In general - clamshell vs. solid

[Rk]

What are the pros and cons between clamshell phones and non-clamshell (brick?) phones ? Especially would like to hear from those of you who have used both.

Ease of use
Durability
Specific uses
aggravations
"Never use a clamshell if you have this situation..."
"Clamshell is always better for this..."
etc

Not between specific models, but in general...

I am looking to start a plan with Verizon and need to decide on phones.


thanks

[Mike]

I personally like the clamshell. I have used a StarTec, and now a v60g. I like the way it goes from the ear to close to the mouth. It seems more natural, more like a standard landline handset. When closed all keys are safe from being pressed or hit.

I had a "candy bar" style phone between the StarTec and the v60g. I used a horizontal case that was attached to my belt. I would have to lock the keys every time I put it in the case, and sometimes when I would take it out the lock had come off and several keys had been pressed, or the power button had been hit and the phone was off. I did not like that feature. It was a Motorola Timeport P7389.

I will now always go for the clamshell.

ill toss around my 2 cents

ease of use- candy bar wins. you can just answer it, you dont have to flip it open.

durability- clamshell wins. you can scratch the candy bar screen fairly easily if you put it in your pocket/purse. with the clamshell, you have a hinge that could break but you would have to try to break it.

aggravations-clamshell wins. if you forget to put keypad lock on, who knows who your candy bar phone might call. not a problem with the clamshell.

i have used a startac 7868 a nokia 5160, 6160, 8260 and most recently the v60t and now the v60i and i am a big fan of the clamshell phones. they feel better on my face with some curvature as opposed to the solid candy bar style. hope this helps you out.

[Woodman]

sorry, that was me

[SprintTechRep]

just my oppinion. Candy bars are more drop friendly but are usually big and bulky. I see a lot of damaged unrepairable clamshells all the time. I have and like clamshells much better because you wouldnt need to cover up the screen with an ugly leather case to protect it from scratches. I also notice that clamshells are more vulnerable to powering off issues (when you close the flip).

In conclusion, get whatever phone you want. If there is a benefit to either design, its very small.

[Mooby]

Frankly, I prefer clamshell(although I've never owned one). I've used a Nokia 5165 and locking the keypad on it was a pain. My Kyocera 2135 was easy to lock, simply hold the left arrow for a second or two. I now have a T300 which is kind of a hybrid of candy/clam. It has the same basic body and shape of a candybar(but it slightly smaller) but also has the flip which means you don't need to engage a keyguard and it also feels a bit more natural while talking. I definitely like the flip or the clamshell.

locking canday phones is easy my 8260 is a breeeze. but i now i ahve a v60t and cant seem to get the keypad lock function on that to work. whats the deal? it says theres one. i wnat to lock it cause i dont wanna hit the side buttons and change my rinngers or anything

[scottb]

Originally posted by: Rk
What are the pros and cons between clamshell phones and non-clamshell (brick?) phones ? Especially would like to hear from those of you who have used both.

Ease of use
Durability
Specific uses
aggravations
"Never use a clamshell if you have this situation..."
"Clamshell is always better for this..."
etc

Not between specific models, but in general...

I am looking to start a plan with Verizon and need to decide on phones.


thanks

Ease of use - candy bar - you don't have to open it
Durability - clamshell - the screen is protected if you drop it
Specific uses - clamshell is smaller, easier to carry, fits more naturally between ear and mouth

aggravations - candy bar - you have to lock the keypad to prevent making calls if you use speed dial buttons
clamshell - sometime hard to open with one hand

"Never use a clamshell if you have this situation..."
"Clamshell is always better for this..." - smaller size, won't accidentally press keys

Good luck,
Scott

I myself have always used candy-bars exclusively.

The mechanical nature of flip phones, as small and as cool as they are, has never made me comfortable. Clamshell phones add several parts to a phone by definition and the more parts you have, the more things can go wrong just when you need them not to.

You have the have the hinge that holds the two pieces together, the wire(s) running between the two pieces, and, very often, a secondary screen on the outside of the phone to allow you to know if someone you really don't want to talk to is on the line waiting for you without your flipping the phone up and answering him.

The shape of clamshell phones generally precludes your feeling secure when putting them on your shoulder for a moment so that you can use both hands, say, in order to write down an address. They have a tendency to either slip around on a shoulder or to bend ominously. Also, the added complexity that goes into making a clamshell small can rob its owner of some features that its owner might like like a larger screen, for example or even a speakerphone.

Through practice, I've turned setting the keyguard into a conditioned reflex and I scarcely notice myself doing it.

I have many friends who are enamored of the elegant small size of the clamshell and if space, portability (and some added 'lose-ability') present no problems for you, then the clamshell is the way to go. For me however, I'll take a well-designed, feature-heavy candy-bar over any of the one's I've seen.

[thisisme]

not all flip phones lose certain abilities due to their smaller real-estate. i own a vx 1 and my screen is bigger than the v60's phone screen and bigger than some candy bar screens. with todays technology flip phones are relatively small while still offering features and benefits of full size candy bar phones. good examples are the sanyo 5150, z800, and the impressive i95cl from nextel. large color screens, java or brew, ems text messaging, downloadable ringtones, pim functions and speakerphones. not to mention games and other things like calculators and language choices. all of these features in a package (when closed) is just about as small as some of todays small candybar phones.

i have owned many flip phones (samsung 3500, startac 7797, 7868w,etc) and many candy bar phones (nokia 5160, 5190, 8260, ericsson and a old nortel handset etc) and i have to tell you, i have never ever had a flip break on me. ive never worried about tossing a flip in my bag, pocket, drawer, anywhere.

flip phones when open and pressed to your face feel just as comfortable if not more comfortable than candy bar phones. sure holding a flip on your shoulder is a little tough, but have you ever held a 8260 on your shoulder...its just as tough

all in all, its all in the users preference...
i just so happen to prefer flips...

just my two cents..

[IdiOTeQnoLogY]

i dont know how you (anonymous poster 2 posts up) can say that clamshells have smaller screens. one of the biggest advantages of a clamshell is that it can be the same size as a compact candy bar when closed, but when open you have twice as much room to put a screen.......thus giving you more room for a bigger screen. look at a small nokia the screen is tiny......i held up a samsung a460 for example to the customers nokia it was the same size as the nokia closed.........then open it was a nice comfortable size while the screen was much easier to look at on the clamshell.

the v60 is one of the few flips that has a small screen.........bad design.

Is it just me, or are the two phone designs, clamshell and candy bar/brick, almost exclusively divided between the two main technologies, CDMA and GSM? I notice that Sprint and Verizon (and Nextel) have the majority of the clamshell phones, especially Sprint. The LGs, the Sanyo 5150, the numerous Samsungs. Verizon has the v60 and the VX-1. Nextel has the i95 and kin. Meanwhile, the GSM carriers have the majority of the Nokia and Sony Ericsson ultracompact candy bar phones. The T68's, the numerous Nokias, some Samsungs and Motorolas. The *only* clamshell phone I've seen recently for GSM carriers is the v60g. Is this due to carriers preferring one design over the other, or is there something more to this? I would love to see some of the new Samsung clamshell phones on GSM carriers, but that will probably never happen.

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