Help me find a nice boring cell phone!
January 15, 2007 12:20 PM Subscribe
Cell phone filter: I’m looking for a really simple cell phone, nothing fancy, to use with my Verizon service.
I know similar questions have been asked, but not for Verizon and also not recently. I just want a phone. No camera, no mp3 capability, no games, no bells and whistles of any sort. And I HATE flip phones. And slide phones. They just seem so flimsy to me. I just want a nice little chunk of a phone, all one solid piece that I can toss around and nothing scary happens. The phone I have right now is absolutely perfect but the battery is shot and they don’t make replacements cuz the phone is so old/outdated. In fact when I got this phone a year and a half ago, they just gave me the floor model so I suspect its battery was already crappy, but that was all they had.
So… suggestions? My current phone will only hold a charge for like an hour and I’m desperate!
I know similar questions have been asked, but not for Verizon and also not recently. I just want a phone. No camera, no mp3 capability, no games, no bells and whistles of any sort. And I HATE flip phones. And slide phones. They just seem so flimsy to me. I just want a nice little chunk of a phone, all one solid piece that I can toss around and nothing scary happens. The phone I have right now is absolutely perfect but the battery is shot and they don’t make replacements cuz the phone is so old/outdated. In fact when I got this phone a year and a half ago, they just gave me the floor model so I suspect its battery was already crappy, but that was all they had.
So… suggestions? My current phone will only hold a charge for like an hour and I’m desperate!
I had similar requirements when I wanted a Cingular phone. I just walked into a Verizon store and found the absolutely dead cheapest floor model out there. Voila! If you don't want to buy it from the store, just write down the model number and then look on eBay. However, it was a flip phone. It's not flimsy at all - I drop it all the time with no adverse affects, besides some scrapes and dings.
posted by muddgirl at 12:37 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by muddgirl at 12:37 PM on January 15, 2007
It sounds like you want a Nokia. I got one of their base models a few years ago (a 6010 for T-Mobile) and it is the most basic phone out there. It doesn't flip, no camera, no mp3, etc. The battery life is still about 4 days after several years (it was closer to 9 days when I first got it). One of the most durable electronic devices I've had (and I treat it like crap).
posted by knave at 12:46 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by knave at 12:46 PM on January 15, 2007
I used this handy website to find my current phone (which is very much like what you want, except its a flip model -- Motorola V260). The site lets you whittle down a big list of phones by a wide variety of features, including the ones you don't want. [via this answer].
posted by alopez at 12:49 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by alopez at 12:49 PM on January 15, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks alopez - i actually found that website through that old askmefi question - but it didnt turn up anything (only flip and slide phones for verizon).
i fear this is hopeless!
posted by silverstatue at 1:07 PM on January 15, 2007
i fear this is hopeless!
posted by silverstatue at 1:07 PM on January 15, 2007
Although you said you don't want a flip, I got my Aunt an LG VX5300 for Christmas and she loves it. It is both digital and analog, so would be useful off the beaten path. It is very sturdy, has great battery life, and you can ignore the fact that it has a camera, since the camera is pretty basic. I have the VX8300, with is essentially the same phone except with VCast and the music player, and I love this phone (not something I've ever said in the past).
That said, I know there were a couple of bar phones still available not too long ago (although no current ones on their web site). I also know I saw some discontinued phones in a Verizon Wireless Corporate store just before Christmas that were not on their web site. So, you might just want to go by a store and see what's there that's not listed on the web.
Finally, digging around some, I find that the Nokia 6236i is still being offered by Amazon, so you might search for one on Ebay. Just be careful that the ESN is clear on the phone you buy, if you go that route.
posted by hankbear at 1:15 PM on January 15, 2007
That said, I know there were a couple of bar phones still available not too long ago (although no current ones on their web site). I also know I saw some discontinued phones in a Verizon Wireless Corporate store just before Christmas that were not on their web site. So, you might just want to go by a store and see what's there that's not listed on the web.
Finally, digging around some, I find that the Nokia 6236i is still being offered by Amazon, so you might search for one on Ebay. Just be careful that the ESN is clear on the phone you buy, if you go that route.
posted by hankbear at 1:15 PM on January 15, 2007
Also: If you are happy with your current phone except for the battery, check EBay for a *new* *OEM* replacement battery. You'd be amazed at how much better a brand new battery will do.
posted by hankbear at 1:24 PM on January 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by hankbear at 1:24 PM on January 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: here the phone i have now that i love, in case you're wondering. look at that cute little thing.
http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=7
i will go into stores and look for old models, but thats how i got my current one and it was already old with an old battery in it, so i fear the same thing would happen. i dont want the dusty scratched up model they have shoved in a drawer somewhere.
Hankbear - do you think these "new" batteries really are new, or just unused? If its never been used, but its like six years old, is it still good? sorry if this is a dumb question.
posted by silverstatue at 1:43 PM on January 15, 2007
http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=7
i will go into stores and look for old models, but thats how i got my current one and it was already old with an old battery in it, so i fear the same thing would happen. i dont want the dusty scratched up model they have shoved in a drawer somewhere.
Hankbear - do you think these "new" batteries really are new, or just unused? If its never been used, but its like six years old, is it still good? sorry if this is a dumb question.
posted by silverstatue at 1:43 PM on January 15, 2007
silverstatue, I was in the same state as you. My old phone started dying and nothing like it was available. I constructed a search at Phone Scoop to find what I wanted.
I had a Nokia 6230 (bar-style, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth), and found that the Nokia N73 and E50 were closest to what I wanted.
I ordered a N73 Thursday, it will be here tomorrow. I suggest you use that search to find what you want.
Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't use the world-standard GSM, so it's not as simple as picking one from the international market and popping in your SIM. But, this may be a way to expand your search to auction sites and such.
posted by cmiller at 2:11 PM on January 15, 2007
I had a Nokia 6230 (bar-style, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth), and found that the Nokia N73 and E50 were closest to what I wanted.
I ordered a N73 Thursday, it will be here tomorrow. I suggest you use that search to find what you want.
Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't use the world-standard GSM, so it's not as simple as picking one from the international market and popping in your SIM. But, this may be a way to expand your search to auction sites and such.
posted by cmiller at 2:11 PM on January 15, 2007
Don't know if it's available for Verizon but the Nokia 1100 is one of the most basic you can buy... I know someone who swears by his.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:30 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:30 PM on January 15, 2007
So, I have verizon and I was looking for a new phone about 5 months ago after I crushed my last flip phone. I wanted a block phone with nothing. Just a phone, that could store some numbers and if it tells me the time, that's great too. So I went to a verizon store and told them exactly what I wanted and resisted their song and dance about needing a phone to take pictures and the like.
What they had, back in the corner, was this wonderful nokia. The phone was insanely cheap, it is super light and has already survived numerous drops. My advice, is go to the store, ask for this phone, and if they don't have any in stock, ask if you can have one configured and mailed to you.
posted by chrisroberts at 2:43 PM on January 15, 2007
What they had, back in the corner, was this wonderful nokia. The phone was insanely cheap, it is super light and has already survived numerous drops. My advice, is go to the store, ask for this phone, and if they don't have any in stock, ask if you can have one configured and mailed to you.
posted by chrisroberts at 2:43 PM on January 15, 2007
Did you try searching eBay for a third-party battery replacement for your existing phone? I don't know how well it works for phones, but it works great for laptops.
posted by gmarceau at 2:46 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by gmarceau at 2:46 PM on January 15, 2007
As far as my experience goes, if 'unbreakable' is one of your criteria, Motorolas fail miserably-- I've seen them break many times-- where Nokias are generally the top of the pile. Nokias also have a more intuitive interface, in my opinion.
posted by koeselitz at 3:13 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by koeselitz at 3:13 PM on January 15, 2007
Another VZW user who is a fan of his 2128i here. The 2128i seems to be pretty much identical to the 2125i that chrisroberts links to, with the exception of the 2125i having AMPS capability. However, I also got mine sometime in the past year, and the phonescoop page for these phones says that it/they (there's just one page for both phones, further highlighting their similarity) have been "discontinued" for VZW. Don't know what that means for your ability to still get one and use it with VZW, given that the mobile phone/wireless provider industry likes to restrict consumer choice and decide what features we all need.
They can have my bar form factor no frills phone when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
posted by epugachev at 3:19 PM on January 15, 2007
They can have my bar form factor no frills phone when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
posted by epugachev at 3:19 PM on January 15, 2007
silverstatue: Yes, new = unused, and even if it has been sitting around for a while, it should still be fine. Charge/discharge cycles is what matters. Properly stored, rechargeable batteries will last a while. Also, pay attention to whether it is am OEM battery, since those give better results, generally speaking. You'd be surprised how cheap you can get one that was simply packaged in bulk, rather than for retail sale.
posted by hankbear at 4:08 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by hankbear at 4:08 PM on January 15, 2007
Best answer: Get a replacement OEM C343 battery from CBW and keep your favorite cellphone. Their replacement batteries have a one year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee.
posted by plokent at 5:04 PM on January 15, 2007
posted by plokent at 5:04 PM on January 15, 2007
Agreed with the Nokia brick. I've had all Nokia bricks over 8 years, they've all been great, durable, reliable. I have the 6236i now.
posted by joecacti at 1:35 PM on January 16, 2007
posted by joecacti at 1:35 PM on January 16, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by itchie at 12:32 PM on January 15, 2007