Getting a new cell phone

Fizban140

So I am not sure how this works really, but I need to get a new cell phone. I currently have this brick and I hate it. Besides it turning of when it feels like it, the phone is too big for a pocket. If I get a new phone how can I tell if I can use it with verizon? Also is there any cheap way to get a new phone without a new contract.

I am also looking for recommendations on a phone, all I really care about is that it has a decent (for a phone) camera and that it isn't too big. A plus would be the ability to copy mp3s from my computer to it, but I don't think many cheap phones can do that. Oh and I don't plan on spending more than $200.

DrFrylock

Is it a CDMA or a GSM phone? In the United States, GSM phones use SIM cards to store the account data. CDMA phones don't.

If you have a GSM phone, you can just buy another phone from your carrier, or an unlocked phone. Then, you just pop out your SIM card, pop it into the new phone, turn it on, and go. For CDMA, you get a new phone and you go to the store or the kiosk for your provider and ask them to move your account from your old phone to your new one. They might charge a small service fee or do it for free.

Fizban140

I have a CDMA phone and the only thing they charged me for last time was to transfer my contacts, so any CDMA phone should work? I am having trouble understanding all of this, the Iphone doesn't use a SIM card and only one service will use it.

DrFrylock

iPhones are special. They are GSM phones. Yes, they do have SIM cards. They are specially locked down to AT&T as a carrier in the US due to an exclusivity agreement. If you hack the phone, you can swap out the SIM card and be on another GSM carrier like T-mobile. However, the iPhone has special features like visual voicemail that aren't supported by non-AT&T carriers and those won't work with alternate carriers. Additionally, unlike many other GSM phones, Apple has a tendency to push new software updates for the iPhone a lot. These updates have a tendency to undo or break any previous hacks, so if you do a T-mobile hack and then install an iPhone software update, your phone may have problems.

I believe that CDMA phones, like GSM phones, are often locked down. This means that, if you have Verizon as your provider, any Verizon or unlocked CDMA phone will work. But a Sprint-locked phone won't work unless you unlock it. Last time I got my CDMA phone changed, the high school kid in the badly-fitting dress shirt at the Verizon store had to call some kind of call center to get the transfer set up.

ben0207

In terms of what phone to go for just buy whatever Sony Erricson is within your price range and is the right shape/weight for you. They really are the best phones on the market*



*I own and use my iPhone daily, but I think this thread is for normal phones, not idiots who like to throw away their student loan

Fizban140

If I have verizon can I use a GSM phone? Also anyone have any suggestions for a good phone in the $100-$200 range?

DrFrylock

Fizban140 wrote: »

If I have verizon can I use a GSM phone? Also anyone have any suggestions for a good phone in the $100-$200 range?

No because Verizon's towers are all CDMA. There are rumors that Verizon will switch to a next-generation version of GSM starting this year and continuing through 2013. There were also rumors that Verizon would go GSM in 2001.