Cell Phone Companies - Page 3 - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

cody · 2007-05-11, 11:27 AM

I've had a Razr V3M with Verizon for like 6 months now. I like the phone but hate the OS that Verizon loaded on it. First of all, it's just ugly and slow and eats battery life more than other OS's from what I've read. You can't transfer pics or videos from or to the phone via your computer. You can only transfer music to the phone. I use Windows Media Player for this. I added the maximum 1GB of memory and use it as an MP3 player. It's pretty cool. In general, I like the phone. The headphones that came with the USB cabel are absolute crap though. They don't stay in my ears even when I'm not moving.

I don't like that Verizon upped my text message fee from 10 cents to 15 cents right after I signed up. I sent them an angry email but they told me that the agreement allows them to do that. I also don't find their website (specifically the bill-pay section) very user friendly at all.

As for coverage, it's not as good as Cingular was but it's not bad. I do find their customer service better than Cingular though...

At the end of my contract, I'll be looking at possibly going back to Cingular or trying somebody else but I won't be in a big hurry.

I've been meaing to look at hacking my phone to make it function more the way I like it and maybe remove all the Verizon imagry.

Kevin M · 2007-05-11, 03:21 PM

Cody, let us know if you manage to de-Verizon your phone. I've been planning on getting a Verizon RAZR eventually and I'd like more functionality than I have on my current V-cast phone.

cody · 2007-05-11, 03:55 PM

Will do. Here's where I'll start: http://howardforums.com/

Dean · 2007-05-11, 04:00 PM

I turned back on most of the crippled functions on my Motorola-Verizon phone based partially on stuff from that site. I can transfer anything pretty much any way. USB, Bluetooth, etc... Still ucky interface though.

bxracer69 · 2007-05-11, 05:16 PM

cingular and sprint....ftw up at the lake nextel and verizon just suck, especially at my house where anyone with verizon couldnt get a signal

cody · 2011-04-25, 01:01 PM

Bump!

Anyone know how Boost Mobile is in this area? I'm ready to jump on a Samsung Galaxy Prevail for $179 with unlimited everything for $50/month:

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthr...1609&t=2848971

I pay about that much just for voice and text, now.

Apparently the monthly cost will be like this:

Quote:

you begin saving in increments beginning after 6 "on time" payments down to $45/mo and goes to $40/mo after 12 "on time" payments.

Also any comment on the phone? Looks a little weak, but whatever.

Nick Koan · 2011-04-25, 01:14 PM

I have the Sprint Epic 4G which is a Samsung Galaxy phone. Its not exactly the same as the Prevail, but its in the same family. Googling around, it looks like the Prevail has a worse camera and perhaps slightly cheaper parts all around, but otherwise it looks pretty similar.

Its probably an okay phone. It would be a pretty good starting phone for your first smartphone (It'll be your first, right?)

cody · 2011-04-25, 01:36 PM

Yah, it would be my first smartphone. I don't need data/a smart phone, but if it doesn't add much to the cost, figure I might as well join what seems like everyone I know, by getting one. Mostly I'm just interested in a no limits plan. I sent/received 400 texts this month! It's amazing what being single does to your cell phone usage.

Nick Koan · 2011-04-25, 02:55 PM

Just found this Engadget review

http://mobile.engadget.com/2011/04/2...revail-review/

Its pretty extensive, but bottom line is:

Quote:

With a $180 price tag, you'll get the Prevail for a song given what you'll otherwise pay for a smartphone off-contract (upwards of $500, usually). Along with the affordable $50 monthly unlimited data plan, we were inclined not to be snobbish about the details -- a plastic finish here, a lower-resolution camera there. But we just can't excuse a touchscreen so finicky that we were constantly selecting the wrong link, email, or map destination, and even making mistakes in games. Even once we swapped out the oversensitive Swype keyboard for the more reliable stock one, we spent more time than usual on simple tasks, such as composing emails. We're not above saving money on middle-of-the-road handsets, especially as a means to dirt-cheap data plans. But a phone that will slow you down isn't worth it.

cody · 2011-04-25, 03:07 PM

Damn. The Cnet review didn't even mention the touch sensitivity issue... I'll be pissed if texting is actually harder on it than it is on my current non-qwerty phone. Thanks, Nick. I'll have to think about it.

Nick Koan · 2011-04-25, 03:09 PM

To be fair, that could be Engadget's demo model, and maybe Cnet got a good one.

Then again, if they can't even send out good demo units consistently, do you even want to bother the crapshoot of buying one retail?

cody · 2011-04-25, 03:11 PM

Yah, definitely a case of needing to read more reviews before I take a plunge. What's nice is it's not a big plunge at all, what with the relatively low initial investment, really low monthly charge, and no contract...

Kevin M · 2011-04-25, 03:40 PM

We got our current phones at the Sprint store on Meadowood. We had to pay retail for the phones (minus rebate of course, which was $150 per phone) but got the super hookup on the contract- $115 per month, two lines, unlimited everything with insurance. So basically the same as Boost, but with Sprint behind it. I have a Samsung Moment and Nina has an HTC Hero that we've had for around a year, and I think after rebates we paid about $300 for both. If you go to that main Sprint store you can probably get the same deal. Standard pricing for our plan is north of $150 per month, which is still better than we had been paying at AT&T.

cody · 2011-04-25, 05:31 PM

Apparently I'm confused. TMobile says my contract isn't up until September. They said I could renew it now though, go to an $80 "unlimited everything" plan, and get the MyTouch 4G for $200 after $50 rebate credit card if I renew my 2 year contract. Tempting...

Kevin M · 2011-04-25, 08:15 PM

You might be able to get that from Sprint for about $65, if there wasn't some sort of incentive or special they didn't specifically tell us about.

cody · 2011-04-25, 08:47 PM

You are the king of double negatives, Kevin.

I'm in no rush, but until September, I can only renew with T-Mobile, who I've been perfectly happy with. The Engadget review of the Mytouch 4G was pretty good if you look past their nitpicking. It has a very fast CPU and lots of RAM by phone standards and it's on a fast network with good call quality. Apparently it's pretty damn good and we do have "4g" here. It can't be too hard to reflash it to plain Froyo if I don't love the T-Mobile flavor since Engadget even mentioned that was an option for "power users". Their only other complaints were basically a bad looking and slightly quiet speaker (the quiet part concerns me. I'm deaf sometimes) and basically looks and feel, which is fine with me.

Kevin M · 2011-04-25, 10:34 PM

With 5 months left on your contract, your cancellation fee is probably small enough to make it worth it if your bill decreases.

And I stand by my grammatically overdeveloped statement.

Nick Koan · 2011-04-25, 10:40 PM

I'm not sure if T-Mobile pro-rates their cancellation fees. That's something to check before cancelling.

cody · 2011-04-25, 11:45 PM

delete

cody · 2011-04-25, 11:47 PM

I could look into that, but I don't really mind waiting. According to this contract upgrade checker, my "upgrade date" is 6/25/11, which I assume means I can upgrade via Best Buy, if I want. For example, they have the Nexus S for $100 right now. It runs stock 2.3 Gingerbread but is only 3G.

100_Percent_Juice · 2011-04-28, 07:41 PM

FWIW I just got an iphone 4 with verizon. I jailbroke it and I have zero complaints about service or phone functionality.

BOO · 2011-05-05, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

FWIW I just got an iphone 4 with verizon. I jailbroke it and I have zero complaints about service or phone functionality.

LoL I never thought I would see the day Joel.. Congrats!!!

A1337STI · 2011-05-13, 02:59 PM

my exp in tahoe was that Cingular was worthless. Verizon & sprint have way better coverage up there. also Cingular driving from reno to carson i would drop a call like 2-3 times during the trip ...

could have been partly due to my phone ...

khail19 · 2011-05-13, 09:31 PM

Cingular still exists? I thought AT&T snatched them up years ago.

100_Percent_Juice · 2011-05-14, 09:45 AM

Alex is always LTTP

View Poll Results: Which company is best for this area.
Cingular	8	28.57%
Nextel	1	3.57%
Cricket	0	0%
Verison	8	28.57%
Sprint	8	28.57%
Other	3	10.71%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

2007-05-11, 11:27 AM	#51
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	I've had a Razr V3M with Verizon for like 6 months now. I like the phone but hate the OS that Verizon loaded on it. First of all, it's just ugly and slow and eats battery life more than other OS's from what I've read. You can't transfer pics or videos from or to the phone via your computer. You can only transfer music to the phone. I use Windows Media Player for this. I added the maximum 1GB of memory and use it as an MP3 player. It's pretty cool. In general, I like the phone. The headphones that came with the USB cabel are absolute crap though. They don't stay in my ears even when I'm not moving. I don't like that Verizon upped my text message fee from 10 cents to 15 cents right after I signed up. I sent them an angry email but they told me that the agreement allows them to do that. I also don't find their website (specifically the bill-pay section) very user friendly at all. As for coverage, it's not as good as Cingular was but it's not bad. I do find their customer service better than Cingular though... At the end of my contract, I'll be looking at possibly going back to Cingular or trying somebody else but I won't be in a big hurry. I've been meaing to look at hacking my phone to make it function more the way I like it and maybe remove all the Verizon imagry. __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo. Last edited by cody; 2007-05-11 at 11:31 AM.

2007-05-11, 03:21 PM	#52
Kevin M EJ22T Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Reno Posts: 9,445 Car: '93/'01 GF6, mostly red Class: 19 FP	Cody, let us know if you manage to de-Verizon your phone. I've been planning on getting a Verizon RAZR eventually and I'd like more functionality than I have on my current V-cast phone. __________________ FWD is the new AWD

2007-05-11, 03:55 PM	#53
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	Will do. Here's where I'll start: http://howardforums.com/ __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2007-05-11, 04:00 PM	#54
Dean Señor Cheap Bastarde Real Name: Dean Join Date: May 2003 Location: $99 Tire Store Posts: 9,294 Car: $.04 STI Class: Fast,Cheap & Reliable=STI Deal, did somebody say Deal? Oh, Dean, yeah that's me.	I turned back on most of the crippled functions on my Motorola-Verizon phone based partially on stuff from that site. I can transfer anything pretty much any way. USB, Bluetooth, etc... Still ucky interface though. __________________ I am a Commodore PET --- Now get off my lawn you kids...

2007-05-11, 05:16 PM	#55
bxracer69 EJ22 Real Name: Nick Langkamp Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: On the Road Posts: 384 Car: 2003 Mitsubishi Evo8 Class: SM Snowboarding....Because gravity is cheaper than gas	cingular and sprint....ftw up at the lake nextel and verizon just suck, especially at my house where anyone with verizon couldnt get a signal __________________ My better is better than your best. My fast smells like french toast. www.langkampracing.com

2011-04-25, 01:14 PM	#57
Nick Koan JDM Cowboy Real Name: Nick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Somewhere Posts: 8,642 Car: 2015 Mazda 3	I have the Sprint Epic 4G which is a Samsung Galaxy phone. Its not exactly the same as the Prevail, but its in the same family. Googling around, it looks like the Prevail has a worse camera and perhaps slightly cheaper parts all around, but otherwise it looks pretty similar. Its probably an okay phone. It would be a pretty good starting phone for your first smartphone (It'll be your first, right?) __________________ While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient. -- CNN

2011-04-25, 01:36 PM	#58
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	Yah, it would be my first smartphone. I don't need data/a smart phone, but if it doesn't add much to the cost, figure I might as well join what seems like everyone I know, by getting one. Mostly I'm just interested in a no limits plan. I sent/received 400 texts this month! It's amazing what being single does to your cell phone usage. __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2011-04-25, 03:07 PM	#60
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	Damn. The Cnet review didn't even mention the touch sensitivity issue... I'll be pissed if texting is actually harder on it than it is on my current non-qwerty phone. Thanks, Nick. I'll have to think about it. __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2011-04-25, 03:09 PM	#61
Nick Koan JDM Cowboy Real Name: Nick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Somewhere Posts: 8,642 Car: 2015 Mazda 3	To be fair, that could be Engadget's demo model, and maybe Cnet got a good one. Then again, if they can't even send out good demo units consistently, do you even want to bother the crapshoot of buying one retail? __________________ While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient. -- CNN

2011-04-25, 03:11 PM	#62
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	Yah, definitely a case of needing to read more reviews before I take a plunge. What's nice is it's not a big plunge at all, what with the relatively low initial investment, really low monthly charge, and no contract... __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2011-04-25, 03:40 PM	#63
Kevin M EJ22T Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Reno Posts: 9,445 Car: '93/'01 GF6, mostly red Class: 19 FP	We got our current phones at the Sprint store on Meadowood. We had to pay retail for the phones (minus rebate of course, which was $150 per phone) but got the super hookup on the contract- $115 per month, two lines, unlimited everything with insurance. So basically the same as Boost, but with Sprint behind it. I have a Samsung Moment and Nina has an HTC Hero that we've had for around a year, and I think after rebates we paid about $300 for both. If you go to that main Sprint store you can probably get the same deal. Standard pricing for our plan is north of $150 per month, which is still better than we had been paying at AT&T. __________________ FWD is the new AWD

2011-04-25, 05:31 PM	#64
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	Apparently I'm confused. TMobile says my contract isn't up until September. They said I could renew it now though, go to an $80 "unlimited everything" plan, and get the MyTouch 4G for $200 after $50 rebate credit card if I renew my 2 year contract. Tempting... __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2011-04-25, 08:15 PM	#65
Kevin M EJ22T Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Reno Posts: 9,445 Car: '93/'01 GF6, mostly red Class: 19 FP	You might be able to get that from Sprint for about $65, if there wasn't some sort of incentive or special they didn't specifically tell us about. __________________ FWD is the new AWD

2011-04-25, 08:47 PM	#66
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	You are the king of double negatives, Kevin. I'm in no rush, but until September, I can only renew with T-Mobile, who I've been perfectly happy with. The Engadget review of the Mytouch 4G was pretty good if you look past their nitpicking. It has a very fast CPU and lots of RAM by phone standards and it's on a fast network with good call quality. Apparently it's pretty damn good and we do have "4g" here. It can't be too hard to reflash it to plain Froyo if I don't love the T-Mobile flavor since Engadget even mentioned that was an option for "power users". Their only other complaints were basically a bad looking and slightly quiet speaker (the quiet part concerns me. I'm deaf sometimes) and basically looks and feel, which is fine with me. __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2011-04-25, 10:34 PM	#67
Kevin M EJ22T Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Reno Posts: 9,445 Car: '93/'01 GF6, mostly red Class: 19 FP	With 5 months left on your contract, your cancellation fee is probably small enough to make it worth it if your bill decreases. And I stand by my grammatically overdeveloped statement. __________________ FWD is the new AWD

2011-04-25, 10:40 PM	#68
Nick Koan JDM Cowboy Real Name: Nick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Somewhere Posts: 8,642 Car: 2015 Mazda 3	I'm not sure if T-Mobile pro-rates their cancellation fees. That's something to check before cancelling. __________________ While a standard engine is powered by a belt connected to the crankshaft, a turbo engine runs on its own exhaust steam, making it more energy efficient. -- CNN

2011-04-25, 11:45 PM	#69
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	delete __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo. Last edited by cody; 2011-04-26 at 09:54 AM.

2011-04-25, 11:47 PM	#70
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	I could look into that, but I don't really mind waiting. According to this contract upgrade checker, my "upgrade date" is 6/25/11, which I assume means I can upgrade via Best Buy, if I want. For example, they have the Nexus S for $100 right now. It runs stock 2.3 Gingerbread but is only 3G. __________________ Slow and low, that is the tempo.

2011-04-28, 07:41 PM	#71
100_Percent_Juice (40 percent vodka) Real Name: Joel Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 4,446 Car: 2004WRX Class: Baby-Hauler/GroceryGetter	FWIW I just got an iphone 4 with verizon. I jailbroke it and I have zero complaints about service or phone functionality. __________________ "A power nap is when you sleep on someone who is weaker than you." - Dimitri Martin

2011-05-13, 02:59 PM	#73
A1337STI EJ205 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 1,840 Car: Impreza and an Impreza Class: AS / CRS PerfStock "pedal on the right"	my exp in tahoe was that Cingular was worthless. Verizon & sprint have way better coverage up there. also Cingular driving from reno to carson i would drop a call like 2-3 times during the trip ... could have been partly due to my phone ... __________________ Fighting uphill battles, one bullet at a time!

2011-05-13, 09:31 PM	#74
khail19 EJ205 Real Name: Khail Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 1,769 Car: 2016 VW GTI Meets? We have meets?	Cingular still exists? I thought AT&T snatched them up years ago.

2011-05-14, 09:45 AM	#75
100_Percent_Juice (40 percent vodka) Real Name: Joel Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 4,446 Car: 2004WRX Class: Baby-Hauler/GroceryGetter	Alex is always LTTP __________________ "A power nap is when you sleep on someone who is weaker than you." - Dimitri Martin

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