Finding a phone is hard!

August 1, 2010 12:16 PM

Can you recommend a low-cost phone and a low-cost phone plan that will let me import my existing contacts? The contacts are in GroupWise (which can export to a VCF file), and I'm looking at some of the pay-as-you-go prepaid plans.

It has been extremely frustrating trying to navigate both the poorly organized websites provided by most major phone provides and the easy confused support staff who boggle at words like "contact" and "VCF". I really don't need much in a phone -- really, just contact sync and the ability to make phone calls. I'm not wedded to the pre-paid plans, but given my pattern of phone use they seem the cheapest.

I've seen this, which metions Bitpim, but I'm having a hard time matching the list of supported phones to phones currently available from various providers.

posted by larsks to technology (2 answers total)

If you can import your contacts into any of the following programs:

• Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2007
• Microsoft Outlook Express / Windows Address Book
• Microsoft Windows Calendar and Contacts
• Lotus Notes 5.x, 6.x, 7.0 and 8.x
• Lotus Organizer 5.x and 6.x

then you can pick up a cheap Nokia phone and sync your contacts using Nokia PC Suite. I think PC Suite can also import vCards directly.

I'm reluctant to recommend a particular wireless carrier as the options available and quality of service vary based on location.
posted by healthytext at 8:16 AM on August 3, 2010

if you use t-mobile or at&t, your goal is to get your contacts on the phone, not on the sim card. sprint and t-mobile generally have cheaper monthly plans, though i can't speak for prepaid.

sprint also provides signal for a bunch of mobile network virtual operators like virgin mobile, boost, etc.

if you're willing to install the sync software on your computer, sony ericsson phones also have a sync program called sync manager, and motorola feature phones supported this as well. your carrier may not provide you with a CD, but the software should be available for download.

there's nothing wrong with prepaid.
posted by overbo at 12:15 AM on August 6, 2010