...about saying "good riddance" to my cell phone. If I'm stranded, even close to home, I might need the services of the AutoClub, the CHP, or even a Neighbor to assist me, and I couldn't summon anyone without a Cellular Telephone. I have $465 in Best Buy Gift Cards, and I'm wondering what you would recommend for a phone that included a Camera and could store hundreds of pictures and some important phone numbers. Thank you, Hal
Thanks, Gloria, but what does "just about carrier" mean? Did you mean "Just about ANY carrier"? If so, then what's a good carrier? Thanks, Hal
I've been using Samsung Note phones since they first came out. I have Verizon as my carrier, and I've nothing bad to say about the phone or the company. Everyone's needs are different, to an extent, so check out phones at the displays, if that's even allowed anymore (probably not). There are thousands of online reviews of various phones and carriers, so checking them out may be helpful. FWIW, I can't imagine ever being without my cell phone. I do business on it, I play games on it, I talk to my family on it, GPS, photos, etc. Good luck!
The carrier is your phone company, Hal. Is your current phone a pay-as-you-go type? Or do you get a regular monthly bill from Verizon, T-mobile, etc? Our carrier is Verizon.
I pay my monthly Landline Phone and Internet bill to Frontier for $103. The phone I got rid of was a Tracfone, on a prepaid plan, where I got 90 days of service for $20. I never used any of the minutes, and they kept on accumulating. Now I'll have to figure out how I want to pay and how much would be reasonable for what I'll get. Also, would a Smartphone be necessary? Hal
If you just needed a phone to call for help, the Tracfone you threw away would have worked fine. Bobby and I used those for a long time , when we just needed to be able to make phone calls. If you want to be able to take and store pictures, then a smartphone (basically a computerized phone) is what you would need, and what you have maintained that you do not want to get, every time you have brought up this discussion. http://www.seniorsonly.club/threads/smart-phone-questions.14870/
Yvonne...my tastes and likes are always changing, making it difficult and frustrating for those, like yourself, who sincerely want to help me. It would be good idea to approach me from a great length, as I never know what the hell I want, but this month, I think I would like to have a Smartphone. (?) I do not need Internet Access, as I spend a lot of time at home on the Forum. It would be cool to have the 300+photos on my computer available to show on a SmartPhone while I'm away from home., and it would also be nice to have room for storing a few telephone numbers. A Camera would be handy, too. Amazon shows a "Jitterbug" phone for seniors, that has push buttons for different categories. What is a typical monthly service charge for a Smart Phone without Internet Access? Thanks... Harold Pollner
You only pay for your cell service plan, and if you do not use any of the data time , then all you would probably pay for is the basic cell phone plan for whatever company you decide to use. I just looked at the Jitterbug phone on amazon, and I think that would work for what you want to do, and be easy for you to use. Once you are accustomed to the phone, you could use it to access your email, or voice mail, if you needed to do that and were away from your computer for some reason. It looks like Jitterbug has its own network, called the Great Call network, and with plans that start at just over $17 a month; so pretty reasonable. I would think that the most basic plan would work for you, since you just want to take pictures and make phone calls, and you might want to check out the Great Call website. The same smart phone is $129 on amazon and $149 on the website. The flip phone is cheaper, but will be smaller, and probably a much lower quality camera; And it would not store photos for you, at least not like the larger phone would. Here is the website: https://www.greatcall.com/
I have Tracphone only for emergencies which rarely happens thankfully and I have ended up with 2 days worth of minutes. It's a flip phone and I love it's compactness but the camera is only 2 megapixels and gives a poor picture. I'm going to keep the flip and just get a separate rechargeable camera only.
Hal, I'm right there with you. My cell phone is my portable emergency services device more than anything else. When I got my first cell phone I had a cheap carrier (T-Mobile) who had great "coverage" (available signals) in my immediate geography, but not elsewhere. That was OK for me at the time. Then I traveled more and needed a carrier with wider "coverage," so I went with Verizon. I got a discount through my job and have had Verizon ever since then. Your first step in selecting plans might be to decide exactly where you are going to need access to a signal so you can make/receive phone calls, then go on each carrier's website to look at their Coverage Maps to make sure you can actually make phone calls where you need to. THEN shop for the plan that meets your need with that carrier. You obviously don't want to go with a bargain carrier and then discover that you cannot make a phone call from your own back yard...and that's a distinct possibility with some of these guys. Don't make any assumptions. I believe that Best Buy is a partner with Verizon and with Apple as far as phone compatibility is concerned. "Carrier hardware compatibility" is another reason you want to choose your carrier before selecting a phone. Not all phones work with all carriers. If you want help with this and want to give me your address via Private Conversation, I can take a look at carriers and coverage maps (and send you links) to see what's available around you. I would think the folks at the Apple Valley Senior Center (staff and seniors) might also be a good resource, since many likely have similar needs. Your local Best Buy might even be able to give you insight into this. I was just there the other day. They do not make commission. It is low-pressure. But you really gotta quantify your coverage requirements (routine and occasional) and decide who can meet them as Step 1.
I must have missed those posts. Is he a tech junkie? I've rarely been in except for the occasional "I wish Radio Shack were still around" accessory.