Need a New "Basic" Phone with Cingular/AT&T

Hello,

I've been a Cingular GSM customer for about 4 years and I really like the coverage. I currently have the Sony Ericsson T637 and am fairly happy with it, some minor quirks aside (ascending ring tone, limited native tones, small keys for my big hands, smallish display). My Mom has Parkinson's disease and her physical & mental condition has worsened recently. I have been spending 12-14 hours a day just being with her near her home to monitor her medications and diet. As I only have a dial-up internet connection where I am staying (26.4 Kbps ) the amount of time that I can devote to researching a new phone purchase is very limited. What I need in a new phone is the following:

• Tri-band GSM (I don't know the frequencies but the phone will only be used in Western Washington state, specifically in the Marysville [Zip 98270] area), extending to Everett and Bellevue/Seattle. I rarely travel out of this area and do not go overseas (even Canada/Mexico).

• A flip phone with an internal antenna.

• A large and clear display that is easy to read in direct sunlight . When the phone is closed the display should show, at a minimum, the time.

• A clear & strong speakerphone.

• A basic "ring-ring" call tone that is *native* to the phone (I don't want to deal with downloading etc. a tone - I just don't have the time)

Pretty basic needs, eh? What I do not need or, rather what is unimportant to me is:

• Internet connectivity.

• Music player.

• Camera.

• Texting capability (i.e. a phone that is designed for constant texting).

I want to stay with Cingular/AT&T because I am off-contract and I get an employee discount with my job. My current plan is the Region 300 Anytime & 1000 Night/Weekend Minutes. I have never used more than 300 minutes so, at this time, the plan is adequate. The free national long distance is a MUST, btw. I tried the Samsung A607/SYNC about 9 months ago but decided that it was a bit overkill considering my needs. Overall, the SYNC was great but I really disliked the flimsy, imho, battery charger "door" because I have large fingers and keep my nails trimmed. I kept waiting for it to break off!

Because I want to stay off-contract I would be willing to spend in the neighbourhood of $200 for a new phone so if I could purchase one online (e.g. Amazon) and it would be ready to work out-of-the-box then I would be happy. As I typed this I realised that I have never set up a cell. phone without assistance so maybe shopping at Best Buy or somewhere would be a better idea. Again, my free time is very limited.

So, my challenge to veteran Wireless Advisor members is to recommend a few phones that meet the criteria outlined above. Due to my sloooooowwww dial-up connection please refrain from posting photos. The make & model of the phone will suffice. Also, please note that I can not get service at my house with Verizon so that is not an option. I'm happy with AT&T/Cingular and GSM and will most likely keep them. T-Mobile does not work at my house either (I've tried).

One last item: According to the AT&T Wireless "Upgrade Advantage" page I not currently eligible to upgrade my device. I may be eligible for an equipment discount on Nov. 29, 2007. Is this b/c I haven't spent enough money with them in the past (my monthly bill is rarely over $30)? Is this one more reason to stay off-contract and pay for a new phone myself?

Thank you very much for your time.

 

This probably is overkill but the one phone that really caught my eye at the AWS website was the Nokia 6126. I like the displays and "open" charger port and the Phone Scoop review is fairly glowing. 'Let us talk' dot com has the 6126 for $190 and I could keep my current plan which helps with my household budget. I would just need a car charger and case.

It's odd that the NokiaUSA.com "accessories" page only lists 5 Bluetooth headsets and no carrying case or car solutions (click on the link in IE 6 and the screen shows no pics whilst Internet Explorer 6 has the "!" icon in the lower left corner - this typically means "error on page").

 

I picked up the 6126 last night for $125, including sales tax. My employer discount gave me 50% off of the phone cost. I have read about the battery life issues but thx for the reminder. The salesman said that the car charger & data cable are the same as used for the 6102i - is this right?

 

Do you know what comes with the CA-42 genuine Nokia USB data cable? If I get a generic or "OEM" cable will I need anything else? I can download the software from Nokia or some other site if needed, right?

 

I was off-contract before I purchased the 6126 so $125 is the no-contract price (50% off with my employer's discount).