Help me, mobile phone junkies!

[CompanyXPaladin]

I need some advice/suggestions - I'm looking to upgrade my phone. I have an LG Chocolate 3, and I didn't really do any research on it before I bought it. The phones that I'm looking at right now are the Samsung Omnia and the Nokia N95.

In my next phone, all I need is a decent camera (5+ megapixels), text messaging, and something resembling durability and battery life. :biggrin: If I could find a dumb-phone, without a Palm/Mac/Windows operating system, with a good camera, I would be ecstatic. I'm on Verizon, and don't want to spend more than $500 on a new phone - I don't have a problem with used phones/ebay though.

I'd like to think I'm pretty computer savvy, and in general technically inclined, but I recently realized that I'm retarded when it comes to cell phones. :iono:

Thanks in advance for the help, guys! :wub::help::respekt::respekt::respekt::respekt:

[Kioshi]

Theres a 5.0 mp flip phone on Verizon by Casio...called Exilm. That may be suited for you..

I have Omnia and...good phone but mobile email sometimes craps out on me, have to restart sometimes...and the scariest part..

My phone sometimes wont turn back on! I have to remove battery and plug into charger, then put battery back in to have it turn on~~

Samsung sucks.....i want Panasonic phones back in the U.S.

[CompanyXPaladin]

Theres a 5.0 mp flip phone on Verizon by Casio...called Exilm. That may be suited for you..

And it's a flip phone.... I like it. :smile:

[Malaya1221]

n95 is OK but bulky....you might want to check out this website:
http://www.gsmarena.com/

[aeipee13]

Get a HTC Hero when they come out. Also check out a TMobile Mytouch if you dont want to wait.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/24/htc-hero-hands-on/

[JBougie]

He has Verizon - TMobile won't work.

I believe that TMobile only works w/ AT&T and Cingular becuase of the SIM card (when unlocked).

[Kioshi]

most of the phones on gsmarena are for phone companies with SIM card usage....

I like the Casio Exilm but its too bulky in my opinion and...if it housed a 8.0 mp, 1 seg tuner, and touch screen like this phone - http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/product/foma/prime/p07a/index.html then I'd trade my Omnia in for it :)

[tomato]

I need some advice/suggestions - I'm looking to upgrade my phone. I have an LG Chocolate 3, and I didn't really do any research on it before I bought it. ..... I'd like to think I'm pretty computer savvy, and in general technically inclined, but I recently realized that I'm retarded when it comes to cell phones. :iono:




I hear ya!!!

I did the same exact same thing (buying without researching, then being stuck with it). I suspect there are many of us out there doing just that.
I have a Razor with T-Mobile. Everybody had one and seemed pretty happy with it, so I got one. I didn't like it when I first got it, thought I would get used to it, and never did. So, suggestions from other people may be one step in the right direction but no subsitute for your own research :smile:

did you try

www.cnet.com to research the phones?

www.consumerreports.org has an article about the different carriers:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/phones-mobile-devices/phones/cell-phone-service-providers/cell-phone-service/overview/cell-phone-service-ov.htm

If you are locked into a contract with Verizon, then you just need to research the phones.

PC Word had a comprensive article on how to buy a cell phone, don't know if that helps you any.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/125653/how_to_buy_a_cell_phone.html


Best I can do. Best of luck!! I'm doing the same thing myself right now, actually, and I find that deciding which cell / smart phone to get is a damn pain in the butt! :headbang:

[texkid]

I only have experience with Windows Mobile and Blackberry phones.

Out of that and since I am also with Verizon, I could recommend:
- Samsung Omnia
- Blackberry Storm (I have one myself and love it)

Although I love HTC phones, I didn't like the HTC Diamond only due to the fact that the battery life sucked. The Blackberry 8830 World Edition is an awesome phone but it lacks a camera that most non-business users need.

The Blackberry Storm I do love. I do plan on purchasing the second version when it is released. I have heard good reviews on the Samsung Omnia from friends that own them.

[enviri]

i work for verizon, and i like the exilim alot, although kinda expensive. It comes with a hot charger, and it feels very unverizon! nice feel to it, its dust/shock/water resistant too. im gonna have to say no to omnia, i find it hard to type and work with, and the accelometer is very touchy. The features that the omnia has is nice though.

you can try the storm, good to have a little patience also. Its kinda high maintence imo. (im a tech :P) Why not try the EnV touch?

[texkid]

i work for verizon, and i like the exilim alot, although kinda expensive. It comes with a hot charger, and it feels very unverizon! nice feel to it, its dust/shock/water resistant too. im gonna have to say no to omnia, i find it hard to type and work with, and the accelometer is very touchy. The features that the omnia has is nice though.

you can try the storm, good to have a little patience also. Its kinda high maintence imo. (im a tech :P) Why not try the EnV touch?

I agree on the high maintenance with the Storm. I do have to do battery pull once a while. But, I am used to it with previous phones.

[CompanyXPaladin]

I have a Razor with T-Mobile. Everybody had one and seemed pretty happy with it, so I got one. I didn't like it
My old phone was a Cingular Razr v3. Pretty basic, but it fit my hands and pockets well, and was practically indestructible. In fact, while intoxicated once, I chucked my Razr against a nearby brick wall to demonstrate how sturdy it was - and it appeared to be no worse for it after. Unfortunately, it slipped out of my pocket on my motorcycle. Thanks for the links - interesting reads.

Out of that and since I am also with Verizon, I could recommend:
- Samsung Omnia
- Blackberry Storm (I have one myself and love it)


I'm reading more and more good things about the Samsung Omnia. It definitely has more mixed reviews than the N95. It seems like Nokia fans LOVE the N95, and no one else has used it, while many different people have used the Omnia, and some love it while others hate it.

you can try the storm, good to have a little patience also. Its kinda high maintence imo. (im a tech :P) Why not try the EnV touch?

I like the Storm, and I really like the enV Touch. One of my friends has the env Touch, and its a pretty cool phone. I really wanted something with a better camera, though - the enV Touch takes pictures that are just as bad as my Chocolate's. I thought my 2.0 MP camera in my Chocolate was gonna be pretty sweet, after my 0.3 MP Razr. I was very disappointed with it, however. Since I don't feel like lugging my Nikon D70 (plus tripod. plus lenses. plus flash. plus carrying case. plus batteries. etc. etc.) with me EVERYWHERE, I really wanted a phone with a decent camera built in that I could at least take passable spontaneous photos with.

3.2 megapixels, with no digital/optical zoom, and probably the same grainy pictures and washed out colors really ruins it for me. So I see these phones with 5.0MP, and now 8+MP, and they sound pretty good.

Anyone have any experience with the N95? Thanks for the information and opinions, guys!! :respekt::respekt::respekt::respekt:

[LEGATO``]

my current phone is actually the n95
and i have to say that i like it very much,
yes, as someone has stated, it is kind of bulky, but its not bulky to where you're going to have a big bulge in your pocket

i've dropped it many times, and it still works, and the camera is 5mp which is quite good
and it's also wifi compatible, and just has many features that i really like,
but i'm going to get the n96 whenever i get the money to do so :D

i give it a 9/10 in rating

BUT!

i believe you said that you had verizon has a network?
correct me if im wrong, but i dont think verizon uses sim cards, unlike T-mobile (which is what i have)
i had verizon in the past, and it didnt have a sim card, just a battery once it was opened

[Shroomster]

malaya beat me to it about gsmarena.com


but if you want a second opinion PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE


check out HOWARD FORUMS (http://www.howardforums.com)


they break the cell industry down into carriers (verizon, at&t), manufacturers ( sony-ericsson, SAMSUNG, HTC) , even have forums where the sales reps get a voice....

really good info on there.

[enviri]

i had an N95 too, thinking on getting the new nokia n86 (8MP+carl zeiss FTW). I really liked my n95, until i lost it somewhere between here and tokyo :(

N95 wont work with verizon. only with tmobile and att. if you really want a better camera, then get the exilim. its extra tough too! i havent serviced/returned one yet, unlike those damn env2 and env3..see 12/day. at least.

[CompanyXPaladin]

I did not realize the N95 was a GSM phone. Boy, do I feel dumb. :laugh:

So I guess its a question of Samsung Omnia vs. Casio Elixim. Thanks again for the great info, guys!