Opinions and advice: Mobile Phones

[ailbhe]

I bought my current phone with an Orange contract when Linnea was a wee baby. Since then I reduced my use to a point where having a contract made no sense, and changed to Vodafone pay as you go, because that's the network with the best reception inside our house. I use less than £10 a month - perhaps £10 every 6 weeks? - so there really isn't much point in a contract.

However, my phone is slowly dying the death of the dud and irreplaceable battery. I'd like a new one.

Ideally, it would be large by modern standards (1 cm thick and most of 12cm long when open), have rubbery edges so that it can be dropped and chewed by children, clamshell so that it doesn't dial out from my pocket and I don't need to use fingertips to answer calls (my fingers don't always do as they're told), with big buttons. I'd like a camera, vibe-then-ring ringtone, and if I get a choice I'd love a radio and MP3 player. Being able to receive all sorts of newfangled SMS styles like business cards and photographs would be a bonus, since my Irish family send these things a lot.

I have very little success with Sony Ericson or Nokia, and get on well with Motorola. I have found one whcih seems fairly cheap, but would love to know what you think.

Comments

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

My last few phones have been Motorola and I love them - I'm on a contract so get a new one every year or so, so can't tell much about long term reliability, but the last but one I passed on to a friend and it's still going strong. I like the 'Razr' type ones, though not sure if they're big enough for your requirements. Definite thumbs up for the brand though.

[barakta]

Ebay is said to be good for almost new phones which people have sold cos they're on a contract and got an upgrade that they don't want.

I like you hardly use my phone, PAYG Tmobile and an increasingly senile handset which is 5 years old.

[ailbhe]

I use my phone almost every day.

Oddly, this makes me a low-usage user.

[barakta]

Oh likewise, although I can't use it for voice and I have so much Internet I don't use the phone unless away from home most weeks.

moto

[mecmom.livejournal.com]

I saw an ad for a motorola with rubbery edges, looked very sturdy, but I don't know about the extras you are talking about. I like Motorola, too.

Re: moto

[shimgray.livejournal.com]

A friend has (had, perhaps) one of the rubbery-edged Motorolas, and it was pretty much indestructible. I think most of the ones built like this are "normal" design - screen-and-keypad - rather than clamshell, though.

[thereyougothen.livejournal.com]

the motorola predictive text is ace. much better than any other phone i've had. now i have a samsung d900 slider and i love it mostly because it's dark red.
i would go for a motorola again next. Bill is on his second V3 Razr, and only replaced it because his old one didn't work in Chile. our boys use our phones all the time as phones and cameras and they haven't been deconstructed yet.