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Where In the US Can You Get Just a Cell Phone?
arakon writes "I am looking around for a cell phone for my technically challenged mother and all she wants is just a phone, and yet there seem to be no carriers in the US that carry a plain cell phone with good reception and battery life. All of them bundle cameras, PDAs, MP3 players, and a kitchen sink with a battery life of 2 hours, all for the low price of $350 or more... Having looked around, the Motorola F3 is exactly what she wants but it doesn't seem to be available in the US. If we order it online will it work on US carriers? Are there any comparable products out there with a similar feature set and price range available for US networks?"
Don't know anything about them, but check out JitterBug...saw a commercial on TV...have never even ben to the website though, so no guaruntees(sp) http://www.jitterbug.com/
Living With a Nerd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_1100
The US uses 850MHz & 1900Mhz for GSM, most of the rest of the world uses 900Mhz & 1800Mhz. The F3 uses the latter 2 frequencies and won't work in the US.
Assuming you are a Cingular/T-Mobile customer, you can just buy an unlocked GSM phone (remember to check to make sure it works with US frequencies) and stick your SIM card in it.
For a cheap, dependable model, may I suggest the Sony Ericsson T637? Yes, it has some of those features you don't want. But you can get one as cheap as the aforementioned F3.
Good luck!
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
$30 phone, pay as you go. Not terribly expensive. I probably spend $10-$12/month on it.
Virgin Mobile, phones available at Target or Best Buy, starting at around $20 for a phone that doesn't have a camera, mp3 player, or corkscrew. Just a phone.
Prepaid plans, pay-as-you-go, or monthly plans.
If you're buying a used phone, get a new battery right away. Phone batteries fade off rapidly after a couple of years, in how long they'll hold a charge.
For a new phone, Tracfone sells simple, modern models cheap. You have to prebuy a block of minutes, which end up costing 40 cents if within a few counties of home, and 80 cents beyond that - but there are no other charges. The difference between Tracfone and Virgin is that Virgin's home network is Sprint, and if you're not in range of a Sprint tower it won't work (or so I'm told). The Tracfones don't care whose network they're on.
"with their freedom lost all virtue lose" - Milton
You might have to buy a new battery though, so take that into consideration; look online for people who sell batteries for whatever phone you're considering to see how much they cost and how many are in stock. Batteries don't last forever, and while some phones are still in pretty good shape after 3 or 4 years, many others are basically shot and will barely last a few hours on battery. Most cell phone batteries can be bought new for a reasonable amount, but some are expensive and difficult to find.
I read the internet for the articles.
Don't know if this works in US or not (it does in Europe), but Nokia 1100 is the most sturdy GSM phone I have ever seen.
I've gone with tracfone and think they're fine.
See this link for a Motorola 170 for $99 ready to go.
Specifically you want the SLVR L2. It has no camera and good battery life. I got mine last fall directly from Cingular for free with the plan. I think it's discontinued now, but eBay should have a couple.
Great battery life - talk time of 8 hrs or standby time of 2+ weeks. Don't know about the talk time, but I *do* get the specced standby time. Get it for $20 with the cheap ($30/mo) T-Mobile plan, or with their pre-pay plan for $40 (includes a $25 refill card).
Forget eBay, the submitter just wants to be told what to do...
./ for simple, long lasting phones (and I'm sympathetic to the idea myself) but honestly, it isn't hard to find a simple cheap phone.
Even 7-11 and WalMart have pre-paid bare-bones cell phones these days! Did this really have to be asked? I know there's a big movement on
[/rant]
Technology tips and tricks.
If your mom will only use the phone a few times a month, you can get a Tracfone for about $20 or $30 at Radio Shack or just about any drugstore. Airtime is expensive 20-40 cents a minute (twice that when roaming). Coverage seems good. I've raised a signal in some really remote parts of the Great Basin. Adding time is a royal PITA, (you have to enter code into the phone) but it was easier the last time I tried it than it used to be. You need to add time occasionally to keep the phone active. My cost works out to about $10 a month. I only use it on occasional trips, and it's fine for that.
You can't see ANYTHING from a car, You've got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk...Edward Abbey
If your mom won't use her cell phone more than 1 to 2 hours per month, she does not need a cell phone plan, she needs a pre-paid cell phone.
I've researched this for some relatives of mine, I decided on T Mobile's pre-paid plan. It's called "T Mobile To Go". T Mobile pre-paid plans don't have any monthly charges and only require 1 purchase per year to retain unused minutes. For those who make seldom use of a cell phone, it offers an aggregated monthly rate of $12 per month or less.
T Mobile always has deals for pre-paid phones. Often you'll be able to get a basic phone and 1 year (1100 minutes) of service for less than $130. You can purchase online or at one of their stores.
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/prepaid.aspx
Most pre-paid cellular plans charge a monthly fee by burning minutes whether the phone is used or not. T Mobile's pre-plan doesn't do this. And under T Mobile, once a customer has purchased $100 worth of minutes, those minutes won't expire for 1 year. More importantly, after that initial $100 purchase, any future minutes purchased will not expire for a year from the date of last purchase.
So to keep a T Mobile pre-paid account active, one only needs purchase another cheap, $10 card before the year expires. All existing minutes will be carried over. (after having purchased those initial $100 of minutes)
I'm not huge fan of T-Mobile, they have issues just like the rest of the carriers. But their pre-paid plan is superior to any of the others I've researched.
For someone who uses less than 100 minutes per month, the aggregated monthly cost of a pre-paid T Mobile phone can be less than $12 per month, even less after the first year.
My wife and I had Tracfones (nice Nokia models) when I was enemployed a few years ago, and they worked very well. I usually bought a 1-year activation card during one of their double-minutes bonus specials.
Its reception was a **LOT** better than the POS Cingular (excuse me, AT&T) phone I have now (which doesn't get any service at home unless I'm on the 2nd floor).
Mainframe/UNIX Bit Twiddler and long time Windows/Linux Hobbyist.
The Theorem Theorem: If If, Then Then.
It's designed for older people with varying limitations - one model has number-pad buttons and yes/no, while the other just has three fat buttons for operator/towtruck/911. They're both a bit clunky, because they're designed for people who care more about making it easy to push the big buttons than about having the phone be really small. I don't know how the battery life is - my mom hasn't had problems with it, so I suspect standby time is pretty good, but she doesn't talk on the phone much. One advantage of a larger phone is that there's room for a larger battery.
It might or might not be the right phone for your mom - does she want a phone that's small, or is clunky ok? Does she want GSM so she can use it anywhere in the world, or is having one US-only carrier ok? Does she want a "simple" phone because it's harder to use fancier phones, or does she really just want a *cheap* phone that works ok and can ignore menu items she doesn't use? There are lots of choices for cheap - getting a used unlocked GSM phone may be a good choice, or getting whatever rate plan is the best price for the amount of calling she'll do and includes a zero-price phone.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
I have used both Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile pay-as-you-go phones.
I prefer the Virgin mobile setup - they have better phones (I reccomend the clamshell type so it will not get turned on in-purse) and the cheap ones have few features. I fyou are willing to tie a credit card to the account the service costs as little as $15 every three(!) months, with unused dollars rolling over, not sure how long for. It's $.25 cents the first minute and $.10 thereafter.
T-Mobile is best if you prepay for a year of service, for $100. Then all calls are just $.10, and all additions to funds are $.10 per minute. That $100 does expire at the end of the year. If she makes more calls (even if, or especially if, short ones), the T-Mobile plan might be better because of the flatter per-minute fee.
I personally have an iPhone now and love it, but my partner hardly uses a phone so she has the Virgin Mobile still and that continues to be a good solution for a second phone that's more for occasional use.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I was about to post, mentioning the Motorola phone I have (it's just a phone, no frills, decent speaker.) It was one of the free phones you could pick when you got a plan. But T-Mobile's web site no longer lists my phone.
But I also found several "just phones" on T-Mobile's web site: Samsung t219 or Samsung t209 or Nokia 6030 all look good (and are free when you sign up.) The Motorola V195s is pretty close to the model I have, and is just a phone ($20).
After that, I figured the guy can do his own research.
Do a search for the Nokia 6030 at fatwallet. You should be able to get it free after rebate without any contract (with a $25 calling card tossed in as well). You can also get 1000 minute cards for around $90 at cheaperphonecards.com (depending on what specials they are running on a given day). The 1000 minutes last for a year. I use my phone only for emergencies or to let me wife know when I've been caught in traffic. I had to buy another 1000 minutes after just ten months but it is still a the best deal I have found for light use.
They are wanting to sell you a phone. Complain to the FCC or local utilities commission. Start locally first (usually state), You will be surprised at what is possible even though they said it couldn't be done when someone who regulates their ability to operate in the area asks for a reason why it is that way.
I'm not big on big government, But dammit, use what is already there before someone demands something more. I have seen people get $400 cell phone bills erased when they got screwed and followed that advice. I have also seen some companies pay to switch people to another network for other reasons. It is there for you, your paying for it already, use it.
From http://www.mobiledia.com/phones/lg/vx3400.html: ..."
"The VX3400 showcases useful features including voice memo recorder, personal organizer, EZ Tip calculator,
Doesn't sound like 'just a cell phone' to me.
That search took all of 2 minutes, now you and all the imbeciles who modded you insightful can go take some reading comprehension classes or something.
I believe you got bullshitted, see here: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/support/governm entgpse911.jsp verizon is definitely selling the 6750 blackberry and enabling service on the phone.
I picked a Motorola Motofone F3 up here in Australia on Ebay locally.
It is locked for a local network (Optus) but otherwise works fine and fit the bill for the mate of mine who wanted it.
The battery life is excellent due to the completely basic nature of the device and the eInk display.
Speaking of the display it's very large (unfortunately it appears to be a fixed character size) display makes it easy for elderly users to make out the text in all lighting conditions.
I can happily recommend this phone for those who just want to make calls with a maximum of battery life.
--- I've completed diagnosis of your problem and can classify it as a YOYO...You're On Your Own
Motorola has plenty: C139 for instance. $20 in the major electronic retailers with a $10 airtime credit. Small, simple, clear display, so cheap it's practically disposable. I don't think the OP has tried looking very hard.
Should have thought to put this in the ORignal post,
A. She already has a plan, options involving getting a new plan to get another crappy free phone like she already has is not an option.
B. She is replacing a POS sony Ericcson flip-phone that has horrible reception, sometimes it never rings then it will buzz telling her she has voice-mail...
C. She uses the phone for work, she's in the medical field and is on call a lot, so the phone does get regular use. No they didn't give her a phone from work that isn't the question. Just need a good GSM phone that doesn't cost 300+ dollars to buy unlocked and is ready to use.
No I'd never heard of any services called jitterbug or anything like that. I do not live in the US, my mom does. I've noticed that a lot of google searches tend to come back with results based on your region you are searching from...
But I'm sure this will be ignored and the flamers will continue...
"If I were bound by all laws everywhere I'm sure I would have committed a capital crime somewhere."
No, T Mobile To Go does not have a monthly charge.
I only mentioned a "monthly" aggregated rate as a comparison figure to traditional cell phone plans. I just took the amount of the initial payment and divided by 12.
T Mobile doesn't have the same policies in the US as they do in Europe. For instance, the expiration period here in the US is longer than you have. And unlike Europe, US carriers charge the same for incoming and outgoing calls. (yes, we are charged for received calls) This plan is not the most cost effective for those who make frequent use of a cell phone. (but it's not terribly expensive either). You have to consider that a lot of people don't use their cell phones very often. I know quite a number of people who use less than 2 hours of cell phone minutes per month. I know some who use much, much less. For anyone who doesn't use their phone a lot but still wants a cell phone, my research indicates that this is the best and cheapest product available.
Here in the US, the purchase of $100 worth of minutes gives a customer "Gold Status". Once a customer has achieved Gold Status, their minutes will not expire for one year (and they receive something like a 15% minute bonus on all purchases). One of the best features is that the purchase of any more minutes moves the expiration clock 1 year forward.
For those who rarely use their cell phone, the optimal practice is to purchase a $100 card at the time of activation. This gives the customer 1150 minutes. (1000 minutes + the 15% Gold Reward bonus). If the customer does not use 1150 minutes within the first year, they need only purchase a $10 card before the end of their 1st year. Their clock will be extended by one year and all their unused minutes will be carried over.
After two years, a customer's aggregated monthly rate could be as little as $6 per month. (Once again, this "monthly rate" is just an example for comparison purposes, there is no actual monthly fee).