Dear Lazyweb - Cellphones and carriers (again)

[feren]

Dear Lazyweb,

It's that time of the season again, just two short years after the last time! Yep, the cell phone contract has expired, and lady_curmudgeon and I are looking at new phones and carriers. It's going to be a mix of plan cost and finding phones we like. Curmudgeon wants a phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and a camera. I don't care about a camera, myself. QWERTY is a requirement, virtual or real I don't care.

So I'm not even going to poll this time around, and instead just invite you to comment with your thoughts. Here's where we stand:

• I love my iPod Touch, so I'm naturally biased towards the new iPhone 3G S, but I hate AT&T. Their plan is sorta meh as well, and Curmudgeon didn't see anything she liked phone-wise since she's not sure an iPhone is the device for her.
  
• I'm alright with T-mobile, I could put a jailbroken iPhone on there, but she sees no phones that she's down with (doesn't think she likes the SideKick). On the plus side, we could do a month-to-month no commitment plan.
  
• I have Sprint right now on month-to-month, and get a 15% discount. No iPhone there (duh) but the new Palm Pre is out and the reviews seem fairly positive so far. I haven't had a chance to play with one but I'd consider it as an alternative to the iPhone. Curmudgeon likes the LG Lotus that they carry. Their prices are better than AT&T. We have yet to see if the Pre catches on and apps come out of the woodwork like they have for the iPhone.
  
• Verizon's not shown me or Curmudgeon anything that we're interested in thus far.
  

So, recommend away. I know warphammer is twitching hard at the thought that I might join the iPhone ranks, so I'm curious

Comments

[posicat.livejournal.com]

Don't know if this helps or not ...

http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173903

I got in on the previous Sprint employee plan, and it's awesome, I'm just waiting for an Android phone to come out so I can consider upgrading.

[gatcat.livejournal.com]

Gin and tonic.

[feren.livejournal.com]

I'd like a lifetime subscription to this plan.

[steelhelix.livejournal.com]

A lifetime subscription for you, or a normal person? Remember, just like 'unlimited downloads' there might be a cap!

[feren.livejournal.com]

Secondary and tertiary providers are already secured.

[blueadept.livejournal.com]

I'm on Sprint and the Instinct and Instinct s30 are fairly nice. Of course, since you're on Sprint, you probably already know that you need a data plan to take advantage of phones like that. It has a virtual QWERTY keyboard and a camera, but the camera's not terribly good and has no flash.

I'm anxiously awaiting an Android phone (preferably from Samsung, similar to the Instinct in UI and form factor) for Sprint. Linux in my pocket. Oh, yeah. T-Mobile is the only carrier in the US right now that has Android.

[posicat.livejournal.com]

You're not the only one waiting, that's exactly the model I'm hoping for too, Instinct with real-software :)

[takaza.livejournal.com]

I have been keeping an ear out on the reviews and it sounds like the Pre is a pretty good phone overall. There is a little issue with hardware, but they are patching the heck out of the bugger to help improve the performance.

I'm curious about the Android phone also, but I am thinking the physical keyboard is better to have (the touch isn't the best for me).

[yakko.livejournal.com]

I'll say up front that I'm biased, but from what you say, it looks like Sprint is the way to go, with the Pre (if you can get one) and the Lotus. Visit a Sprint Store and put your hands on the devices first.

As a second choice, I'd go with T-mo supposing Curmudgeon can find a device she likes.

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge AT&T fan, but, they have been much more responsive than TMob ever was when I had problems, and trouble shooting with them is MUCH easier.

I'm loving the crackberry I got last december. It has a full qwerty and the camera, while not up to fuji standards, is okay. It doen't have a fraction of the apps the iphone has, and none of them are free, but, the phone was, through Amazon.

The crackberry curve is a bit larger than I was used to carrying, and you need to put it in a 'holster' before putting it into your pocket. But, it weighs nothing, is so user friendly my mom could probably figure it out (probably).

[skorzy.livejournal.com]

I am happy with the iPhone. I love it, in fact. The 3Gs fixes a lot of what I don't like about it, so I wish I could upgrade. Blame AT&T for crippling their existing customers from upgrading cheaply. There's also heavy rumor that the unnecessary delays in implementing iPhone features on the AT&T network is that the network is overloaded with the iPhone's popularity. Another fail for AT&T. I'm still holding out hope post-2010 that Verizon gets a version of the iPhone. Once that happens, I'm back there in a heartbeat.

The one thing I found absolutely critical for the iPhone is the use of WiFi. The lack of it was a dealbreaker for me on the Blackberry Storm.

[warphammer.livejournal.com]

What wireless carrier gives their users a heavily subsidized phone *every year*? It's not just AT&T. :)

[skorzy.livejournal.com]

True, but not implementing the features of the iPhone and "promising" to allow them in the future isn't acceptable, given AT&T's exclusive contract.

I read earlier today that Rogers wireless in Canada is charging their customers extra to use MMS with the iPhone 3Gs.

Shame.

[suzuno.livejournal.com]

I have nothing useful to say, except to be incredulous:

Sprint has better pricing than AT&T now? Wow.

Back when I had Sprint it cost me an arm and a leg to have one phone without a data plan with really crappy minutes and night time/weekend delineations. So I switched to AT&T and was much happier for it.

It's good to see they've changed. I haven't kept up since I've been reasonably happy with AT&T since the switch.

Phone carriers are like air carriers. Personal experience. XD

[warphammer.livejournal.com]

Don't single me out, man! ;)

The iPhone is a really nice phone. If it had:
-Multitasking (before anyone chimes in, no, the Push service isn't the same thing)
-Less app store interference by apple
-Maybe a physical keyboard
...then I'd be right there.

Played with a Pre last weekend, seems real nice, actually. And the OS is definitely intriguing. Sprint is kinda... interesting, but I was with them reliably for almost eight years before I jumped to Unlocked GSMville with AT&T. Exxxxxpensive but the phones are interesting. Apparently my N97 shows tomorrow.

[markvd.livejournal.com]

Lets go impulse buy/preorder iphones tomorrow!