Time to replace my phone....

[electra225]

First of all, let me say, lest there be any doubt, that I DESPISE a cell phone with every fiber of my being. That said, and since there are few to no pay phones anymore, and since both my wife and I have a disability that may necessitate rapid communication, we both have cell phones. Hers is a T-Mobile flip phone which she hates and I have a Samsung Galaxy TracFone. TracFone used to be great, I've used them for over 20 years. Lately, they have gotten silly and difficult to do business with. They have sent their tech support overseas. My phone is out of memory and storage space. The charging port is getting wonky. I like the Samsung Galaxy phones. My current phone has been great for over six years, an eternity in cell phone years. I use my phone for making calls and for monitoring the forum when I'm at work. That's it. I don't watch movies, don't listen to music on a 1/4" speaker, don't do much else. I use it for an appliance, use it when it's needed. I don't live on a phone. I don't give out my number. I only answer it when someone I want to talk to is calling. I don't like the "swipe" feature mine has to answer the phone. By the time I get done swiping, the wife has hung up, so I have to call her back. I want a phone you can touch to answer. Most phones, even the whiz-bang models, only have 128 gb of storage. The SIM card can be expanded to 1.5 TB, something that might be advisable if it doesn't cost a fortune. I don't need a $1500 cell phone, and really don't see the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive models. We have been looking at Consumer Cellular, they have the best prices and they are located at Walmart. My experience with the "phone gurus" at Walmart has been mixed. So there is that. T-Mobile is high, but they have a brick and mortar store close by and their people are helpful. Seems to me like the differences in phone companies is six of one, half dozen of the other. T-Mobile is higher, but you get more "stuff" and better phones, plus their customer service seems better. This is one of those "confuse the old guys" things. Decisions, decisions......

[TC Chris]

Sorry, can't give advice. I use a flip phone, which drives all my relatives absolutely nuts.

Chris Campbell

[William]

I wish I had my flip phone back, I hate my smart phone.

Bill

[electra225]

If I didn't have the forum, I would have a flip phone. I need the capabilities of the smart phone, although I barely use any of what it can do. The phones TracFone sell you are not very full-featured. They have a minimum of everything. I think I want to upgrade from that just a bit. Cox and T-Mobile are the leading possibilities right now. I think Mark does cell phones now, so I want to talk to him before we make a final decision.

[danrclem]

I have a Tracfone prepaid phone that I bought off of ebay but it's almost always off unless I'm going somewhere and that's the only reason I have it. Cell service at my house is close to non-existent for phone calls so I have to have a land line too.

I buy a new phone every year because they usually come with 1,500 minutes and 1,500 texts which is way more than I'll ever use and it's cheaper than buying a card with the same amount of time. It's hard to say how many minutes I've got built up. I doubt if this would work for you because it sounds like you need more minutes and data than what it has.

[electra225]

You can buy a house or get a divorce quicker than you can sign up for cellphone service. What a horrible, drawn out, dramatic procedure. People put more value on a stupid appliance than they do a heartbeat! They want to know every little detail. They want to play video games and play movies. Those of us who are baby boomers wear glasses thick as stovelids because we squinted at a 10" black and white TV too long. Gen Z'ers will wear glasses thick as stovelids from staring at that little cellphone screen for too many hours. They buy an 85" TV to play video games, yet they watch "TV" on a cellphone. Boy, am I getting old.......

There is no such thing as a television set anymore. What they call "TV" is really a computer monitor. You have to buy a TV tuner extra if you want OTA TV reception. Boy, am I getting old.....

[William]

Join the club, Greg, I am right behind you with both age and thoughts about life today. Whether you are young or old, the cell phone is more important to most people than anything else the own, or anyone that they know.

Bill

[electra225]

There was a couple in the T-Mobile store buying their 8-year-old son a $1700 cellphone. All the latest whiz-bang features.

[hermitcrab]

Greg , I hear you on the tracphone service... my wife and I have used them for years , and the price is right, but lately it is going downhill , they have messed up my account so bad , that I can't even use my accumulated points because somehow it tells me to get a new credit card?... credit card for my points?... so I call them and they can't even issue me my points from their office because of reasons .... I don't know how many "service tickets" they supposedly have filed for this issue ... now investigating that red pocket phone service to see if any better...

[William]

I had TracFone for years, good service, reasonable, and pretty good customer support. At one point Verizon bought them and everything continued as it always did. With what you are saying I wonder if Verizon sold them off and the new owners have no clue about being a cell phone company. A friend still has a TracFone, buys the once a year minutes, has over 5000 minutes accumulated. I sure hope he does not loose them when he as to renew the next time.

Bill

[electra225]

I had over 10,000 minutes accumulated that I am going to lose when my TracFone died. TracFone tells me that my phone is not recognized anymore, whatever that means. It is a Samsung Galaxy that I have had seven years. I always liked the phone. The downside to TracFone is that their phones are "bottom of the barrel" models with few features and not much storage or memory. We haven't really decided on a new carrier at this point. Cox is the leading contender, since we have other tech bundled with them. T-Mobile and TracFone are definitely not in the running. I couldn't cancel my account at the T-Mobile brick and mortar store. They charge $5 if you pay your bill at the store. Once you get your phone and if you need help, good luck. You get to stand in line for HOURS waiting for someone to wait on you. Or stay on hold for HOURS waiting for someone to come on the line who will help you.

[Conelrad]

I use Verizon for myself and my wife. Not that I like the cost, but with my biz traveling all over the state means I need their solid service everywhere.

Somehow, my old Samsung Galaxy 9 has soldiered on, with insured help from the you-break-i-fix outfit. Lots of cracked screens, bad jacks, even a complete new main board.

D