Throw away Phone:

[freein05]

My cell phone was not working in the roaming mode. We travel a lot and live in an area where a Verizon partner handles Verizon calls. I was unable to make calls while roaming. The Verizon rep fist said I needed to update the software in the phone. I did that and it still would not work.

I called Verizon again and this time the rep checked my phone and said it was too old of a phone to work with their new roaming software. The phone is only 2 or 3 years old. He said I could buy a new one at Rite Aid for 15 or 20 dollars. Our phone is used very little and is like new. I guess phones these days are a throw away commodity.

[Spartana]

I have a pay-as-you-go Tracfone that I've had for several years. It's a "double minutes phone" (anytime I add airtime via a card I purchase I get double minutes - i.e. on a 400 minute, one year service card I get 800 minutes). It has a camera, texting and web surfing capabilities. I generally use it to check e-mails and for short phone calls. It cost about $15 to buy the phone and approx. $7/month to use ($100 for a one year phone card that gives me 400 minutes/card or 800 minute/card on a double minute phone) and those minutes roll over forever. I've never had problems with service anywhere or the phone, so that might be something that will work for you.

[Alan]

My cell phone was not working in the roaming mode. We travel a lot and live in an area where a Verizon partner handles Verizon calls. I was unable to make calls while roaming. The Verizon rep fist said I needed to update the software in the phone. I did that and it still would not work.

I called Verizon again and this time the rep checked my phone and said it was too old of a phone to work with their new roaming software. The phone is only 2 or 3 years old. He said I could buy a new one at Rite Aid for 15 or 20 dollars. Our phone is used very little and is like new. I guess phones these days are a throw away commodity.

Cell Phones, like other any other technology, are only as good as the infrastructure they are designed to work within. There are 4 competing cell phone technologies in use in the United States, CDMA, TDMA, iDen & GSM. On top of that, there are specific frequency ranges allotted to specific carriers, which makes any single mode phone dependant on a specific infrastructure.

Over 20 years ago, Europe settled on one technology, GSM, and a range of frequencies between 800 & 1600 MHz. We are slowly doing the same in the US, so, as carriers transition to a common standard, those phones which do not meet the specs for that standard are becoming obsolete.

If you have to purchase a new phone, go with a multi-mode GSM model. You'll be good everywhere for a long, long time.

[razz]

If you have to purchase a new phone, go with a multi-mode GSM model. You'll be good everywhere for a long, long time.

That is good to know. Thanks!

[Float On]

I have a pay-as-you-go Tracfone that I've had for several years. It's a "double minutes phone" (anytime I add airtime via a card I purchase I get double minutes - i.e. on a 400 minute, one year service card I get 800 minutes). It has a camera, texting and web surfing capabilities.

My tracfone is even older.....all it does is make/recieve calls! lol

Inside joke - one of our little nieces was trying to play with my husbands phone and got so upset that it "didn't do anything" he kept telling her it did do stuff it was a phone it makes/recieves calls. She looked at him like he was dirt.

[redfox]

There are many good programs that accept older cells & recycle them for soldiers to call home on, for wmen in domestic violence shelters for 911 calls, etc. If you do enf up getting rid of it, please donate it!