Cell Phones, anyone?

**countybear** · 12-21-08, 07:42 PM

If anyone has an AT&T/Cingular compatible or unlocked phone that they wish to sell, please post or PM me. I'd love a Blackberry or other PDA phone, but beggars aren't choosers.

My new phone just got shattered and the darlings at Customer Service seem to have 'misplaced' my request for insurance when my account got set up. "Non-commitment pricing" bites serious ass.

**MacLean** · 12-21-08, 07:50 PM

That bites!

(sorry my old phone will do you no good, the way to go out here is Verizon - they offer a government employee discount)

**BigDawg** · 12-21-08, 07:50 PM

I hear you CB, Ive been looking for the same type of phones for Sprint. So far Ive had no luck and cant afford $400-500 and I dont want to agree to another 2 year contract.

Cell companies suck

**2 Blue 4 U** · 12-21-08, 07:51 PM

Sorry I Can't help you with a phone Countybear, but I can recommend checking ebay out for a low cost replacement. My phone broke and I did not want to get a new one thru Verizon because I did not want to up my contract. So I got phone on ebay, bought a motorola razr in excellent condition for $35.

So if no one has one for you, you can give that a try. Good luck!

**Pudge** · 12-21-08, 07:52 PM

Check eBay, a friend's brother in law just picked up a pretty new blackberry with memory card for 75 bucks.

**121Traffic** · 12-21-08, 09:36 PM

Craigslist is also an excellent resource for picking up good phones for not a whole bunch of money.

**Xiphos** · 12-21-08, 09:44 PM

I got a cell replacement when mine bit the dust on ebay as well. I got a good deal on it.

**GirlInBrown** · 12-21-08, 11:51 PM

I bought a "brand new" nextel about 2 yrs ago on ebay, a year after I had it, I went to a service center to have it fixed. The service guy says "no problem, you can get a brand new replacement", because I had the insurance. Come to find out it was on the lost stolen list. No new phone for me......and I did it while I was at work....that was a little awkward standing there in my uniform, holding a "lost/stolen" phone.

**2 Blue 4 U** · 12-23-08, 02:47 PM

Here you go countybear, 1saleaday.com has a factory refurbished Motorola Razor V3phone today for $49.99. It is only for today though, so if it works for you grab it. Only 9 hours left.

http://www.1saleaday.com/

Does anyone know if this phone will work on any network?

**countybear** · 12-23-08, 06:49 PM

Got one, thanks all!

**Pudge** · 12-23-08, 07:26 PM

What'd ya get?

**TXCharlie** · 12-23-08, 08:51 PM

I've mentioned the problem my Razr has with the batteries not lasting more than a few hours, despite turning off Bluetooth, Roaming, etc.

Well, I finally picked up an extended (SNN5788a) battery & larger battery cover off of eBay for $17 - The battery has twice the capacity as the little BR56 battery, and solved the problem. However, it's twice the thickness and weight, so my phone has a "hunchback" now.

A tech told me that I may be ruining my batteries using the car charger (I've tried two of the BR56's with similar results), because the car adapter charges several times faster than my home charger, even though both are genuine Motorola. He recommends never using the car charger except in emergencies.

**countybear** · 12-23-08, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by Pudge113

What'd ya get?

I started off with a GoPhone. The sim card shoved in the $9.00 Walmart job worked to get me by. Lew has graciously offered me his old Nokia (not that old), and I have taken him up on it.

I'm going to scratch up to get a Blackberry, not sure which one. (Not at all happy with the non-3G compatibility issue in all but the Storm/Bold.

**121Traffic** · 12-24-08, 01:37 AM

CB what do you mran about the BBs not having 3G except the storm and bold?

**countybear** · 12-24-08, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by 121Traffic

CB what do you mran about the BBs not having 3G except the storm and bold?

It is my understanding that only the latest two Blackberry phones, (the Storm and the Bold) are 3G capable. Is this incorrect?

**2 Blue 4 U** · 12-24-08, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

I've mentioned the problem my Razr has with the batteries not lasting more than a few hours, despite turning off Bluetooth, Roaming, etc.

Well, I finally picked up an extended (SNN5788a) battery & larger battery cover off of eBay for $17 - The battery has twice the capacity as the little BR56 battery, and solved the problem. However, it's twice the thickness and weight, so my phone has a "hunchback" now.

A tech told me that I may be ruining my batteries using the car charger (I've tried two of the BR56's with similar results), because the car adapter charges several times faster than my home charger, even though both are genuine Motorola. He recommends never using the car charger except in emergencies.

I got into the habit of carrying a back-up battery while I was still working. I bought extras on ebay, charge them up and keep them in their plastic case. I have not had any problems with my razr battery running low quickly, but then again I am not a big phone person. Sometimes I think I just donate money monthly to Verizon.

Originally Posted by countybear

I started off with a GoPhone. The sim card shoved in the $9.00 Walmart job worked to get me by. Lew has graciously offered me his old Nokia (not that old), and I have taken him up on it.

Excellent CB, and Lew too!

**TXCharlie** · 12-24-08, 08:37 PM

I may check out those Go-Phones. The $1/day and .10/minute sounds pretty good, but I'd probably get eaten up by the text message fees.

I don't send many text messages, but I subscribe to IPN (the Incident Page Network, which sends text messages every time there's a callout for a wreck, fire, tornado warning, robbery, etc). Some days I get 10-20 text messages with it just set for the counties I spend most of my time in. If I set it for the whole region, I get more than that.

**121Traffic** · 12-24-08, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by countybear

It is my understanding that only the latest two Blackberry phones, (the Storm and the Bold) are 3G capable. Is this incorrect?

Forgive me, as I'm kind of a budding cell phone geek. Cut me some slack, I'm Asian!

3G is actually a marketing consumer euphemism for "third generation" data service. Without getting too in depth here, 3G on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile utilize a data-comms protocol called HSDPA. This protocol is overlaid over their regular EDGE data networks, and as of right now, aren't as extensive as the EDGE coverage. The EDGE speeds are generally okay for cell phone use, but aren't high speed enough to support using your phone as a laptop modem, etc.

Verizon and Sprint have taken to using the 3G euphemism simply because with AT&T's marketing, people were starting to think that their networks weren't "3G" when in fact they are and have been well before AT&T. US-based CDMA cell providers like Sprint and Verizon rely on a high-speed 1xEVDO data protocol for high speed data. This was an upgrade to the old 1xRTT data system that provided similar (but still faster) speeds to the GSM EDGE protocol. The current across-the-board standard is 1xEVDO Rev (for Revision) 0. EVDO Rev 0 provides speeds comparable to any GSM "3G" HSDPA network. Sprint and Verizon are both currently in the process of upgrading their networks to EVDO Rev A. Rev A provides bursts of download and upload speeds significantly greater than Rev 0, and leaps and bounds ahead of GSM HSDPA. In short, a Rev. A capable phone is closer to "3.5G".

There are only currently a few Rev. A capable phones in Sprint and Verizon's lineups, but the numbers are increasing. The networks are rolling out Rev. A coverage in dozens of metro areas, adding more all the time. If you have a Rev. A phone in a non Rev A area, it'll be fine and just use the Rev. 0 coverage.

SO, in conclusion, while the Bold may be the only Blackberry on AT&T to be "3G", any newer Blackberry on Sprint or Verizon is at the very least using the standard EVDO Rev 0 network, and is achieving speeds equal to or better than the "3G" touted by AT&T, mostly because AT&T's network was not ready for the unbelievable amount of iPhone fanboys that are jumping on the "3G" wagon and tying up the network. No offense to iPhone users here.

I believe the Storm is the only BB with Sprint or Verizon to be using Rev. A though. The proof is in the fact that almost any Sprint or Verizon phone can be tethered to a computer for internet service. I used to use my Blackberry as my primary internet connection. Hook it to my laptop and even bandwidth-intensive stuff like YouTube streamed with little foul-up.

Cliff Notes: 3G is marketing by networks that are just now catching up to Sprint and Verizon in terms of data speed. Sprint and Verizon have had 3G speeds on their network since somewhere around 2004.

Clear as mud?

**countybear** · 12-24-08, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by 121Traffic

Forgive me, as I'm kind of a budding cell phone geek. Cut me some slack, I'm Asian!

3G is actually a marketing consumer euphemism for "third generation" data service. Without getting too in depth here, 3G on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile utilize a data-comms protocol called HSDPA. This protocol is overlaid over their regular EDGE data networks, and as of right now, aren't as extensive as the EDGE coverage. The EDGE speeds are generally okay for cell phone use, but aren't high speed enough to support using your phone as a laptop modem, etc. ...

Cliff Notes: 3G is marketing by networks that are just now catching up to Sprint and Verizon in terms of data speed. Sprint and Verizon have had 3G speeds on their network since somewhere around 2004.

Clear as mud?

I was a Nextel customer for about 3 years, then, when Nextel was acquired by Sprint, I lateralled over and spent the next 5 with them. During that time, Sprint continually promised "Rev A" speeds would be made available in my area, with timeframes given anywhere from 'within a year', to 'maybe next year'. During the last 3 years of my time with Sprint, I traveled with a PPC-6700, which had both "Rev A", and broadband wireless capability. I experienced "Rev A" speeds on this device, and must say, I found them impressive. When the communications networks had to be almost completely reconstructed in the greater New Orleans areas (post Katrina), Sprint went into overdrive by upgrading the entire area to Rev A, but left us behind again and even pushed back the dates for upgrade. By the five year mark (eight in total between Sprint and Nextel), I had honestly just had enough of the waiting game, and moved to AT&T for both my aircard and my phone service.

My biggest issue with Sprint was that the area I work was full of coverage lapses with Sprint, and with the unfortunate incompatibility of networks, roaming was very limited in the areas where Sprint service was unobtainable. Since moving to AT&T, upgrading my aircard to a Mercury USB device, I've found my data UL and DL speeds to skyrocket, to the point that I can actually click on a web video and play it without immediately clicking 'pause' for about 5 minutes waiting on it to download before it will play. I've found that perhaps the most pronounced difference in the data services.

Having the phone destroyed left me handicapped for voice service briefly, and I must admit that my aggravation with the 'insurance' debacle and the lack of Customer Care's unwillingness to make any concessions, ("you must now buy a phone at a non-commitment price"), have been dissappointing, but not to the point that I am prepared to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

**mavriktu** · 12-28-08, 05:45 PM

CB,I just got the Pantex Matrix(AT&T /Cingular),it has more bells and whistles than this idiot knows how to use (I was due for an upgrade) the main reason I got it was I was getting about 5 texts a day

,and was damn tired of the,"lets see the letter c,ok 1-2-3-4 oops,hit clear"

,and this thing has a qwerty,keyboard on it

,it has worked a charm,in 1 week I have only received 1 text