Would I be lame to get a flip phone in 2012

[FenderBender]

Okay so here's the dealio...I'm 17 years old. I don't have a smartphone, nor do I care for one or want to pay for the dataplan. I have Verizon Wireless, which is probably the #1 carrier in the US. Except there's one problem...Verizon is one big piece of corporate crap. They used to have a big lineup of nice "basic phones" (as they call them), and some of them were actually pretty good. For example, I used to have this cool Samsung phone which had this awesome e-ink display under the keys and it would change the print on the keys when you changed the orientation of the phone! (Samsung Alias 2). But if you look at their current "basic phones", they absolutely suck and they're overpriced. For example, beautiful Android phone with like a 6" display for free...but a flip phone is $50. Stiff arming me like hell over here...

Now I just killed my current phone. I was laying some brick and I wound up getting a pound of mortar stuck in the sliding mechanism on my phone. Whoops

I haven't ever had a flip phone so this seems contradictory since this is 2012...not 2001. Is texting with T9 actually fast? I'm a fast Qwerty typist...Would switching to T9 be a upgrade or downgrade? I've heard the current versions of T9 are actually quite intelligent which is why I am intrigued. Hopefully it's not too slow or my girlfriend will probably beat me up.

I can't stand crappy phones. All I really want now is something that works. My parents have flip phones. My mom has had her same flip phone since 2006. (LG VX8300)...I've went through 3 phones and I don't even abuse them...well besides the mortar part.

What do you guys think?

Weird topic...yes...but that's why I'm in general.

[Psi]

I don't think you have much of a choice but to get a smartphone.
You don't need a data plan, you can disable the data connection APN and you'll only get internet when on wifi (if you want).

There are some quite basic smartphones that run stock android and work pretty well. Others are crap though.
I'm not up-to-date on it but im sure some googling should find a good cheap android phone.

You're going to have to get a smartphone eventually, as the world is moving in a direction where not having a smartphone will start to limit you and make things difficult.
It's already compulsory in some companies where all employees are given a 'work phone'

[NiHaoMike]

Get a good Android smartphone and a pay-as-you-go plan. More likely than not, it would end up being cheaper than a regular plan, especially if you have WiFi access most of the time. In the US, T-mobile also has "overage free" data plans starting at $30 per month or so, which you can then use with VoIP.

[EEVblog]

There are some quite basic smartphones that run stock android and work pretty well. Others are crap though.
I'm not up-to-date on it but im sure some googling should find a good cheap android phone.

I got Ms EEVblog a basic unlocked HTC Explorer Android phone outright for AU$150 from a local shop maybe 9 months ago now.
It's tiny (unlike most smart phones) and does almost everything the big ones do for practically chump change.

Although if Fender wants a rugged phone that will last, there are regular candybar styles phones that are shock and waterproof. Should last 10 times longer than a smart phone with their much more fragile large screens.

Smartphones don't "just work" unfortunately. They take forever to boot/reboot, and crash a lot and do weird things. They need massaging and constant attention, kinda like a Tamagotchi!

Dave.

[Psi]

I'm currently using a nokia N900 which is a smartphone but runs its own full linux OS  (not android or ios)

I have it on prepay and don't have a data plan at all, which puts me on the casual rate.

In NZ casual rate means i have no reoccurring data charge but can still use data on a day by day basis.
The first 200KB costs $1 in 20cent steps. Once ya hit $1 you get an additional 9.8MB for free. (so 10MB a day)
If you go over 10MB in a day it charges at 1$/MB.

It's tiny but enough to check your email, google something or check google maps etc.
There are also prepay addon packs which you can buy with prepay credit by sending a special txt message.
It gives you more data that expires after 1 month, like 50/100/500MB.

If I'm away from home for a weekend and need internet on my laptop i can buy a $10 addon pack which gets me 100MB for the month.
It reoccurs next month unless I cancel it, so I always send another text to cancel the addon right after i've added it.

[GeoffS]

I have a Motorola Razer (flip phone). It takes/makes calls and SMS and that's all I need.
I did get a Samsung S2 (I think) late last year as part of a new plan but I broke it a couple of months ago so went back to the trusty Razer. Mind you, I'll be paying for the Samsung for the next 18 months 

[IanB]

Smartphones don't "just work" unfortunately. They take forever to boot/reboot, and crash a lot and do weird things. They need massaging and constant attention, kinda like a Tamagotchi!

I gather some people have had trouble with iPhones but I have to say my iPhone 4 really has "just worked". It wakes up instantly from standby and doesn't need rebooting (current uptime is 49 days and I think that last reboot was due to an OS update). It has wireless backup and wireless update of apps and OS. I've been astonished how functional smartphones are and can't see any reason to go back to an ordinary phone.

[ejeffrey]

It took me about 2 days of having a smartphone to never want to go back, but if you really just want a basic voice phone I would not recommend getting a cheap android phone and ignoring the smartphone features.  Maybe the cheap ones are different, but in the high end units the phone functionality is definitely substandard.

[Achilles]

Well, I am also a smartphone user (Samsung Galaxy S+) und love it. But they really have the disadvantage that the battery runs down pretty quick compared to a "normal" phone.... especially when you use the data-net.

If you like a standard phone, I am sure there is the opportunity to buy one somewhere in a shop without any contract. Here in Europe it's no problem to got to an electronics store and just buy the basic phone without any brand-locks, data plans or so.
Smartphones may be sold in masses and are much more often introduced to the market than classic phones nowadays, but I am sure you'll still get a new samsung, motorola, sony ericcson or whatever. Just check on amazon. If you don't want a smartphone you don't have to take one...... well, but they can be handy and fun from time to time.

[lewis]

Re: Would I be lame to get a flip phone in 2012?

No. I use this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_7110.

It does calls and texts. That's it! I can't stand smartphones, give me a 15 inch laptop, with a proper keyboard and screen, any day.

[larrwill]

I have Verizon and feel your pain with the data plan and basic phones, it's really irritating. Where I live Verizon is the only carrier with good coverage so I am stuck with them but refuse to get a data plan. I just broke my LG Cosmos (basic with qwerty) and switched to an old flip phone I had from a few years ago. I can tell you the texting going back to the flip phone is horrible and maddening if you have a GF who wants a lot of texts from you. Whatever you get make sure it has QWERTY key pad!
You could look on EBay for used phones or renew your contract to get the discount. I saw on the Walmart web site that if you renew your Verizon the cost of most of the basic phones is zero. Makes no sense that Walmart can sell at zero but Verizon charges $50 - $100 for basic but as you pointed out Verizon sucks.

[FenderBender]

Thanks guys. Verizon has a new policy though. If you have a smartphone...regardless of whether you bought it with a new contract or on your own (ie unlocked phone), you HAVE to have a dataplan, that is to say $30US a month minimum. I'm 17. I have a job, yes...but I'd rather get a new multimeter than buy a dataplan. It doesn't interest me. I should also add that my parents will not let me have a smartphone, but I do agree that I don't need Facebook and Twitter 24/7. I've seen many kids who did well in school before suddenly become consumed by their smartphones and the distractions they bring. I don't have good enough self-control to say "No: You have a calculus test tomorrow. It doesn't matter if Nicole just added 200 new photos to her beach album" if that makes any sense..I also hate being on the internet on a 3" screen. I've used smartphones. My brother has a Droid. I've been on the internet with it and it's just plain annoying.

So maybe I'll go hit up Walmart Larrwill or something.

[NiHaoMike]

Go with another provider?

[FenderBender]

Go with another provider?

That would logically make sense...but they all do the same thing and my dad get's a discount from work. It's kind of a lose-lose situation if you want a basic phone in the US. They're all pushing for everyone to have smartphones, which is going to happen anyway...just I'm not at a point in my life where I want or need one.

[T4P]

I know what you mean there ... not gonna talk about any smartphones here
Tough luck mate, but heck yeah i would rather pay for a new DS4014 than a SIII, but that's it for today

[PbFoot]

You could go on DealExtreme and get an off brand smartphone for pretty cheap. Choose carefully though, because some are total crap. However, there are some that are decent, but not from a well known manufacturer. There are also plenty of cheap non-smartphones like that. Around here, i've seen many places selling new old-stock, such as 3 year old models from major manufacturers for pretty cheap (less than $100).

-PbFoot

[G7PSK]

If you need a phone on site that is going to take the knocks etc why not get a tough phone of some type, I used keep having problems with metal dust getting into phones, then I found that Samsung make the B2100 phone which is waterproof to a couple of meters and dust proof. It will also stand dropping as well. I got mine as sim free and just stuck my old sim into it.

[SeanB]

Look on Gazelle for a used phone, that will work in your area. Should be cheap to get.

[Simon]

Took me a while to get into smart phones and I love my HTC now but yea pretty delicate. I soon found that smartphones on a contract are a con. My provider wanted 410 pounds over the contract period for a HTC sensation that I can buy outright for 270. So I bought a HTC desire hd second hand in very good condition for 136 pounds....... I pay a tenner a month for 250 minutes unlimited texts and data which is really useful as I can tether it to my laptop or I take it to my local talking newspaper to get us online and update the pc, clocked peak speads of 1.2 MB/s tonight with 300 KB/s being about average.....

[ivan747]

Smartphones don't "just work" unfortunately. They take forever to boot/reboot, and crash a lot and do weird things. They need massaging and constant attention, kinda like a Tamagotchi!

I gather some people have had trouble with iPhones but I have to say my iPhone 4 really has "just worked". It wakes up instantly from standby and doesn't need rebooting (current uptime is 49 days and I think that last reboot was due to an OS update). It has wireless backup and wireless update of apps and OS. I've been astonished how functional smartphones are and can't see any reason to go back to an ordinary phone.

For some reason I don't find Android nearly as stable as iOS (unless you modify it). Basically if the OS gives you too much freedom to modify and mess with it too much you will almost always end with kind of a Tamagotchi.

And T9 keyboards suck big time. If you want a a smartphone that is not very smart, get a blackberry.

[T4P]

Android 4.0/4.1 IS very stable now

[IanB]

For some reason I don't find Android nearly as stable as iOS (unless you modify it). Basically if the OS gives you too much freedom to modify and mess with it too much you will almost always end with kind of a Tamagotchi.

Yup. The key thing with an iPhone is to forget that underneath it's a PC running Unix and just treat it as an appliance as it comes out of the box. Don't root it, and don't fiddle with it.

[NiHaoMike]

For some reason I don't find Android nearly as stable as iOS (unless you modify it). Basically if the OS gives you too much freedom to modify and mess with it too much you will almost always end with kind of a Tamagotchi.

Yup. The key thing with an iPhone is to forget that underneath it's a PC running Unix and just treat it as an appliance as it comes out of the box. Don't root it, and don't fiddle with it.

Part of the fun of having an Android phone or tablet is being able to easily modify the software that's running on it.

[IanB]

Part of the fun of having an Android phone or tablet is being able to easily modify the software that's running on it.

See, if you want fun that would be fine. But if you want a smartphone that "just works", don't break it 

[FenderBender]

Oh boy. Well I decided to get one of their "free" messaging phones. Quotes on the free because bloody Verizon now has a $30 "upgrade free". Quotes on the upgrade fee because they say its for customer education. BS. If it's to pay for the multibillion dollar 4G network, JUST FRIGGIN TELL ME. No need to sugar coat. If that's what its for, screw them...I'm not going to use it anytime soon, so I'm paying for something I'm not a part of.

Efffff maaann. I hate big business.