new phone

[Zoe Girl]

oh dear, i need to replace my phone. Not today but pretty soon. And i really don't like this! there are things that are priorities to me that simply may not exist because once again i am different in my wants. So i am starting the process of shopping, maybe someone here knows things, or at least in this forum i won't have to explain that i want what i want and don't care about the rest. (sorry had a frustrating visit to verizon store) and i am happier with half the features when people with all the features are unhappy

Here is what i want,
* an easy to carry one, the size i have or smaller (salesman said they don't exist, i walk hours a day and carry 2 phones at all time, a larger phone is just easier to drop)
* i am liking windows platform, that no longer exists and i hear there is android
* i don't want my bill to go up, the new billing is no longer 2 year agreement but this edge program i need to learn about
* to stay with verizon for me and my son.

okay, starting the process

[ToomuchStuff]

You need to replace your phone, because..........? Can you just get a replacement battery, from a battery shop? (if that is the reason)
You say you can't get the Windows phone, really? (seems to me you haven't looked at the Microsoft store, but just at the Verizon store)

I am still very happy with my now five year old Nokia candy bar style phone, without even the ability to text. If it died, I know to look online, and not just throw in the towel because the store down the street doesn't have it.

[Zoe Girl]

it also has a cracked screen and it seems that part of the charging issue is the battery connection as well as the battery. So basically at 2 1/2 years i would rather start looking than to have it crash and be stuck making a quick decision.

yes i just went to the verizon store so far, i don't want to spend too much time on this so suggesting the microsoft store is exactly what i am asking for. where to look and what to look at so i don't spend too much time getting this all managed. i do this every 3 years or so. i am having a bit of irritation now however. when i shop traditional routes and get standard advice for things i don't buy often i find salespeople don't understand my needs. when i post a topic here i am told that i somehow threw in the towel because i have not already shopped online or figured it all out. so i would love to hear about the phones other people use and great ways to save time shopping, that is all

[Tradd]

I'm afraid mine is not what you're looking for. iPhone 6 on Verizon.

[SteveinMN]

I use an iPhone 6 as well. I purchased it outright as a refurbished phone (from AT&T) and put it on their GoPhone prepaid service. For $40 a month I have unlimited talk & text and 1.5 GB of fast data before it slows down. I have yet to get close to the limits. But that won't help you in your situation.

If you want to stick with Verizon, my quick peek at the Verizon Wireless Web site shows two Windows Phone models. One is the LG Lancet (http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/lg-lancet/#specs), with a 4.5" screen. That's about as small as you're going to find these day, especially if you're not willing to shop around for possible new-old-stock or used phones. It may be that you'll need to order it from the Verizon Web site rather than at a store, or maybe you can have the store "special-order" it for you. It definitely is available from Verizon; they can't tell you it isn't.

Windows Phone as a platform exists. I have my own doubts about how long it will exist, but if you're replacing phones every 2-3 years and are not concerned that some popular or useful apps will not have WP versions, it's a good economical choice that won't leave you stranded. Again, don't let some random clerk at a store define your available universe. People put different levels of effort into their jobs and some folks definitely come with filters (see mine at the beginning of this paragraph :)).

As for EDGE, I would not bother. You're not trading in your phone more than once a year for the latest hand candy. If you're on Verizon post-paid (and want to stay there, and for Verizon, there are some good reasons to do so), your best bet is to use whatever subsidy they give you toward another phone and to keep your plan. If you're close to your two-year contract end, ask about the update anyway; for good customers, Verizon has been known to allow trade-ins before the two years are up.

Another alternative would be to find an independent store that fixes cell phones. You could ask at the Verizon store who they recommend. These indies often can fix for less than the price of a new phone, though with a battery connector issue and a broken screen and some labor, you're probably better off going with a new phone.

Hope that helps.

[Chicken lady]

I have a flip phone and worry about replacing it. Verizon says they no longer offer flip phones but they really don't offer them on plans. Dd told me I could just buy a "burner" phone and then tell the Verizon guy to set it up for my phone number on the plan - (you lose the minutes that come with the burner phone)

[catherine]

Steve, maybe the other one you looked at was this one? It's a flip phone and it's only .99. Samsung Gusto, 2" screen

http://www.verizonwireless.com/basic-phones/samsung-gusto-3-certified-pre-owned/

[ToomuchStuff]

it also has a cracked screen and it seems that part of the charging issue is the battery connection as well as the battery. So basically at 2 1/2 years i would rather start looking than to have it crash and be stuck making a quick decision.

yes i just went to the verizon store so far, i don't want to spend too much time on (A QUICK DECISION) this so suggesting the microsoft store is exactly what i am asking for. where to look and what to look at so i don't spend too much time getting this all managed. i do this every 3 years or so. i am having a bit of irritation now however. when i shop traditional routes and get standard advice for things (TRADTIONAL ROUTES SELL TO/FOR THE MASSES) i don't buy often i find salespeople don't understand my needs.(NOT THE MASSES) when i post a topic here i am told that i somehow threw in the towel because i have not already shopped online (ANOTHER OPTION WITH MORE CHOICES FOR THOSE AGAINST THE GRAIN) or figured it all out. so i would love to hear about the phones other people use and great ways to save time shopping, that is all

What I am doing is trying to challenge your idea's and how they read across to me and make you think differently about them, as they sometimes seem/read conflicting. When I first read this, it sounded so much like someone I know, who wants:
Good, lots of choices, psychic non pushy salespeople, quick, cheap and convenient, all rolled into one. Saving money, with no effort on their part. That concept needs challenging.
I think Steve would tend to lean towards another iPhone if he needed a new phone, but would also challenge him to look at others, in case needs could be better met elsewhere and I think we all should do that. I've been in the "what happens when" conversations before, from what happens when they only have plastic/no cash (which I laughed at them and asked if they read the constitution), to what happens when there are only "smart phones" (of which, I am leaning towards the Blackphone, if stuck with that "option").

[kib]

Just to throw another unwanted variable into the mix, why would you want to stay with Verizon? I don't think there's a more expensive company in the country.

[JaneV2.0]

I presume one of your phones is a work phone? If so, do you really need two smart phones?
I have a mid-range smart phone ( HTC on a Virgin Mobile plan), and a Samsung AT&T Go Phone, AKA flip phone. I mostly use the flip phone, so I would recommend one with text capability. There are lots of pay as you go plans out there--there was a long, long thread on the subject a few months ago.

[Tradd]

Kib, Verizon has very good reception. I've heard many say it's the best in the country. I never have issues, unlike others I know with other carriers.

[kib]

Tradd, true, but I'm wondering how recent that experience is. It's been a long time since the days of "Can You Hear Me Now?", I can't think of the last time I went anywhere within the US that anyone's phone didn't work, regardless of network. 4G or whatever the latest BS is sounds so essential in the Verizon commercials, but do any of the major carriers actually have noticeable reception issues any more?

[Tradd]

I hav friends on T-Mobile and AT&T who are always complaining about dropped calls. This is in a major metro area, not a rural area.

[Valley]

I have to agree with Tradd. We have Verizon and can always get reception, even when people with us (wherever we are) can't.

[ToomuchStuff]

I presume one of your phones is a work phone? If so, do you really need two smart phones?
I have a mid-range smart phone ( HTC on a Virgin Mobile plan), and a Samsung AT&T Go Phone, AKA flip phone. I mostly use the flip phone, so I would recommend one with text capability. There are lots of pay as you go plans out there--there was a long, long thread on the subject a few months ago.

In lots of cases, it is better to have two phones, if one is provided. Anything personal you do on your work phone, your company has access to, and it also can be judged by your employment policy and work restrictions.

For another posters coverage argument, when you have a friend with you who uses something different, where you go, try their phone. This is how I learned about the coverage in an area I go (now rarely), where the family that lives there, has spotty coverage with their phone that does good, everywhere else they go. (I was comparing coverage to cost, and still use Tmobile as 1000 minutes plus whatever I haven't used, cost me $100 for the year) More then that price, is a waste of money for me.

[JaneV2.0]

In lots of cases, it is better to have two phones, if one is provided. Anything personal you do on your work phone, your company has access to, and it also can be judged by your employment policy and work restrictions. ....

I figured that one phone was a work phone and it was advisable to strictly limit its use. Speaking for myself, I'm perfectly happy with a small, cheap flip phone for making and receiving calls, and thought that might be one option to consider.

[Zoe Girl]

thank you, the information, especially Steve with the edge info. i am at 2 1/2 years and could take a month or so to decide. i will say i am comfortable that this is the time to look at a new phone, and i am fine with asking for advice here, and i am really happy with Verizon service. i have driven cross country and never had an issue with coverage which is an important factor. i don't need to drop the cost extremely, so i am not looking to change that.

the other phone is a work one, verizon as well, a flip phone that i try to keep up with parents by text when possible. Not the easiest on that but i do NOT give out my personal number. having that experience with a flip phone means i KNOW my needs are not for another flip phone.

the features i use are the calendar that connects to google calendar and outlook, 4 email accounts, and a few little things like pandora and meditation timer. Being able to check email has made my time more effective and i actually tracked it when i first got the phone and i work less overtime hours by being able to check emails and see if i need to respond right away. so maybe i should look at the i-phone series, an older model could be in my price range. it looks like the size is just something i will live with, and get a little purse to carry my phone with during work hours.

[JaneV2.0]

My cell is about the size of a checkbook. Remember those? :)

[Tradd]

Zoe, check the iPhone 4 or 5. You might be able to get one very cheaply through Verizon

[Float On]

I appreciate this conversation because we're starting to look at phones with more options while the guys are at college. Having not had a contract phone in over 10 years (I was on Alltel). We've used tracfone happily but the boys want/need more.

[SteveinMN]

Zoe, check the iPhone 4 or 5. You might be able to get one very cheaply through Verizon
Keep in mind, though, that the iPhone 4 is no longer receiving operating-system updates from Apple. It still will work, but if there's a need for an OS security update or if newer versions of Pandora or a favorite app require newer versions of the OS (Apple will be at iOS 9 not too long from now), you're outta luck with a 4. A 4S or 5/5c/5s still will work, and it seems iOS 9 will run on anything that could run iOS 8, so that's as old as I would go.

I'm sure there's a counterpoint in the Android world, especially with the layers that most phone manufacturers add to Android. And I know Windows Phone has been through a few iterations that left existing phone owners behind. Just something to consider in evaluating the purchase of a used phone.

[Zoe Girl]

another good point, i don't like getting the first model of anything but usually the 2nd most recent has bugs worked out and still is current enough to work well