OT maybe someone can help me, cell phone

Bret4207 · Jul 29, 2018

Basic desire is to find a cell phone on a pre paid plan (I don't use it a lot) that IS NOT a smart phone, is probably a flip style, that is very rugged (what some refer to as "hardened"?) and preferably has a decent camera or at least a flashlight. I have Verizon towers around me, one almost line of site over most of the farm. I'm happy with Tracfone after 15 or so years. I don't want a contract. I use it as a phone and to text, I don't need or want a computer in my pocket. I also don't need games or crap like that. I've tried different searches but I keep coming up with either smart phones or cheapie flip phones. Tracfone seems to think I need an ATT phone no matter what I do. I honestly don't use it enough to even make Straight Talk a viable option. My wife bought me 1000 minutes for Christmas and I still have about 400 left, and the majority of my time was wasted either on telemarketers, school annoucements or accepting texts from my family that let me know they got my text in answer to theirs!!! Drives me nuts, but it is what it is.

Any suggestions on a phone that might meet my needs?

1Plowboy · Jul 29, 2018

I have had a trac fone for about 8 years. The first 6 or so years I had a flip phone, dont remember what brand. Was great to make calls on but difficult to text. A while back I upgraded to a "Samsung Galaxy
Sky". I quite like it. It cost me about $80. Yes it does much more than I need or ever will understand. I recommend it. It took a bit to set it up, but I'm not gifted in that way, (more into things I can fix
with a hammer). But that aside I really like it. I checked, Best buy has them on sale for $69 right now. I also got a cover for mine, cost about 10 bucks. You can order or go to the store. See the link
below.
Untitled URL Link

Kansas4010 · Jul 29, 2018

Sonim xp5. It's not a flip phone or smart phone but is rugged. I just bought one a week ago and so far like it. When i'm on a tractor I can't hear the ringer on any other phone. On the Sonim it is loud enough I can.

bradley martin · Jul 29, 2018

Kyocera makes a basic flip phone, marketed as being military grade. Very rugged, waterproof to 10 feet of water depth. I have had mine for about
3 years now. It is a basic phone for talking and texting. Texting is somewhat slow as it only has the number keyboard, but works for what I need
it for. Salesgirl said the people who buy it tend to be either farmers or construction workers. Sorry, but I got it free with a contract, and
don't know the price.

3000OH · Jul 29, 2018

Might read my post about Kyocera flip phone
Kyocera post

JF in MI · Jul 29, 2018

My wife has a Samsung Gusto flip. On a basic Verizon plan (I think about $16 a month). Hardly ever uses it. I've had a Motorola Razer for the last 15 years or more and it
costs me $8 a month ($100 prepaid a year, hardly use that either). I never send and delete all received texts. I figure if someone has the time to text me they have the
time to call.

ss55 · Jul 29, 2018

I use TracFone with an LG Rebel LTE smartphone. It's not too bad to use compared to a flipphone, cost $30 on sale at Shopko plus another $5 or $10 for a HD case on Amazon. The biggest advantage of a cheap smartphone is you triple your minutes instead of double them with a flip phone. The cheap smartphones don't have the internet and app performance that the $300 smartphones have, but they do still work great as simple cell phones and for texts. They are today's version of the flip phone.

Don't over think things. Look at the reviews and tutorials on the TracFone site or the manufacturer's site to see which phone works for you. Pay attention to the features you will actually use rather than the complains about slow performance of features you don't use.

Remember, you can buy another 1000 texts from TracFone for $5, that's 1/2 cent a text.

JMS/.MN · Jul 29, 2018

Had my Kyocera flip phone for several years. Very rugged unit.

doug in missouri · Jul 29, 2018

IF you can find a Kyocera flip phone with Verizon I would get it. They are getting hard to get. Everyone wants the latest and greatest smart phone now.

Just for your information we are on AT&T now. Works great in the cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, MO. No good in rural settings. Was on US Cellular, no service here. Going to switch to Verizon. My mother in law lives in Astoria, IL. NO service at all there on AT&T. Verizon works great there. DOUG

Ultradog MN · Jul 29, 2018

This us not what you want to hear so skip
over it if you wish.
Smart phones are the future.
Has your life not been enhanced by the
internet, email, texting, cell phone,
digital tv and other technology?
Why draw an imaginary line in the sand with
your phone? Why say you will go this far but
no farther?
My friend will not use a computer. Will Not!
I feel sorry for him. He's a luddite!
I have a cheap smartphone. It is my window
to the world. Phone, camera, text, internet.
I am with T Mobile. NO contract. Quit if I
want. UNLIMITED everything including HIGH
SPEED DATA because I'm over 55.
$55 a month. It's a tax deduction.
I used google maps yesterday. It took me to
the exact address 36 miles away where I
bought these windows - that I found on
craigslist - that I just photographed - and
uploaded now - all from this phone.
You don't HAVE to use everything on it.
You don't have to have a phone or tv or
computer either. But they do make life
easier if not fuller.

Bret4207 · Jul 29, 2018

(quoted from post at 18:47:40 07/29/18) This us not what you want to hear so skip
over it if you wish.
Smart phones are the future.
Has your life not been enhanced by the
internet, email, texting, cell phone,
digital tv and other technology?
Why draw an imaginary line in the sand with
your phone? Why say you will go this far but
no farther?
My friend will not use a computer. Will Not!
I feel sorry for him. He's a luddite!
I have a cheap smartphone. It is my window
to the world. Phone, camera, text, internet.
I am with T Mobile. NO contract. Quit if I
want. UNLIMITED everything including HIGH
SPEED DATA because I'm over 55.
$55 a month. It's a tax deduction.
I used google maps yesterday. It took me to
the exact address 36 miles away where I
bought these windows - that I found on
craigslist - that I just photographed - and
uploaded now - all from this phone.
You don't HAVE to use everything on it.
You don't have to have a phone or tv or
computer either. But they do make life
easier if not fuller.

The problem with smartphones is they are TOO BIG, too delicate, not at all weatherproof and just all in all not what I need- something that will ALWAYS be in my front left pocket, ready to use. I appreciate the thoughts you provide, but it's taken me 20 years to adapt to a laptop from a tower style PC. I tried using a tablet and it drove me (more) insane!!! Can't stand it. If it's a Luddite I must be, then so be it!!! :wink:

Bret4207 · Jul 29, 2018

Thanks to all. I've been doing more research and have sort of narrowed it down to either a Samsung Convoy 4 or the Kyocera XV. I really need one with a "bomb in your pocket" vibration call alert because I'm not able to hear much around any equipment or with much background noise. Still looking into that.

Bret4207 · Jul 29, 2018

(quoted from post at 16:59:40 07/29/18) Sonim xp5. It's not a flip phone or smart phone but is rugged. I just bought one a week ago and so far like it. When i'm on a tractor I can't hear the ringer on any other phone. On the Sonim it is loud enough I can.

Looks decent and gets high marks but I can't find any set up for Verizon. I'll keep looking.

Crazy Horse · Jul 29, 2018

I have a "newer" flip phone which is "4K" (whatever that refers to). I pretty much use it only to make calls, seldom if ever to receive calls so I have it with
me but it's not on. Honestly, I'm not sure of my number. If I am picking up someone at the airport (they call me when they are out at the curb out front while
I wait down the road at a 7-11) or am expecting a call for whatever reason (picking momma up after a doctor's appointment downtown while I wait away from
expensive parking), I have it on. I pay $10 per month for 20 phone calls (not sure of the time limit or if there is one) and I bank unused phone calls but I
still have to pay the $10 every month to keep the plan going. Right now I might have 100 calls banked but in the middle of this coming week, another $10 comes
out of my account. I like computers and all they have to offer, I just prefer to do it here at home on my laptop.

UncleTom · Jul 29, 2018

I second the tracphone smart phone. Yes you dont have to know how to run everything. If the phone is all you want then just learn the phone. But the great thing for me is the minutes triple. Example, you buy the card, 60 minutes lets say. so when you activate that card it really gives you 180 minutes. Plus, i have a website that will give you a promo code that will give you an extra 30 minutes on that 180. Not counting the texts you get with it and data if you so choose to use Internet. Last month my usage cost me $10 and i used it more than usual. Cheapest way for me. I have the LG treasure smart phone. I guess the newer phones dont triple. I use to have a tracphone flip phone. Wont go back.

MF#1 · Jul 29, 2018

Google Samsung Rugby II, tough as nails. Don't know if they still make them :-(

JD Seller · Jul 29, 2018

Brett: I am on Verizon. I do have phone plan. So I can not say what they do on just buying minutes. I can recommend a Samsung Convoy 3 flip phone. It is tough rugged phone. Mine gets dropped more than it should and still works. Buttons are big enough for my clumsy fingers. Has a fair camera. They can be bough cheap on Ebay. I posted asking about how you get hooked up just a few weeks ago on the tool section. So take a look at that and see what the fellow YTers Recommended.

My current phone was turning off on me. I took the battery out and cleaned every thing up an it seems to have quit causing trouble. It is several years old and I am rough on a phone.

My sons all have smart phones. They all pay three times what I do for their service planes. They either are using phones with cracked screens or they just got a "new" replacement phone. They rarely get six months to a year out of their smart phones. Also my phone will call out of places their phones will not. Mine will receive calls when their will not too. We have one farm that none of their phones work on but mine will. All are on Verizon.

Traditional Farmer · Jul 30, 2018

My wife and I both went to Walmart and bought flip phones for $12.95 and we each pay Verizon $15 a month for 300 minutes each which I rarely ever come close to using.But thats about the cheapest cell service I know of as all I want to do with the phone is make a few calls a month.We were paying US Cellular about $75 a month for basically the same thing plus they wanted
close to $90 for their cheapest phone after my US Cellular phone went down.

VicS · Jul 30, 2018

Agree

jimg.allentown · Jul 30, 2018

Smart phones may well be the future, but for the time being, I agree with Brett.
Not everybody needs all of the functions of a smart phone. Different people have different needs. Criticizing someone for having different needs and calling them "luddites" is simply gratuitous name calling.

I won't dispute the statement that smart phones can be very useful. But, if I don't need the majority of their functions, why should I have to pay for them? But, it isn't right to criticize another for not thinking the same way as you do.

Bret4207 · Jul 31, 2018

(quoted from post at 09:48:25 07/30/18) Smart phones may well be the future, but for the time being, I agree with Brett.
Not everybody needs all of the functions of a smart phone. Different people have different needs. Criticizing someone for having different needs and calling them "luddites" is simply gratuitous name calling.

I won't dispute the statement that smart phones can be very useful. But, if I don't need the majority of their functions, why should I have to pay for them? But, it isn't right to criticize another for not thinking the same way as you do.

I took no offense.

OT maybe someone can help me, cell phone

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