cell phone shopping

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've never had a Cell phone, never needed a cell phone, but I'm thinking now might be the time. After searching contract plans and no contract plans, I think the way to go for me is Tracfone. Tracfone has a bunch of phones to choose from on their website. My friend has had a Tracfone (flip phone) for many years, he gets a good signal...I mention that because his family members have smart phones with other phone service providers and they have signal problems in Glencoe.

After researching all the different phones they offer, it seems the ZTE phones might be the way to go. They run Android software and very cheap, from $10 to $30 (there are cheaper and free phones). I've watched several youtube reviews (FYI there are a lot of stupid people making cheap cellphone reviews on youtube). Anyway, it seems these ZTE are are pretty comparable to the Samsung Galaxy when you find the models with similar specs, except the Galaxy is 3 times the price.

So with all that said, anyone have anything good or bad to say about ZTE ?

Or anything else in general about Cell phones and Services ?

[Oily]

The main thing you need is service in your area. The price of the phone is secondary. Your cell phone no matter what the price is useless unless you have signal in your area. Find a good provider in your area and then get a phone that will work with there system. If you are in a rural area as I am you need to find a provider that shares towers with other companies so you have coverage everywhere. I am with a local company in NW OK and I can use my phone coast to coast without roaming costs. If you live in a big city or in the burbs you can go with the big guys but realize that if you get 20 miles off of the interstate or main highways you will lose signal.

[NyFirefighter357]

The main thing you need is service in your area. The price of the phone is secondary. Your cell phone no matter what the price is useless unless you have signal in your area. Find a good provider in your area and then get a phone that will work with there system. If you are in a rural area as I am you need to find a provider that shares towers with other companies so you have coverage everywhere. I am with a local company in NW OK and I can use my phone coast to coast without roaming costs. If you live in a big city or in the burbs you can go with the big guys but realize that if you get 20 miles off of the interstate or main highways you will lose signal.

This is very true many of the "discount" cell services only have good reception close to major cities. No frills also means no extra money to make agreements with other cell phone companies to use their towers. I have Verizon because it's the best service here, my wife and kids use Boost Mobile which is Sprint's pay as you go plan. Boost starts at $35 a month & has very good coverage. My Verizon is $80

[Down South]

I've had need of a cell phone for many years of my career. I use Verizon service because it works at my house and in many other areas. AT&T has very poor signal here. I'm retired now but still need a cell phone. I cut the land line about 10 years ago and strictly use cell service for a number of reasons.
What ever phone you get, make sure it gets service in the areas that you frequent. You can Google and look at coverage maps for the different providers or you can ask others in those areas what service they use and how good it is.

[CastingFool]

We use Consumer Cellular as our provider. They use ATT lines. We pay $70/ mo for unlimited calling and texting, with 5gb data, for 3 phones. So if ATT services your area, I would recommend you check out CC.

[ShooterAZ]

Jon,

I googled the cellular coverage in your area. It looks like Verizon has the best rated coverage. My advice would be to go down to the Verizon store near you, and explain your needs. In the past, they have been very helpful to me. Best Buy might be able to help too. We are on a family plan with Verizon, with unlimited data and text. This saves us quite a bit of money. If you have family in the area, maybe check with them and see if you can help get on a plan. Even if they are in a different state, you can still get on a plan. I am fortunate in that my employer pays for a portion of my service. It's my phone and service plan, but I do use it for work. I disconnected my land line right around the 2016 elections because I was getting flooded with political calls. Good luck!

[Texan74]

straight talk uses verizon towers, just make sure when you go to get the phone ensure it is for verizon towers.

[ThomR]

My wife and I have been on no contract plans for almost five years now.
I buy my phones off of Ebay and rarely ever have a problem with them. Just make sure you buy from a seller with good feedback.
There really is no need to spend a thousand dollars on a phone. The most I've spent was around $150, but I could have been just fine with a much cheaper phone.

An old friend of mine once said "I remember when people used cell phones to call people." You can live without all the whizbang features of high end cell phones.

Just make sure you don't text and drive. That's a good way to end up dead.

[Wag]

If you don't need a smart phone, that's the way to go. The plan I have now is costing me about $25 a month WITH a smartphone, however, the old plan I had was $150 a month. After 18 months, the savings has paid for the phone many times over.

Again the bad thing is the cost of the stupid smart phone.

The good thing is that when I'm at home, it uses my wireless to make calls and for other data demands and as a result, on occasion, I'll go a month with NO phone bill at all. When I get away from home, there are a few dead spots that have issues but they are fairly rare.

A few years ago, I rolled the dice and killed the land line which saved a few more bucks and I haven't missed it at all.

As mentioned by others, service availability is going to be your primary decision-making factor.

--Wag--

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

good info so far, thank you.

I was hoping for info about ZTE phones. Anyone have one?
https://shop.tracfone.com/shop/en/tracfonestore/phones/tf-zte-zfive-c-lte
I am looking pretty hard at a ZTE® ZFIVE C LTE (Z558VL)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWj6WDEnLs

[Handloader109]

Don't have one, and that review didn't tell me much except it has a slow processor. Very Slow, which is to be expected on a relatively inexpensive phone. I would be hesitant to buy if you plan on using for internet use very much. I got my wife a cheap phone a few years ago, and it was so slow as to be worthless on the internet. Along with the 3G that it was using, it was a turtle crawl.
BTW, almost zero cell companies are using a contract for the data and the phone service. Most are month to month now, but you DO have a contract for the cell phone itself, unless you pay for it up front. Used to roll phone cost into the service contract, but now very few do it unless you ask for it. If it were me, I'd find a used iphone, series 6 or newer and go with whichever provider you decide is best. Android devices are ok, but Apple does make the best phones. Very few Androids are good for more than two years, I've not had one go much longer, my daughter has barely made two years on her 3 phones she's had. My wife's 5S is over 3 years now with no signs of battery failure. Just say'n. Motorola has been the worst we've used, phones worked great, but failed too soon.
I've a Samsung now and after a year, good as new. Good luck.

[Wag]

Everyone has their different preferences for iPhone vs Android. My preference is for Android and they've always lasted me 4 years. The only reason they don't last longer is because the new software updates render them a little sluggish and, therefore, obsolete. But they still work.

Another issue I have with Android is that when you buy from a major provider like Verizon or AT&T, they install a whole bunch of bloatware on it which you won't use but you can't install. Best you can hope for is to disable it but it still takes up space on the phone.

Mine is a Pixel XL direct from Google and using the ProjectFi system. No bloatware. Battery can last as long as five days before I have to charge it up again. But the phone was $800 up front. Crazy. But for what I do with it, it was worth it.

Other people prefer iPhones and that's fine. Whatever works best for you! My only experience was with the very first iPhone that came out and I hated it, but I'll acknowledge that they have very likely improved dramatically since then.

--Wag--

[ThomR]

Try Ting.com. You only pay for what you use. They use Sprint for their CDMA coverage, and I believe T-Mobile for GSM. I checked the coverage map and you are good on both of them. The last time I checked the average monthly bill was like $20.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Don't have one, and that review didn't tell me much except it has a slow processor. Very Slow, which is to be expected on a relatively inexpensive phone. I would be hesitant to buy if you plan on using for internet use very much.

>>>SNIP
We that is the thing, since I've never had a cell phone, I don't know how much I'd use it for internet? Honestly, I don't know how much I'd use it for calls/texts either, as I really don't like talking on the phone. It'd get used mostly when traveling, and I don't leave home that much, maybe 10 or 20 times a year within the State...I haven't left the State in maybe a decade. I really only travel if I have to, and even then I fight it and back out of a trip whenever I can.

With that said,
Last month, I needed one for a "light" emergency on a road trip.
While I was considering a flip phone, the Cheap smart phones aren't much more money.
I can see sending a text here and there, to let friends know when I am arriving to a location.
I can see using google maps 5 or 10 times a year, if I get lost going to a new location.
I can see looking up value of vintage items while shopping (ie: gunshow, antique shop, thrift store, garage sale).
Maybe post a selfie on facebook, if I am at some cool roadside attraction.

So, I don't think I need a high performance processor? This ZTE phone is only $30, so if I find out I need an Iphone, it isn't much money lost.

[Pressman]

Jon, I am using Verizon as it's the only reliable deal in Waseca.
Many of the Trac phones use Verizon towers. If so you will be swamped with Verizon ads.
I had a friend that thought he might be OK with a Trac phone. I got so tired of listening to him complaining about it I gave him a spare Samsung and put him on my plan. That solved all his phone issues.
Ken

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Jon, I am using Verizon as it's the only reliable deal in Waseca.
Many of the Trac phones use Verizon towers. If so you will be swamped with Verizon ads.
I had a friend that thought he might be OK with a Trac phone. I got so tired of listening to him complaining about it I gave him a spare Samsung and put him on my plan. That solved all his phone issues.
Ken

That brings up another question.
My friend, who lives near me, is happy with his tracfone service coverage with his flip phone. Since I am considering a ZTE phone that uses android software, if I use tracfone for service, will my phone be using the same cell towers...or could the phone use other towers giving me potential problems with coverage in my location?

[454PB]

It sounds like your need and use is similar to mine. A cell phone is an emergency device for me. I've been a Tracfone customer for 15 years, when I first signed up, there were no "smart phones", and I had a flip phone. I've now progressed to a smart phone, but I normally use it as a dumb phone. I have several computers including laptops that are used for internet. When I first got the smart phone (android), it was constantly nagging me to update, check facebook, yada yada, so I now keep the wireless turned off unless there's a real need for it. I find the texting ability extremely handy, because I'm not big on phone talking (hard of hearing).

Tracfone is a great service for me, and has excellent coverage where I live. I believe it uses Verizon.

Each year I have to renew my air time, which is $100. With that renewal I get double minutes and data. So, my cell phone costs $100 per year, I've never run out of minutes or data, in fact it keeps mounting up because it never expires.

[Handloader109]

It's only 30 bucks as you said. Try it. I've only had a cell phone for the past 3 years, prior and as of this month, our internet has been upgraded in our area, so I installed an old ooma system that is internet based. But I'll use cell for 99 percent of calls. I use it a bunch for internet use, expect to increase what you think you might. If Verizon is best service in the area, stay with a company that uses their towers.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[dragon813gt]

That brings up another question.
My friend, who lives near me, is happy with his tracfone service coverage with his flip phone. Since I am considering a ZTE phone that uses android software, if I use tracfone for service, will my phone be using the same cell towers...or could the phone use other towers giving me potential problems with coverage in my location?

I don’t recommend ZTE phones for a bunch of reasons. But I’m also what you would consider a power users. There are better Android phones available, but you pay more for them.

There are two types of cell system in the US. GSM and CDMA. The phones are one or the other. I can only assume that tracfone rents time off one of the major backbones. So it should be using the same towers. But be aware that every phone is different. Some have better antennaes and have service in more areas. Only time will tell if the phone you end up w/ has service where you want it.

Verizon doesn’t work around where I live. AT&T has coverage everywhere. So if I were to switch to one of the budget carriers that used Verizon’s CDMA backbone I would have the same poor coverage like I was paying Verizon.

[popper]

I have a ZTE flip phone the cops made me get. Just use it for 'emergency' situations. It works OK but ZTE has been accused of China spying. Just changed over to her old iphone as the ZTE was too hard to read. Android is just a wrapper around linux that can be manipulated or modified by the manuf. Carrier, battery life and use-ability are primary factors, I don't need any Apps. Well, mapping does come in handy, make sure the map app is from a good supplier.

[shortlegs]

I had a zte smart phone and had constant problems with it. volume is low making it hard to hear. Constant updates which affected something different every time. I finally went back to a flip phone to stop the constant updates and problems disappeared. I phones dont have all the unnecessary updates. We use AT&T. Signal strength has diminished recently and Verizons has increased in our area.

[Grmps]

Page Pluss is a cheaper service that uses Verizon's towers.

[jmort]

Straight Talk has both Verizon and ATT phones. My wife had a Trac Phone for many years. If you do not talk a lot, very good option. If you go to Walmart they have a Samsung smart phone for a reasonable price. I have purchased unlocked phones off ebay that woked just fine. Verzion has zero signal here, but it sounds like you want access to their towers. I need ATT towers. You can get Verizon phones with no contract plans at Walmart. Don't get sucked into a contract with Verizon. The no contract plans are better. Your local Walmart will be your best bet. Straight talk user for the last few years and happy with straight talk. If you go with Straight Talk, make sure you are getting a Verizon compatabile phone if that is what woks best in your area.

[David2011]

Talk to your neighbors and see what services they use and what works poorly. My parents live in a Houston suburb of over 100,000 with AT&T everywhere around them but they’re in an all but dead zone so don’t believe the service maps. My AT&T phone frequently shows “no service” at their house. AT&T knows it’s a bad area but they will still sell service to that neighborhood. Any company will likely do the same.

When I retired last year I needed a cell phone just because I had one for the past 20 years. Even though I was a trained “subject matter expert” on iPhones I had said for years that when I retired all I would want was for a phone to ring when someone calls and to let me make calls. I don’t like texting much but it is convenient at times. I prefer a computer or iPad for Internet use so that wasn’t important to me. It turns out that the monthly service charge was the same for a simple phone as a smart phone so I went with an iPhone since I was already very familiar with them. The phone cost more but since it was a purchase that should last many years that was a less important consideration. I got a month to month iPhone 6 for $150 or $200 through AT&T, far less than the outright purchase price. It had to be used as a month to month phone for one month and then it could be put on a regular plan. It turned out that we could put my phone on SWMBO’s account and the price for 2 phones was about the same as she had been paying for just her phone.

I hope someone reading finds this helpful.

[xs11jack]

Some time ago my wife hooked up with tracfon. after about 3 or 4 years she bought a new phone not from tracfon. When she called them to switch to the new phone, they stole $800 credit she had. They would not listen to her at all.
Ole Jack

[Adam_Selene]

ZTE's connections to the Chinese government are... troubling, to be kind about the matter. I won't touch any of their products with a 10 foot pole.

I've had Tracfones for several years as a backup (used to bike into work, a $10 phone and 25 minutes of airtime made for a great emergency option). I'd go with whichever pay-as-you-go provider has the best signal in the area and reasonable airtime rates. Having dealt with expansive dead spots, that can make life painful pretty quickly (as well as drain the battery faster).

If Tracfone has decent signal, I'd say its a good option.

[jimlj]

I can't really comment on ZTE phones as I have never had one. Since I got my first cell phone in 1995 for work I have had at least 10 different phones, and all of them worked as good as the cell service in the area. It seemed nothing was as convenient for taking care of business with a cell phone when the service was good, or as aggravating when the service was bad. Over the past 23 years it has gotten better. My last three phones have been "smart" phones, but they are only as smart as the user, which in my case isn't too bright. My first two were iPhones, and both met their death in the washing machine. The last one is a Samsung J3V (Verizon phone special at Wal Mart). It was a grand total of $18 and so far (3 months) has been great. I couldn't see spending $500 plus on another iPhone when my current phone does everything I ever used the others for (phone calls, a few texts and finding the closest Five Guys when I go to the city). If you don't need the latest and greatest, I think about any brand phone will work. As others have said, make sure you have a good service provider for what ever phone you get.

[Beerd]

Another TracFone user here, a LG dumb phone.
20 bucks gets me 3 months of service and 240 minutes of roll over talk time (which is about 235 minutes more than I use).
..

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

well, the ZTE is out.
Thanks for the info from several of you. yesterday, while running errands and talking to some phone sales people, it all became apparent why any Seller with ZTE phones in stock are dropping the price to almost nothing.

I think I am going with the Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro, it appears to the equivalent to the most powerful ZTE that I was looking at...but with many solutions to the problems that I read that customers complain about with the ZTE.

I haven't pulled the trigger yet...I am wondering if I should wait til the madness of Black Friday/Cyber Monday....or not?

[Grmps]

When you get a smartphone, you will be amazed. You have a world of information in your pocket.
On my droid, I touch the mic icon and verbally ask a question, often it will speak back the answer :).

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'm not sure I should admit how much waffling and Flip-Flopping I've done in the last two weeks over this purchase (flip-phone or no phone or Iphone or mid-level smart phone ...I changed my mind over and over and over).
:killingpc [smilie=b:[smilie=b::coffeecom:Fire:

But I finally pulled the trigger for the 'mid-level model smart phone'.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro...and it's a factory reconditioned one for $55.
Should be in my hands in a couple days.

[woodbutcher]

:holysheep:lol: Ahhhhhhhhhh.The trials and tribulations of the electronic age.I`ve been with
U.S.Cellular for about 10 years.Been most happy with their service.
Even making calls from out of town(Chattanooga to LaFollette),that`s about 150 miles.Just using a plain jane flip phone with a half way decent camera.Its an LG of some sort.Who cares the darn thing works,and that`s the important thing.Costs about 50$ a month.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[dragon813gt]

I'm not sure I should admit how much waffling and Flip-Flopping I've done in the last two weeks over this purchase (flip-phone or no phone or Iphone or mid-level smart phone ...I changed my mind over and over and over).
:killingpc [smilie=b:[smilie=b::coffeecom:Fire:
I sympathize. I’ve been doing the same thing w/ a laptop purchase. Phone decisions are easy for me, iPhone. Trying to decide on a laptop is hard because of what I want.

[HangFireW8]

Tracfone and straight talk use Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Lately T-Mobile, which has the poorest nationwide coverage.

However if you buy a CDMA model phone, you get Verizon service.

If you get a GSM phone, you get T-Mobile unless you can beg an AT&T Network SIM Card from customer support.

There are websites that help you distinguish which phones are which.

[dragon813gt]

If anyone already has an AT&T plan, meaning SIM card in hand. You can buy one of their prepaid phones and use your contract SIM in it. They currently have the iPhone 6 for $140. Not the latest and greatest but for $140 it’s a good deal. I bought a bunch of the iPhone SE from Walmart before they stopped selling AT&T prepaid. The significant other has a habit of destroying phones so I buy a few at a time and change them out when absolutely necessary. If you have a SIM that’s the wrong size they charge $5 to swap it out. Don’t let them charge you more because that’s all it costs.

[frkelly74]

So trac fone is what we have had for about 10 years. I still use a slider which has a full keyboard and camera and is browser capable which I have never used. It has worked. I called the Florida dnr from Flamingo and got through clear as a proverbial bell. But here in Saginaw It only works outside or if I stand by the kitchen window. I was told that was because of all the lead paint on the old house, it also has aluminum siding and will display No Service if I get away from the one kitchen window. I do like the way it does text messages and the camera is kind of fun, and I can talk to people if I want to.

[popper]

I touch the mic icon and verbally ask a question, often it will speak back the answer Hey SIRI, where is whitefish Id? - the rain in spain falls mostly in the plain. Proper use of English in the US is went.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I sympathize. I’ve been doing the same thing w/ a laptop purchase. Phone decisions are easy for me, iPhone. Trying to decide on a laptop is hard because of what I want.

well, my problem is I don't really know what I want and how I'll use it...since I've never had one. I'm gonna use Tracfone's service. while looking at phones from many sources (including ebay and amazon), it appears Tracfone's holiday pricing is tough to beat, that is were I ordered the samsung. Also, they had the iphone SE bundled with a $35 plan for $199 with free shipping...I do know, if I use this phone with any amount of regularity, I'm gonna regret not buying the iphone...at least that's what my research has told me.

[dragon813gt]

I wouldn’t say you will regret it. There are two camps, for the most part, when it comes to smart phones. You either prefer Android OS or iOS. I prefer iOS and have stuck w/ it since the original. I tried a few Android phones along the way but they were never what I wanted. The entire rest of my family, we’re talking over fifty people, all have Android phones. I’m the oddball apparently.

The main issues w/ the Android OS is what the carriers and phone manufacturers do to it. Some versions are on par w/ iOS. Others are years behind. The nice thing about iOS is there’s only one flavor. The bad thing about iOS is there’s only one flavor. Unless you jailbreak but that’s an entirely different discussion.

Like anything it’s about personal experience. Since this is your first smart phone you won’t know the differences between the OSs. Learn how to operate it and you should be happy w/ your purchase.

[William Yanda]

Speaking of the phone, rather than the service provider, I began carrying a cell phone, reluctantly, several years ago when working pay phones became almost impossible to find. About a year ago, I lost mine. I used it mostly for voice communications, a little for the camera function. I replaced it for under $50 with a refurbished Samsung Convoy 4. I occasionally use the text feature, have not added any apps. About a week after I got the replacement going, I found the original.
My wife has a smart phone, we share a Verizon family plan with my daughter.

[Walkingwolf]

My wife, and I are still using flip phones from Verizon, very good coverage in eastern US, not sure how it is out west. We have tablets for surfing the net using wifi, with truly unlimited data, as long as we can find a wifi signal, and that is many restaurants, and businesses. Even if you do get a smart phone, you can save money by using wifi signals whenever you can. Though some business seem to be touchy, as they should be, with people using their service without spending any money.

[Wag]

My wife, and I are still using flip phones from Verizon, very good coverage in eastern US, not sure how it is out west. We have tablets for surfing the net using wifi, with truly unlimited data, as long as we can find a wifi signal, and that is many restaurants, and businesses. Even if you do get a smart phone, you can save money by using wifi signals whenever you can. Though some business seem to be touchy, as they should be, with people using their service without spending any money.

That's a great way to do things. Just be sure you're securing your communications with the "free" wifi signals.


I wouldn’t say you will regret it. There are two camps, for the most part, when it comes to smart phones. You either prefer Android OS or iOS. I prefer iOS and have stuck w/ it since the original. I tried a few Android phones along the way but they were never what I wanted. The entire rest of my family, we’re talking over fifty people, all have Android phones. I’m the oddball apparently.

The main issues w/ the Android OS is what the carriers and phone manufacturers do to it. Some versions are on par w/ iOS. Others are years behind. The nice thing about iOS is there’s only one flavor. The bad thing about iOS is there’s only one flavor. Unless you jailbreak but that’s an entirely different discussion.

Like anything it’s about personal experience. Since this is your first smart phone you won’t know the differences between the OSs. Learn how to operate it and you should be happy w/ your purchase.

Good comments here. Use what you like, of course. My old phone bill dropped significantly when I switched to Project Fi with a Pixel XL. My lower bill paid for the phone within about 10 months. Couldn't be happier. When my late wife got her first smart phone, it was a Gen I iPhone and it really was terrible. I was still using my flip phone but even as bad as her iPhone was, I was hooked on it fairly quickly.

Then I got my first Android phone and loved it even more and within a few day of getting it, she wanted one too. It just flat out did all the things we wanted more easily and more conveniently.

For all I know, iPhone will now do what I would have liked it to do back then but whenever someone hands one to me, I'm all thumbs with it and it takes forever for me to do something. These days, people get all ballistic like we did back in the old days of Mac vs. PC online forum wars but now, the differences are not worth arguing about. Never were, in retrospect....

Ergo, use want you want. :)

--Wag--

[dragon813gt]

but whenever someone hands one to me, I'm all thumbs with it and it takes forever for me to do something.

I’m the same way w/ Android. I have two Kindle Fire HD tablets. One is mine for watching movies on planes and the other is for the kids. I did not want to spend money for an iPad when both are subject to abuse.

Trying to get anything done on those tablets frustrates me. The operating system works entirely differently. But I figured it out and does a bunch of things iOS can’t. The really handy one is WiFi monitoring. I can see what channels all other networks are running around me. I was able to do this w/ a jail broken iPhone but that was my old one. I’m perfectly happy using both OSs for different purposes.

The one great thing is if you have a question on how to perform some function on your phone you just have to run an internet search for it. The results will tell you how to do it so you aren’t pulling your hair out trying to figure it out.

[woodbutcher]

;)[smilie=s: Hi Dragon.Only 50?Small family.When I moved to Tn in 1985 my oldest Aunt and her husband(Dads oldest bro)had 103 living decendants with two on the way.And my Dad had 6 brothers and sisters.:holysheep
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Huskerguy]

We looked at all of the secondary services - Straight Talk, Boost, etc. These companies do not have their own towers as has been explained. However, they tend to use what is most prevelant and what they can get the best deal on in your area so that might be Sprint, ATT or Verizon - it can vary. Just because Straight Talk in my area uses Verizon towers doesn't mean the Straight Talk in Kansas City does. That is the way it was explained to me by several reps.

My son has Sprint and lives in the KC area which works great for him but when he heads west, between Salina, KS and Denver, Co he has nothing. Not just roaming - nothing. The price is right for sure. I like Verizon because when I used to have to travel for meetings, I knew I was going to have service and it never failed. There is a reason they can offer this cheaper on the secondary market.

[David2011]

I sympathize. I’ve been doing the same thing w/ a laptop purchase. Phone decisions are easy for me, iPhone. Trying to decide on a laptop is hard because of what I want.

Pardon the sidetrack, please. I found a very nice 17" HP ZBook from a refurbisher in Dallas named NT1Sales on fleabay for about $465 including shipping. Couldn't believe how good it looked when it arrived. It looked new. If that sounds like a lot for a used laptop they ran about $2000 to $3200 new depending on processor, memory and other options. It's not a lightweight but I had dealt with them at work in a support role before retiring and it's what I wanted. It was intended for commercial users and will run 3D Cad programs and other processor/graphics intensive software. The display is 1920x1080 pixels. It has a Core i7 processor, 16 GB RAM, nVidia video card, a 250 GB solid state HDD for the operating system and a 750 GB regular HDD for data storage, a DVD RW drive and all the bells and whistles including a lighted keyboard. I've been really happy with it and just wanted to pass this along in case it's along the lines of what you want. He does have other styles as well, of course. No relation to the seller; just a consumer.

[dragon813gt]

Thanks for the heads up. I’m looking for an Ultrabook as I travel w/ two laptops. The work one is large and heavy so my personal one needs to be light. The specs on what you got are pretty impressive.

I’ve pretty much decided on an almost top of the line Dell XPS 15. I’m digitizing a very large CD and DVD collection to put on my home server. The Handbrake numbers for the Dell put a lot of desktops to shame let alone a laptop.

My current Lenovo Ultrabook is seven years old and was close to top of the line at the time. It was money well spent. It’s still working perfectly but is slow for converting the DVDs. And going from two cores to six will really speed up converting flac to mp3 on the audio side. As soon as Microsoft gets the Win10 updates squared away I will finally buy a new laptop.

[jonp]

I'm not sure I should admit how much waffling and Flip-Flopping I've done in the last two weeks over this purchase (flip-phone or no phone or Iphone or mid-level smart phone ...I changed my mind over and over and over).
:killingpc [smilie=b:[smilie=b::coffeecom:Fire:

But I finally pulled the trigger for the 'mid-level model smart phone'.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro...and it's a factory reconditioned one for $55.
Should be in my hands in a couple days.

I had a J3 and liked it. I just bought a J7 Neo on Amazon for $125 I think and it's a very nice phone. It's unlocked so I can take it anywhere. I have a Cricket phone that is locked to them hanging around and didn't want that to happen again. I bought my wife a Blu for about $100. I think both are pricey but we use them for work and they are very good. They are also far less than the $1,000 a couple of my co-workers spent on an IPhone 10. The J7 can be used as a broadcaster allowing us to use it for wifi on our Kindles and Chromebooks to download new books, surf the net etc at camp. Last year I used it to come here for some loading info while out there and it was very helpful. We also go an online job writing product descriptions for a new website store and worked while sitting on the deck drinking coffee listening to the loons. That's the way to work!!

One very useful thing you will find you use your smartphone for is finding directions while on the road. You can set it up to be just like a GPS. You can also Google Earth or Mapquest a place and look right at it. As a truck driver that has been very useful to me in avoiding construction, low bridges, finding the correct direction to approach a customer to back into their docks etc. Companies directions to a customer may say go one way, when I look at the mapquest I can see that won't work at all and need to go past the place, go around the block and come from the other direction. Very useful. We also buy stuff online and pick up at the store. Just take the phone and show them the receipt. No problems. Also use the in store shopping app at Sam's Club. As we walk around we scan the stuff we are putting in the cart. When done, pay for it online with a credit card and just walk out. No standing in any lines.

I used Cricket for a few years and had no problems but my friend suggested Consumer Cellular. We have to use the ATT network as Verizon has no towers near my camp. Good thing about Consumer Cellular is that it allows you to pick either ATT or TMobile network. We have had them for a couple of months now and have had no problems. For my wife and I and 10 gigs of data it's $78. I use it everyday to listen to podcasts while driving, check email etc and we hit about 8gigs.

IOS vs Android: To each his own. It seems to me that people who start on system tend to stay there. I use android and have no complaints. Neither my wife or I are interested in tons of applications, games etc so either works fine. Android does what we need. I will say that the bloatware installed on the phone like Facebook, etc you can shut off but can't remove. They do take up space but I've never had a problem with lack of space but I don't have 25 apps installed either. I use IHeart Radio, Email, Youtube to listen to music and the Caldwell Chrono App. That's about it. Nice thing about the Chrono App. I can use the Caldwell anywhere, download it direct to the phone so I don't have to worry about losing the data and print it from any location at my home and email it to myself. Some might not think thats useful but the last time I moved I lost 10yrs of written reloading data somewhere between my old place and here. With new data safely tucked into a folder on my email account I don't have to worry about that again.

[David2011]

Funny thing about iPhones. I had a 4S for a long time. I could talk and text from my deer blind with it. Got a 5S and at the same stand had no signal. One of the other guys had a 6S and could talk and text at will in the same general area. I could sometimes receive his messages but not send. Apple makes some changes that are hard to understand from one model to the next.

[dragon813gt]

The 5 series had known antennae issues from the start. It’s the one series I skipped over. The 6 series is fragile compared to the 3/4/5 and had bad batteries. They all seem to have some issue after the 4. That model was a tank and I still carry one as a backup.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'm waking up another old thread.
I never did get to liking the Samsung J7 sky pro that I bought 6 months ago...I never got it setup correctly to my liking (which may have been my fault), and it is too large to carry around...I thought I wanted a large one, with a large screen, but have changed my mind.
So, a week ago, I started shopping for a iPhone SE (it's basically a 6 that is squeezed into the small 5 case.) I found a used one on fleabay, unlocked, looks like new, with original box and all original accessories, the seller said it was rarely used, mostly sat in a drawer...I offered $100 (they listed it for $140), they accepted my $100.

I spend most of the afternoon setting it up and transferring/activating the tracfone account and pulling the contacts off of my Samsung...It took longer than I thought it would.
BUT, I do love the iPhone and would recommend it over the samsung...I think the samsung fits better with a techy, whereas the iphone is more simple for the average person who doesn't want to experiment with their phone.
That's my 2¢.

[ShooterAZ]

Jon,

I've tried a bunch of different phones too. I got an I-Phone 10 about a year ago, and I absolutely love it. I'm on Verizon, and it is rock solid in my neck of the woods as to reception. IMHO the apple phones are the best value, at least for me, and my needs anyway. Glad you are happy with yours.

[William Yanda]

Reading through this thread, post 19 stated; "AT&T has coverage everywhere." I wish that were true. I install lifeline units two days a week. Our cellular units, both home based and GPS, require AT&T and there are spots in our rural area where they do not function. Like I said, I wish it were true.

[abunaitoo]

If your looking for just a "Phone" try.........
https://patriotmobile.com/
Friend got one, and he likes it.
Plus they are 2A supporters.
Unlike att, verizon, tmobile, and others.