Topic: Lets talk for a minute about cell phones...

[CTENG in KS]

So, I have Verizon which works out well because most of my family does as well.  My two year plan in up in a couple weeks and I will likely go with Verizon again, the service has been fine.  My issue is that the Verizon offered phones blow my left nut.  They do not offer a phone that suits my preferences or needs.  I have seen others that I like better...can you get a cell phone co. to initiate their service on a phone purchased from somewhere else?

[BikerTrash]

I have talked to Cingular about activating a phone bought from sprint (cingular doesn't offer an intrinsically safe phone). They said that as long as sprint game me the unlocking code for the phone it could most likely be activated.

They said there was no guaranty that all the features would work, but it would send and receive calls.

[red]

when my contract is up i'm going back to verizon, i've had it with cingular. yall know their commercials about being the network with the fewest dropped calls? BULL!!! i'm always dropping calls with 4-5 bars, and i know its not the phone because this is my 3rd one from them, the other two fell apart, literally. plus it usually takes people 2-3 times of calling me to get through. cingular is crap, when i was with verizon when i lived in houston 4 years ago it was great, wonderul reception, my phone was durable (motorola startack), great highway reception to.

[Shoyrtt]

I too have this problem as most of Verizon's new phones all have cameras (I can't have a cell phone camera in some of the buildings I visit ). I have heard, that you can buy the "old" model phones that Verizon doesn't sell through third party vendors at a fairly reasonable price. 

[abnormaltoy]

What do you need, or what don't you want? Plain Jane phones are hard to come by now days. Have you called 611 and asked them?

[Cheesemaker]

What you need to do, is find a cell phone dealership that ins't a Verizon, Cingular, etc. store!  For example, in Portland there is a Car Stereo City, or something like that, that carries all the service providers.  You can pick whatever phone you want then you pick your carrier!  I know if you go to verizon they have specific phones that are exclusive to them.  I'm the same way, I need a new phone but I don't want it take pics, I want a "PHONE!"  I have a camera, and a camcorder!  Why do I want one that will take crappy pics!  The next time I go to Portland I'm going there! 

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

I ended up getting a fairly plain jane Nokia phone from Verizon with a new contract.  Phone = free so I justified it.  I can't see switching off Verizon, their phone situation may blow, but they ahve the most consistent service I've used.

[BLACKDOG]

when my contract is up i'm going back to verizon, i've had it with cingular. yall know their commercials about being the network with the fewest dropped calls? BULL!!! i'm always dropping calls with 4-5 bars, and i know its not the phone because this is my 3rd one from them, the other two fell apart, literally. plus it usually takes people 2-3 times of calling me to get through. cingular is crap, when i was with verizon when i lived in houston 4 years ago it was great, wonderul reception, my phone was durable (motorola startack), great highway reception to.

Its all about the area tha you're in.  Cingular works great where I'm at, I hardly ever have any problems with them, even when friends with other servers (verizon) do

What you need to do, is find a cell phone dealership that ins't a Verizon, Cingular, etc. store!  ! 

  they're all over the place in Sac.  You can buy any phone you want, and they connect it to the provider for ya

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

Most of em round these parts don't seem to have Verizon, they have Cingular Alltel T-mobile Sprint Cricket even radioshack no mo Verizon.