Help me pick a cellphone.

September 20, 2005 9:52 PM

Help me pick a new cell phone.

My Sanyo 8100 has given up the ghost. Here's what I want:
--clamshell/flip design;
--external screen so I can see who's calling before I answer;
--decent battery life/talk time;
--fairly inexpensive;
--most important: good UI design. I don't want a phone that's going to frustrate me multiple times a day.

I don't particularly care about a camera, though I do like my current cell phone's photo caller ID feature. I don't care about ringtones either, because I usually have my phone set on vibrate. And I would only use a speakerphone very very rarely.

I don't know anything about Bluetooth, but it sounds like Bluetooth headsets are kinda useful.

I'm on Sprint, and don't really feel like going through the hassle of changing providers. But I will if there's an overwhelming favorite.

I'm in New York City and want good coverage there. I work in Midtown and live in Astoria. Of course, good coverage nationwide is a plus.

Or should I do a 180 and go for the Treo 650? (If I got one, could I use it with Gmail? Is there anything as good as the 650 that has Wi-Fi?)

Also: what's your favorite cellphone review site? Is there one definitive site like DPReview is for cameras? And what else should I consider?

posted by Vidiot to Technology (11 answers total)

The Motorola V330 isn't bad, and it has all those features you are looking for. Stay away from the Motorola Razor though. Horrible talk time.
posted by Dean Keaton at 10:08 PM on September 20, 2005

Phonescoop is a pretty good site for news and reviews of phones.
posted by soundslikeobiwan at 10:10 PM on September 20, 2005

HowardForums is my one of my favourite cellphone sites on the 'net. From manufacturer sections to provider sections, you'll find everything covered here, including where to find good deals.

If you're switching providers, go to either Chinatown, or the mall on Main St. in Flushing between Roosevelt & Northern Blvd. where you'll find great deals.

I am happy with T-Mobile, I've had good coverage in NYC, Flushing and Jackson Heights are the only two areas where I've encountered "Network busy" sometimes, but there isn't a single provider in NYC that doesn't have overloading issues in these areas, especially Flushing.

As for a phone, I use the Sony Ericsson K750i, it's not sold in the US, it has a 2MP camera, plays MP3s, has Bluetooth 2.0 and generally rocks. You can pick its twin the Walkman edition W800i from Sony Style for a whopping $500, but god these phones are by far the best I've used till date.

If you need more help feel free to ask either here or via email.
posted by riffola at 10:43 PM on September 20, 2005

I've used an expensive Nokia, a cheap Motorola, and a cheap Nokia (with a couple years on the expensive one) I think Nokia has the best UIs, hands down. They also have a new clamshell design out.
posted by delmoi at 10:47 PM on September 20, 2005

For reviews, I read Mobile Review, though most phones they review rarely make it to the US. GSMArena.com, Howard Chui, and MobileTracker are also good, the last one being more US centric than the rest.
posted by riffola at 10:48 PM on September 20, 2005

Seconding riffola's link to Howardforums.
posted by andendau at 10:53 PM on September 20, 2005

As for a phone, I use the Sony Ericsson K750i, it's not sold in the US, it has a 2MP camera, plays MP3s, has Bluetooth 2.0 and generally rocks. You can pick its twin the Walkman edition W800i from Sony Style for a whopping $500, but god these phones are by far the best I've used till date.

Seconded. I have the W800i myself and it's hands down the best phone I've ever had (and I've had four!): awesome camera, great MP3 player, and a very responsive, easy to use phone with exceptional call quality. I definitely paid a premium, but it was well worth it.

You'd have to switch providers to use it, as it's a GSM phone. I use it on Cingular with no complaints but it'd work on T-Mobile's network as well.
posted by toddshot at 11:31 PM on September 20, 2005

Well, the only clamshell phone I ever had wore out at the clamshell joint, so I can't recommend that one. If you are sold on the clamshell design, perhaps you have had good experiences with it and aren't expecting that problem. It's not likely to plague you or anything, but it is one thing to look for as you're reading over reviews and such.
posted by scarabic at 11:43 PM on September 20, 2005

Or should I do a 180 and go for the Treo 650? (If I got one, could I use it with Gmail? Is there anything as good as the 650 that has Wi-Fi?)

Yes, you can access GMail via the web browser of a Treo - either the standard HTML Gmail view or via GMail Lite. Or you could read and write your GMail via the POP3 client. And you can add a Wi-Fi adaptor to the Treo. There's also the Nokia 9500 but it's very big.

In terms of UI, Motorola is by far the worst of any phone I've used (there are currently 37 mobiles sat on the desk next to mine), Nokia is the best with SE coming a close second. The k750 is indeed an excellent phone although the email support is sketchy.
posted by blag at 4:04 AM on September 21, 2005

You can get Gmail (via pop or in the browser) on any windows mobile device. Sprint offers some, but there is a better selection on GSM carriers (T-Mobile comes to mind). The Audiovox windows mobile device works very well.
posted by daver at 9:33 AM on September 21, 2005

Cell Phone Finder may help, as you can filter phones according to feature, manufacturer, carrier, and more.
posted by kathryn at 1:41 PM on September 21, 2005