What is the Best Cingular GSM Phone?

[bartman]

I picked up the new Nokia 6340 (GAIT Phone) a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to be a great phone at first, but later I discovered differently. Don't get me wrong the phone itself seems great, but the Cingular roaming agreements for TDMA & Analog in my area (Jacksboro, TN) really suck.

I can lay my phone on my desk at home and it will go from a Cingular GSM signal to a Cingular Extended signal then back. It will do this over & over because I'm on the edge of the GSM coverage map. When the phone reads Cingular Extended it won't let me make any calls at all (it calls AT&T Wireless when I try to make a call.)

I've addressed this problem with Cingular and they explained to me that my area was in the GSM preferred area and Cingular would not be working out any roaming agreements with AT&T for any of East TN.

So they told me to bring my phone back to the store and they would let me trade it for a GSM phone (since that would be all that would be covered in my area.)

So finally to my question. When I go to trade my Nokia 6340 in for a GSM phone, which phone should I choose?

Any advice would be great. I'm probably looking at trading phones tomorrow.
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[cellphoneobsessed]

The Nokia 3395 is the best phone to have with Cingular GSM, or if you want something smaller get the 8390. I sell Cingular and we get the least complaints out of the Nokias. Don't get an Ericcson T61z we get the most complaints of defects, easy damaging, and reception. The Motorola T193g is okay, but the nokias have better overall features. These are the only ones we sell so I can't really comment on the other Cingular phones.

[TNDan21]

The Nokia 3395 does seem to be the model of phone that most people carry on Cingular's GSM network and from what I have heard its a good phone.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I would just switch to Verizon if you could. I am sending back my 6340 because of all the Not Roaming stuff. (I am still in shock that Cingular promised these phones for so long and then wouldn't let them do what a GAIT phone could do when they came out. From what I have been told they have no plans to correct the sitution in the near future) I just went with Verizon and they have great coverage in East Tennessee.

[bartman]

I used to have the 3395 and I hated it. The call quality was bad and the battery life was terrible.

Size isn't really an issue for me. I'm more concerned about call quality and phone reception.

I've thought about getting the V60G. Any comments about it? Good or bad?

[TNDan21]

If price isn't so much of a issue for you, you may want to try out the new Motorola V60gi World Phone. Cingular (GSM) is carrying it and it has a external antenna so it might perform better in fringe areas.

[cryogenic]

I've heard the V60g is a pretty good phone reception-wise, but Cingular's coverage up there in the fringe areas is very sketchy, to say the least. I have an Ericsson T61z and coverage was in and out the whole time from Jacksboro/LaFollete all the way to about Speedwell, at which point it was nonexistent. I have US Cellular, which roams on Verizon up there and honestly it was better around Jacksboro, but Speedwell and beyond are pretty much a wash for anyone with a cellphone. The advantage to a CDMA carrier (Verizon or US Cellular, both are excellent in east TN) is analog backup. At any rate, there are a couple areas in the general Knoxville area that Cingular has better coverage... and a whole lot of areas where Verizon beats the pants off them.. (Hwy 63 towards Oneida/Huntsville, for example). If you're hell-bent on staying with Cingular, you might as well get the V60gi and at least attempt to be happy. On the other hand, you could switch to Verizon or AT&T... or even US Cellular (their regional plans rock) and get MUCH better coverage.

[isellphones]

I used to have the 3395 and I hated it. The call quality was bad and the battery life was terrible.

Size isn't really an issue for me. I'm more concerned about call quality and phone reception.

I've thought about getting the V60G. Any comments about it? Good or bad?


Having sold these type of Nokia Phone myself I can offer some advice. The 3390 was an earlier version in that phone line. It did not have gprs and it came standard with a "blue" cover. Yes the battery sucked however it does work the best on a GSM network. Then came the 3395 "GREY" color which had GPRS and an extended battery life. However we need to define one thing here. Networks are the main reason for problems, many think its the phone that sux but believe me our area is going through some serious issues and I hear it all the time how "PHONES SUCK" but its really the Network. I have used many phones Ericsson 2218, nokia 3390, 3390, 8290, 8390, siemens, motorola just to name a few and what I found out (which many disagree) is that the V60 is the best phone to use. Not only does it look good its packed full of easy to use features and comes with the belt clip. I do not drop calls nearly as much with this phone as I did with any of the others mentioned. The battery is also the best I have used. If you dont want to pay full retail I will offer this little advice. Retail stores are great, if you like FULL price. Want a deal? Find yourself an OUTSIDE or Business 2 Business Sales rep and get him or her a few sales and see what that person will do for you. Just a little tip. Also they will come see you, ie no waiting in long retail lines. So in summary V60 is the best phone.