Thinking of switching to Verizon for Long Dist. calls which phone?

[dansmom]

Pardon the novice question, but will the phone I choose effect the long distance call quality. I am concidering Verizons 1000min/$55 plan and would use the phone from home for all my long distance calls. I don't know where to start in choosing a new phone so any help would be appreciated. I currently have a Nokia 5160 with AT&T and live in Gilbert AZ.

Thanks in advance...

[Woodman]

It all depends on how much you want to spend. If you want a high end phone , the motorola v60c is a great phone. it is what i use and i am extremely happy with it. I figured that since i dont have a regular home phone, spend a little bit more and get a good cell phone. as far as midrange phones the samsung t300 is good as is the v120c and the kyocera 2235. hope this gets you started.

[FoneFanatic]

The earpiece volume on the Motorola v120c is not very loud, so if you are hard of hearing or will be using with alot of background noise, then i'd get something else. The Samsung T300 is a great phone and comes highly recommended from the majority of owners I've seen. Most people like the Kyocera 2235 with it's blue screen. I've heard good things about it's battery life as well, although I don't believe it's battery is as good as the v120. Audiovox makes great phones in the reception department. I'm not really sure of their battery life, etc. Hope this helps.

[TampaTrev]

One idea is to visit a Verizon Wireless store; they usually have "live" sample phones you can try. Talking and listening on the different phones is the best way to determine what suits you. I agree with FoneFanatic that earpiece volume is an important consideration which is often overlooked when shopping for a phone. That's my main gripe with the Audiovox CDM 9000 I've been using for the past year. It's not that I'm hard of hearing, but the volume just isn't loud and clear enough for relaxed conversation, especially in areas with background noise.

[FoneFanatic]

I would love to be able to try out live samples of phones, but none of the Verizon stores in my area have live samples available. Just the dummies. I agree with Trev that that's definitely the best way to determine whether you will like a phone. The rep. at my Verizon store did let me play with her Samsung T300 the other day, and I must say I was impressed. That was a real treat. If I could play with all the phones, then I think I could make a more informed decision.

[TampaTrev]

I shouldn't have assumed everybodys's Verizon store had "live" sample phones--I think that mainly is a feature of the company-owned stores, perhaps. I think Verizon also gives you a couple weeks to try out a phone...if it doesn't suit you after using it, they'll take it back. (Check first; these types of offers/guarantees can change of course.)

Dansmom, you were concerned about different phones being suitable for your long distance, but that specifically is not really an issue when choosing a phone. Whether you're talking to someone across the street or across the country, you want a phone that's comfortable for you to use, has good reception, battery-life, and an easy-to-navigate menu system is a plus too. All phones are a compromise; you have to decide when comparing them which items have priority with you. Hanging out at this site is a good way to pick up various opinions about phones and service, and you can also read various phone reviews at epinions, cnet, zdnet, et.al.
I'm kind of in the market for a new phone myself, so you won't be alone! (Fone Fanatic, tell me more about that Samsung if you get a chance--my email's in my profile...)

[FoneFanatic]

The Samsung T300 has a very user-friendly interface. The navigation joystick is tight and won't disappoint. The phone is very, very slim and small...just the right size to fit in an inside coat pocket or pants pocket, and it is tightly built (as are all Samsungs). The Verizon rep. told me she uses hers a good bit and can get about 3 days out of a battery charge. I had never played on the wireless web before and the phone's dedicated button for launching the web browser made it easy. The phone also has a relatively large, and very sharp, clear screen for browsing. Also, though not as important, you can set different screensavers to run while your phone is in standby. The rep. told me she didn't notice those draining her battery either. I was very impressed. Still iffy on the battery life, but I'm definitely considering buying this phone this week. Best of all, Verizon has the phone for $29.99 + free gadgets when you sign a contract.

Hope this helps, TampTrev

[TampaTrev]

Thanks! If you get it, let us know how it works out. Hopefully some of these comments have been helpful to Dansmom, too!?