The coolest cell phone I have ever seen

chrisncate · #1 (**permalink**) 11-20-2010

The phone is just a phone, and nothing else. It has a real paper address book in a folding compartment in the rear, and a stylus pen that slides into the phone itself in order to copy contacts down into said address book. I might be alone on this one, but in my opinion this thing is 100% awesome.

Naturally since it is a quad band sim card phone, I can't get one (currently beholden to Verizon).

Someday, I will own this phone though.

John's Phone | The World's Simplest Cell Phone

mdbee · #2 (**permalink**) 11-20-2010

I can appreciate the styling but I'm not sure what the point is.

Many phones are free with a contract and I have become pretty dependent on the caller ID, address book and even the camera.

I'm hooked.

ssneade · #3 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

that's a nice looking phone, but i prefer the classic styling.......

now that's nice......

SimonV · #4 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

I talk,text sometimes, and take photos. Thats all I need in a phone, Oh and big numbers.

jhorsager · #5 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

I saw these when they were reviewed on Lifehacker a few months back. I almost bought one, but instead went with an unlocked Nokia N86 (which is primarily a camera, and secondarily a phone).

I love the concept, though. I'm tired of being distracted to death by gadgets. The phone as fetish (I'm looking at you iPhone) makes me throw up a little in my own mouth.

And to veer even further off topic...I will never again buy a phone that isn't unlocked or 'sign' a contract with a cellular company (thieving bastards).

mdbee · #6 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

I take it you have had issues with cell companies?

Maybe I have been lucky over the years. Actually I have never changed in about 15-20(?) years. I started out with GTE, which was bought out by Cingular, that then became ATT. Hell, I may be missing another one in between.

I have had good service, including customer support. The times that I have had a weird issue they have helped me. Once, years ago near the coast my call was relayed through an off shore cell tower $$. Another time we ran waaay over our monthly minutes because of a medical issue. Once I was getting text message spams. A few months ago we had some weird third party charge appear (not Att's fault) Each time I was given a credit.

I think Att might have tightened up a bit over Cingular but I can't really complain about them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhorsager

I saw these when they were reviewed on Lifehacker a few months back. I almost bought one, but instead went with an unlocked Nokia N86 (which is primarily a camera, and secondarily a phone).

I love the concept, though. I'm tired of being distracted to death by gadgets. The phone as fetish (I'm looking at you iPhone) makes me throw up a little in my own mouth.

And to veer even further off topic...I will never again buy a phone that isn't unlocked or 'sign' a contract with a cellular company (thieving bastards).

jhorsager · #7 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

I can't complain too much (though I often do).

My main concern is the hobbled hardware they issue. They alter the software issued by the manufacturer for their own benefit -- which is why I now stick to unlocked phones (the cellcos haven't touched them with their greedy little paws).

Beyond hardware the main reason is that I've found pre-paid to offer much better value.

bljones · #8 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

I live in an area where coverage could be, until recently, er... spotty. In fact I had to analyze my bills every month and then spend an hour on the phone with a customer service rep getting the erroneous American carrier roaming charges taken off my bill (apparently the Verizon tower in Erie, Pa., has mad range, yo), while finding that my own Canuck carrier often faded in and out. For that reason, until 2007, i continued to use my analog Nokia bag phone that I have had since 1996. nothing beats wattage when it comes to staying connected in the hinterland. In the last two years coverage has vastly improved, thankfully, because it is all digital today- my bag phone is no longer an option. i now have some flippy dippy qwerty keyboard hiding overcompensating phone that always gets lost under a pile of crap on my passenger seat.

btw, i have HAD it! I am warning y'all right now, i am no longer going to slow down for texttards who are madly thumbing away as they blindly step off the curb in front of me. OMG, thr wll b drama 4 sur.

ssneade · #9 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

i fired att over a year ago. gladly payed off the contract. i'm now with wally world cell service; straight talk. no contract, less dropped calls than with att (service was fine when they were singular) and unlimited talk, text and web for a paltry fourty five bucks a month. oh, did i mention they ride on the verison network. and if ya don't talk a lot, you can get one thousand minutes talk time, plus one thousand text messages, plus thirty megs of data for a whopping thirty bucks a month. the drawback? ya gotta use their phones, so the selection is limited. they got everything from el cheapos to higher end smartphones. they get a big ol' thumbs up from me........

jhorsager · #10 (**permalink**) 11-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssneade

i fired att over a year ago. gladly payed off the contract. i'm now with wally world cell service; straight talk. no contract, less dropped calls than with att (service was fine when they were singular) and unlimited talk, text and web for a paltry fourty five bucks a month. oh, did i mention they ride on the verison network. and if ya don't talk a lot, you can get one thousand minutes talk time, plus one thousand text messages, plus thirty megs of data for a whopping thirty bucks a month. the drawback? ya gotta use their phones, so the selection is limited. they got everything from el cheapos to higher end smartphones. they get a big ol' thumbs up from me........

I use a similar plan from TMobile. 1500 talk and text with 30MB of data for $30 a month -- with no restrictions on hardware. By contrast, the cheapest contract plan TMobile offers is for 500 talk minutes, no text, not data, for $40 bucks a month. The colossal rip off that is cell phone contracts is not worth the subsidized hand set you get in return. I totally agree no contract is the way to go, but then like you I'm not too chatty. When I'm feeling loquacious I opt for Google Voice which is free anywhere you have 802.11 service. I only use cellular when I'm out of 802.11 range.