help me find a new phone...

[Sheila]

I love my I-Phone. I am in relation to the men in my family technologically challenged. The I-phone is very user friendly (translates to the men here..."!even she can figure it out, it's a phone any idiot could use!"

They don't offend me, I can always find their keys, their computers, their airline tickets and favorite shirts hanging in the closet right in front of their faces. We all balance each other out.

 

[Carol G]

Thanks for this very informative thread.
I need to replace my 5 year old very basic cell phone and all this info is going to come in handy. But I'm waiting to acquire new communications tools until Mercury goes direct after May 31st ;-)

Smart move!

I love my iphone. Seriously, it's a little sad how much I enjoy having it. I have the 2nd generation 8G, the most basic plan, and pay about 85 bucks a month for it, and it's well worth it. That gets me 500 anytime minutes, 5000 nights & weekends, unlimited internet, and 200 texts a month, plus all minutes are rollover. I've got maybe 2000 rollover minutes accumulated so I never even come close to going over. The only place in Sowal where I have any trouble with reception is in my own apt. My favorite thing is the visual voicemail. The keyboard is kind of a pain at first, but it does get better.

The camera is basic, but takes really intersting photos. I love how big the screen is for viewing pictures, and I love having my whole photo library with me. My next case will be the Griffin with a macro lens for the camera.

I've just recently started using the ipod feature on it, and I have to say it is pretty great, and convenient. I also got some small speakers, and it is nice to have my portable stereo wherever I want it. I just read about a new app for recording things, so that will come in handy. I like the compass app for hiking in Pt. Washington. The games I've downloaded are fantastic. I love going through all the different apps, they are fun. Safari works great. The mapping feature is awesome, as is having GPS mapping & directions anytime you need them.

I use a macbook at home, and for me the iphone is like having a little mini version of my computer with me. I don't know how well it works with a PC, but synching it with my mac is so easy. The calendar is another feature I use a lot. I always used to carry a dayplanner; now I can put it all in my phone, and sync it to my computer. It's got a "Notes" feature that looks like a yellow legal pad, which I love. I could go on and on... Of course, you can do a lot of this stuff with other phones too, so it really comes down to your tastes and preferences. You should probably go to a few different stores and play with some different phones, see which one stands out for you. It's a lot of money to spend, you want to make sure you'll like it. Being stuck with a phone you hate is the pits.

Major disappointment: charge time. Phone calls and texts dont suck up the juice so much, but the camera really does, and so does surfing the web. I bought a car charger, which definitely helps. If I just use it for phone calls and the occasional facebook check, the battery lasts for a couple days. If I do more, I charge it every night, and sometimes in the car too.

One last thing: this is a must have for anyone who uses their iphone/ipod near water. I use it at the beach and while kayaking, the touch screen works through the plastic, and it is totally watertight...
Waterproof Your iPod With iBagz | ifrogz

 

[NoHall]

I was told this evening by another savvy manipulator of corporations that I should call the AT&T 800 number to plead my case. Apparently, they are more prone to caring whether or not I'm an AT&T customer and are more likely to waive the upgrade eligibility business.

 

[Sheila]

Smart move!

I love my iphone. Seriously, it's a little sad how much I enjoy having it. I have the 2nd generation 8G, the most basic plan, and pay about 85 bucks a month for it, and it's well worth it. That gets me 500 anytime minutes, 5000 nights & weekends, unlimited internet, and 200 texts a month, plus all minutes are rollover. I've got maybe 2000 rollover minutes accumulated so I never even come close to going over. The only place in Sowal where I have any trouble with reception is in my own apt. My favorite thing is the visual voicemail. The keyboard is kind of a pain at first, but it does get better.

The camera is basic, but takes really intersting photos. I love how big the screen is for viewing pictures, and I love having my whole photo library with me. My next case will be the Griffin with a macro lens for the camera.

I've just recently started using the ipod feature on it, and I have to say it is pretty great, and convenient. I also got some small speakers, and it is nice to have my portable stereo wherever I want it. I just read about a new app for recording things, so that will come in handy. I like the compass app for hiking in Pt. Washington. The games I've downloaded are fantastic. I love going through all the different apps, they are fun. Safari works great. The mapping feature is awesome, as is having GPS mapping & directions anytime you need them.

I use a macbook at home, and for me the iphone is like having a little mini version of my computer with me. I don't know how well it works with a PC, but synching it with my mac is so easy. The calendar is another feature I use a lot. I always used to carry a dayplanner; now I can put it all in my phone, and sync it to my computer. It's got a "Notes" feature that looks like a yellow legal pad, which I love. I could go on and on... Of course, you can do a lot of this stuff with other phones too, so it really comes down to your tastes and preferences. You should probably go to a few different stores and play with some different phones, see which one stands out for you. It's a lot of money to spend, you want to make sure you'll like it. Being stuck with a phone you hate is the pits.

Major disappointment: charge time. Phone calls and texts dont suck up the juice so much, but the camera really does, and so does surfing the web. I bought a car charger, which definitely helps. If I just use it for phone calls and the occasional facebook check, the battery lasts for a couple days. If I do more, I charge it every night, and sometimes in the car too.

One last thing: this is a must have for anyone who uses their iphone/ipod near water. I use it at the beach and while kayaking, the touch screen works through the plastic, and it is totally watertight...
Waterproof Your iPod With iBagz | ifrogz

These are pretty nice. A case with a charger built in. The hubby travels so this comes in really handy. mophie - iPhone Battery, iPod Cases, iPhone accessories and more! - Juice Pack air - iPhone 3G

 

[Matt J]

I was told this evening by another savvy manipulator of corporations that I should call the AT&T 800 number to plead my case. Apparently, they are more prone to caring whether or not I'm an AT&T customer and are more likely to waive the upgrade eligibility business.

Your best bet if you are out of contract and a long time customer is to call in and cancel. That'll get you over to "retention". They'll pretty much give you anything if you can keep them on the phone long enough. It's also their job to keep you from leaving. Drag it out, make them describe every phone and rate plan in detail. You'll have to agree to a 2 year contract, but if you keep at them you can probably get the phone free or heavily discounted and a reasonable rate plan that will cover what you use. Don't take the first offer they throw out, they've got plenty of room to negotiate. Freak them out more by calling in and asking how to port your number. They hate the idea of losing you to another phone company.

 

[NoHall]

Your best bet if you are out of contract and a long time customer is to call in and cancel. That'll get you over to "retention". They'll pretty much give you anything if you can keep them on the phone long enough. It's also their job to keep you from leaving. Drag it out, make them describe every phone and rate plan in detail. You'll have to agree to a 2 year contract, but if you keep at them you can probably get the phone free or heavily discounted and a reasonable rate plan that will cover what you use. Don't take the first offer they throw out, they've got plenty of room to negotiate. Freak them out more by calling in and asking how to port your number. They hate the idea of losing you to another phone company.

Yeah--that's basically the plan. I'm not out of contract until September, but I plan to make it clear that I'm shopping for a smart phone before summer (turns out that I would actually benefit from having one this summer with some of the stuff I'm working on.)

I like the idea of having someone work to keep me...

 

[Smiling JOe]

swgb is right. Call and ask to speak with the retention department. They will ask you if you want to discontinue service. Tell them, "maybe, it depends." Then plead your case and tell them what it will take to keep you as a customer. I believe AT&T spends something like $500 to get a new customer. Remind them of this. It would be much cheaper for them to retain a good customer like yourself, and they could do if at a less expensive cost, and they would have a cheerleader, rather than someone who told everyone of her terrible experience with AT&T.

 

[Smiling JOe]

BTW, BlackBerry also has many apps, some free, some for fee. There are some really cool free ones which I just downloaded to my BB Curve. One is called "Trapster," which is a network of users who report law enforcement speed traps, license checks, etc. It uses the GPS feature of the phone to sense when you are approaching a reported trap, and gives you a msg, showing the map of the reported cop(s). When you get to the reported trap, you confirm the location or say it's bogus, and users and traps are rated for accuracy so that you don't get a bunch of false reports.

Another free one that has a fee for upgrade extended service is found at vlingo. This app works much better than the voice action commands which comes on the Curve. I can say, "search rental houses santa rosa beach," and it types it in my internet search bar! I can say, "Call Miss Kitty" and it will go to my contact list and pull up all the numbers for "Miss Kitty." With the upgrade, it also works for typing texts and emails.

GPS Apps are also available to show exactly where you are and where you've been, without having to buy that service from Alltel for $10++ per month.

Apps aren't just for iPhones. Check them out. Search Blackberry apps.

 

[Lynnie]

I was told this evening by another savvy manipulator of corporations that I should call the AT&T 800 number to plead my case. Apparently, they are more prone to caring whether or not I'm an AT&T customer and are more likely to waive the upgrade eligibility business.

I agree, you should. I have worked Sprint over a few times and generally get what I want.

 

[Matt J]

swgb is right. Call and ask to speak with the retention department. They will ask you if you want to discontinue service. Tell them, "maybe, it depends." Then plead your case and tell them what it will take to keep you as a customer. I believe AT&T spends something like $500 to get a new customer. Remind them of this. It would be much cheaper for them to retain a good customer like yourself, and they could do if at a less expensive cost, and they would have a cheerleader, rather than someone who told everyone of her terrible experience with AT&T.

Never ask for retention. That's a dead give away that you know the game. You have to play sweet and stupid and you'll get more. Also the end of the month is a great time to call since most retention reps are graded on the number of "saves" and they usually track those daily. So the rep will know if they are in the clear or if they need the "save".

Also, if they say they've done everything they can, ask to talk to a supervisor. When I worked at Nextel I saw some amazing deals come out of retention.