be able to find the older ones.
posted by cobaltnine at 6:58 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by cobaltnine at 6:58 PM on June 5, 2010
i've been pretty happy with my samsung exclaim, which fits your requirements.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 6:59 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by lester's sock puppet at 6:59 PM on June 5, 2010
I had a Pantech Matrix with AT&T (you don't mention a company you'd like to stay with...) which did all of the above and nothing else. Pantech has a couple of newer models if you don't like the thickness of the dual-slider; they all work about the same way.
posted by iarerach at 7:07 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by iarerach at 7:07 PM on June 5, 2010
Best answer: I'm using a Samsung Freeform from MetroPCS and I'm very happy with all the functions you mention. Where I'd be happier with a smartphone (and these aren't even the real point of a smartphone, just things that are important to me): field lengths are awful short in both the calendar and notepad applications, so you can't go on and on with details the way I like to do.
As a phone, size, handling, etc - I like it. It's pretty compact for a full QWERTY and it's just a bar phone - no slide or flip. Camera is nice, has lots of adjustments for light, color format, size, zoom, etc. Still photos only I think - no video (or I haven't found it). You can record your own ringtones. call quality is good, I get signal a bit outside my stated coverage area. Text and picture text is good & fast. The keys seem small but I don't have any problem hitting them quickly and accurately, and I'm not even a text freak.
I didn't get the email plan (which I think is available for this phone - I think it's the $45 plan) but I do use my webmail, which is fast and reliable.
IDK if you have anything like MetroPCS in Toronto, but I'm happy so far.
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:08 PM on June 5, 2010
As a phone, size, handling, etc - I like it. It's pretty compact for a full QWERTY and it's just a bar phone - no slide or flip. Camera is nice, has lots of adjustments for light, color format, size, zoom, etc. Still photos only I think - no video (or I haven't found it). You can record your own ringtones. call quality is good, I get signal a bit outside my stated coverage area. Text and picture text is good & fast. The keys seem small but I don't have any problem hitting them quickly and accurately, and I'm not even a text freak.
I didn't get the email plan (which I think is available for this phone - I think it's the $45 plan) but I do use my webmail, which is fast and reliable.
IDK if you have anything like MetroPCS in Toronto, but I'm happy so far.
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:08 PM on June 5, 2010
I recently did the same kind of upgrade. I'm with T-Mobile and the Samsung Gravity 2 would have been my choice if I had decided to go with QWERTY rather than touchscreen.
posted by DrGirlfriend at 7:14 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by DrGirlfriend at 7:14 PM on June 5, 2010
I really only have opinions on T-Mobile. They're CS agents have all been great, no contract, $125/mo for 2 lines with unlimited text & data and one just voice (750 minutes to share).
I've been using the T-Mobile Dash for a year and a half. Decent BlackBerry style phone. I just ordered the sexy new myTouch Slide which has a slide out keyboard (on the side). It's been getting great reviews and people really like the keyboard for the most part.
posted by speeb at 7:37 PM on June 5, 2010
I've been using the T-Mobile Dash for a year and a half. Decent BlackBerry style phone. I just ordered the sexy new myTouch Slide which has a slide out keyboard (on the side). It's been getting great reviews and people really like the keyboard for the most part.
posted by speeb at 7:37 PM on June 5, 2010
Boost has a slide out keyboard model for 129.00, and it's pay as you go. I think 50 for unlimited web/text/phone. And it's a great make-up mirror.
posted by Stellaboots at 7:56 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by Stellaboots at 7:56 PM on June 5, 2010
also, fwiw, about 2 years ago I bought a used unlocked blackberry on ebay and just put my existing ATT chip into it without buying the data plan. so I didn't have data, but I had all the other stuff. so there's that, depending on your needs.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:12 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:12 PM on June 5, 2010
Best answer: Sounds like you should get a Samsung Gravity or similar phone with an integrated keyboard. I have one and it works great for all the things you want it to do. It can send and receive emails, although I don't know if it's only in SMS-sized chunks (on T-Mobile USA you're charged the price of a SMS to send and receive). The camera's kind of sucky, but most mobile phone cameras are. You can upload your own ringtones and music on a MicroSD card, which is nice. A phone off eBay will run you about $60-80, maybe more if it's unlocked. You don't say what mobile provider you're on currently, but they will run on any GSM network.
The only annoyances I've encountered so far are that in tight pockets the phone has a tendency to turn off and you can't change the SMS notification tone beyond whatever Samsung has preset. Other than that, I'm really happy with it.
posted by calistasm at 9:22 PM on June 5, 2010
The only annoyances I've encountered so far are that in tight pockets the phone has a tendency to turn off and you can't change the SMS notification tone beyond whatever Samsung has preset. Other than that, I'm really happy with it.
posted by calistasm at 9:22 PM on June 5, 2010
Not specifically a cell phone suggestion but PagePlus has
1,200 Minutes + 1,200 Text/MMS Messages + 50 MB Data for $29.95 - no contract required.
50 MB should be fine for e-mail.
posted by wongcorgi at 10:36 PM on June 5, 2010
1,200 Minutes + 1,200 Text/MMS Messages + 50 MB Data for $29.95 - no contract required.
50 MB should be fine for e-mail.
posted by wongcorgi at 10:36 PM on June 5, 2010
My partner and I just walked into a verizon store and got her a 20 dollar after mailin rebate lg cosmos. The clerk in the jc penny's shirt was quite snide about this.
However, they had three different models of basic phone with one megapixel camera, microsd card slots and slide out keyboard at this price. Based on the rant or what have you. But acceptable basic texting phones all around. I looked up cnet reviews of each in the store.
You may want to consider how you want to go about transferring files though. I currently have all her old pictures bluetoothed to my phone since her new phone claims it isn't a supported file format. That isn't advertised on the tin anywhere. Oh it has bluetooth but in the "you can buy a headset, sure. You can't transfer jpgs since we want you to sign up and pay for our stupid services cuz you think data is magic" sense.
posted by beardlace at 1:08 AM on June 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
However, they had three different models of basic phone with one megapixel camera, microsd card slots and slide out keyboard at this price. Based on the rant or what have you. But acceptable basic texting phones all around. I looked up cnet reviews of each in the store.
You may want to consider how you want to go about transferring files though. I currently have all her old pictures bluetoothed to my phone since her new phone claims it isn't a supported file format. That isn't advertised on the tin anywhere. Oh it has bluetooth but in the "you can buy a headset, sure. You can't transfer jpgs since we want you to sign up and pay for our stupid services cuz you think data is magic" sense.
posted by beardlace at 1:08 AM on June 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have a Samsung Alias 2 and love it. The keyboard becomes qwerty for texting and is a regular phone keyboard when the phone is vertical for calling. I was able to get it for free from Verizon when I was up for my 2 year upgrade.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 4:43 AM on June 6, 2010
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 4:43 AM on June 6, 2010
You may want to try out the keyboard in the store before you buy; the Samsung Gravity mentioned above was almost unusable for me because the keys are so small, and I am a very petite person with slim fingers.
posted by desjardins at 9:40 AM on June 6, 2010
posted by desjardins at 9:40 AM on June 6, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks again to everyone who answered. I obviously have some research ahead of me.
posted by spoobnooble at 4:34 PM on June 6, 2010
posted by spoobnooble at 4:34 PM on June 6, 2010
I really like my Nokia E71, it's got a good keyboard, decent screen and battery life and it is robust. I've found the keyboards on "business phones" to be way better than those on "texting phones"
I'm in England though, so no idea on costs over there.
posted by chrispy108 at 8:12 AM on June 7, 2010
I'm in England though, so no idea on costs over there.
posted by chrispy108 at 8:12 AM on June 7, 2010
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posted by desjardins at 6:34 PM on June 5, 2010 [2 favorites]