Thanks to all who gave me input a couple weeks back on my cell phone purchase. In the end, I went with the Motorola V600, a truly beautiful phone. It’s now down to $99 at Amazon.com (after rebates), which is a great deal (it’s $200 more if you buy direct from AT&T).
What I love about the phone:
- battery life. Talk time is 6 hours or more, which is like an eternity after I got accustomed to the less-than-2-hour time on my old Treo.
- camera. Wasn’t my original goal going in, but the camera is kind of addictive. It’s VGA quality (.3 megapixels), so the photos aren’t anything you’ll put in a frame, but they’re surprisingly sharp and they produce nice snapshots.
- screen. The color screen is really bright, and displays well even in direct sunlight.
- bluetooth. I’ll be getting a Bluetooth PC card for my laptop (it’s built in to most ThinkPads, but sadly not mine) which will allow syncing of contacts and calendar info to the phone, as well as Internet access through the phone when I don’t have wifi.
- quad-band GSM. I’m not traveling all that much anymore, but a phone that will work pretty much anywhere in the world is nice; not only for compatibility but for resale later on.
- external display. It’s a flip-phone, but the exterior has a 2-line display that shows battery strength, time, caller ID, etc.
I’m doing a lot of experimenting, but if you’re in the market for a new cell phone, this is a great choice. Only downside: I need a better case. The leather case at BestBuy isn’t great, so I’m likely going to get something from MotoPhoneCases.
Don't overlook a USB Bluetooth adapter, it's usually cheaper and would probably be more useful.
ReplyDeleteHere's the part I've never understood, and would appreciate any suggestions on what to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm already an AT&T customer, and have an older Nokia cell phone through them. If I purchase the V600 through Amazon, how does the phone get activated with my current account and number? The only options I see available on Amazon are if I'm activating a new or additional line, neither of which I need. And if I want to buy the phone itself without service, it says its $399.
I know I'm missing soething here but can't figure out what it is. Thanks.
Dave
And if you just can't wait to buy one the V600 is available at Best Buy for $149 with either Cingular or AT&T service.
ReplyDeleteWow, its truly amazing how much cells have changed since you wrote this, however this little phone has better battery life than most that I've used lately, so I guess it has that going for it.
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