Which GSM slider phone?

October 13, 2009 9:12 PM

What GSM slider phone should I get (that's not a Motorola), given that I generally liked my Motorola RIZR Z3 except for the minor fact that it stopped working?

I have an unlocked Motorola RIZR Z3 that I generally like except for its recent propensity to reboot spontaneously and to declare "No Service" when I know it should get signal. I read some stuff that suggested that some unlock techniques could cause this sort of behavior, but it recent, it happens when I shake the phone, and I tried some other firmwares and they were no better. So, time for a new phone I guess. What does the hive mind suggest?

• Would prefer slider form factor
• Camera, MP3, and Internet not important, but must have Bluetooth
• Can charge from a USB port using a standard mini cable
• I use T-Mobile so it needs to be one they have sold or else unlocked
• Used is OK as long as the phone's from the last couple years (I just have no idea what to look for on eBay)
• I'd like to keep it around $50, definitely under 100
• No Motorolas, obviously

posted by kindall to Technology (7 answers total)

iPhone 2G FTMFW! I would have to hope you could snag one of those for ~$100 nowadays...
posted by StarmanDXE at 8:50 AM on October 14, 2009

Yikes! Maybe not! How are they still worth $200? (With a cracked screen, none-the-less!)

I got my refurbished one a year-and-a-half ago at AT&T for something like $230. 0_o
posted by StarmanDXE at 8:54 AM on October 14, 2009

The standard USB plug is one of the main reasons I like Motorolas.
What other phones can charge with the standard mini usb connection?
posted by Iax at 10:34 AM on October 14, 2009

Response by poster: Actually the Motorola USB kinda sucks for charging -- you have to install the phone's USB driver on the computer to get a full charge. And in fact the computer has to be awake (no charging the phone off a sleeping laptop even if it leaves the USB ports powered up). I am hoping that some other phone will be better at USB charging. This is probably the least important issue, though -- you can get USB chargers for most phones.

Unlocked iPhones (off contract) are still pretty pricey. I ebayed a couple of 3G iPhones for around $400 this past summer.
posted by kindall at 11:22 AM on October 14, 2009

Best answer: I've had the Sony Ericsson W580i for a couple of years now and have been really happy with it. I have AT&T so I'm not sure if T-Mobile has a similar phone, or if an unlocked one would be in your price range. The phone has been great--I like that is is slim and lightweight but still has a large screen. I don't use the MP3 player feature much, but the camera works well. It does charge through a USB cable (proprietary cable that was included with the phone) but not as fast as with a wall charger. The only problem I've encountered is that the keys have cracked over the years; however, this hasn't actually affected the utility of the phone in any way so I haven't bothered to replace the keypad.
posted by Jemstar at 1:15 PM on October 14, 2009

Best answer: How about the Samsung T239? It looks like it meets your specs. You can get the prepaid version from tmo for $60 and just pop your SIM into it. I've also seen a 3rd party USB cable that claims to charge it.

I don't own this phone, but I have a couple of older Samsungs that work very well for me.
posted by SteveInMaine at 3:34 PM on October 14, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions! I had looked on T-Mobile for the phones they offer with the prepaid plans but didn't see that one -- that's probably what I'll get then. (Though the Sony Ericsson one also looks keen. Slim is nice.)
posted by kindall at 6:19 PM on October 14, 2009