By: GINA GARRETT on Saturday, January 27, 2007 From: UNION CITY, TN (United States) Experience: 2 Years
Pros: the least priced pre-paid cell phone around. also you can subscribe to a service plan with no contracts or credit checks! Cons: coverage area. it's good for where i need it but you would think that you would have service in the martin, tennessee area where there is the university of tennessee at martin. Summary: i think virgin mobile would be better if you could get service in martin tennessee.
By: Josh Lyon on Thursday, December 28, 2006 From: Port Orange, FL (United States) Experience: 4 Months
Pros: Good plans for both talking and texting Very flexible Good selection of stuff for download at fair prices No roamingCons: Reception is o.k. but could be betterSummary: I like this because of the plans. They give you a good deal of minutes for the price and they're so many different plans and options to chose from. I have the $35 a month plan that gives 300 anytime and 1000 night/weekend minutes. They even have plans for texting, like the $5 a month deal which gives you 200 texts. Or you can do it by the text for 5 cents each. Plus, if you don't like the plan you're on, you can switch at any time. Another good thing is there are no roaming charges, on matter where you are. I get decent reception in my area but it could be better. Overall, Virgin Mobile is an excellent service provider and I will stick with them for the long run.
By: walter dumas on Wednesday, December 06, 2006 From: tacoma, WA (United States) Experience: 12 Months
Pros: the pros of this device,is a big full color screen,real music ringtones,two way speaker phones,great downloads and ease of phone buttons.Cons: the cons of this ,is the two games are not great,theres no digital camera,and theres no style.only comes in two colors black,or white.Summary: over all,the phone can be great,for the young and hip,who are starting out,with there first prepaid phone.and despite the flaws,its a great piece,and not big or bulky like most phones.
By: Lesa Hatley on Monday, October 30, 2006 From: Lakewood, WA (United States) Experience: 2 Weeks
Pros: Only have to top up every 90 days, got a special on the first cardsCons: Few ringtones on the phone, additional tones expensiveSummary: For someone that has to use pre paid cell phone service, this one is not too bad. But there are few ringtones on the phone and the additional ones are expensive. The reception on the phone it's self is so so.
By: Jim M on Thursday, October 05, 2006 From: Hooksett, NH (United States) Experience: 3 Years
Pros: Excellent service. I often get VM service where Cingular customers cannot. No surprises on billing. No roaming. Can use anywhere in US to call anywhere in US .. long distance is included. Lots of nice features and cool phones. Easy to use.Cons: Terms and conditions have changed without advance notice. When they changed Top-Up check to 2 cents after first 2 free checks I think they ticked off a lot of people. They also changed text messaging terms from incoming free/outgoing 10 cents to incoming and outgoing 5 cents each. They did give some notice with this change. Maybe they got the message?Summary: I like this company for a low use/standby phone. It's excellent for emergency service or to have around for the occassional call. I have the 18 cent plan. I had text messaging shut off. No billing surprises and I like that. With auto-top-up set every 90 days I only need to spend $15 instead of the default $20 every 90. This means I carry and use my cellphone just about everywhere and it ends up costing me $5 per month .. calls and everything included. The phone (K9) cost me $20. Let's see any other company top that.
By: chikako konohana on Thursday, October 05, 2006 From: fremont, CA (United States) Experience: 1 Years
Pros: It is pre-paid and no surprise of billing later. The balance never expires.Cons: It has quarterly minimum re-charge amount requirement depending on your usage.Summary: This is the best and economical service for people who use cell phone for emergency purpose, which is me. The lowest re-charge requirement is $15 every quarter. Even with this low requirement, I keep accumulating the balance but it is okay since the amount won't expire unless I use it. Besides, I might use that much once emergency happens. With just $5/month, I can buy assuarance. I believe it is also good for young people who are on budget. They know how much spending beforehand and it is re-chargeable right away at one-finger tip if necessary. The more they use in a day, the better rate they get. They sometimes run promotions such as sweepstakes, earning re-charge amount by completing survey etc. I am glad that I find this carrier.
By: James Marshall on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 From: College Park, MD (United States) Experience: 9 Months
Pros: Availability of a by-the-minute plan allows greater control over costs; generally good coverage in my experience; monthly plans also availableCons: Cost per minute is typically higher than with a more standard monthly plan; pre-paid; must add $20 to your account every 3 months even if you have money in it alreadySummary: I chose Virgin Mobile based on my parents' recommendation. I wanted a cell phone primarily for emergency use and didn't want to be locked into a monthly plan, which would cost a lot more than the time I intended to use. My parents wanted the same thing, so they looked around and decided on Virgin Mobile's by-the-minute option. I also joined with the same option, and it's been a good service for all of us.
The drawback is having to add money to your account every 3 months even though you have money in it. But that's how they keep your service active, and it's only $20 at a time, so it can cost as little as $80 a year to have a cell phone (the phone itself is extra, of course). For small talkers, I think monthly plans would have a hard time matching this.
By: Maryanne Vaicunas on Friday, September 22, 2006 From: Fuquay Varina, NC (United States) Experience: 2 Years
Pros: You decide the dollar amount, no monthly bills in the mail, no contracts, you choose the service you want, and so much more!Cons: Head's up-during activation, you'll be asked to pick a vKey(6-digit pass code)to ensure privacy. You'll need to enter this pass code to access your account.Be sure to keep this number-you can't access you account without it.Summary: Just Pay as You Go, and That's It!
By: Mary Early on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 From: Martinsburg, WV (United States) Experience: 8 Months
Pros: Pay as you go, no credit check, no down payment, no activation fee, still get all features as post pay phone including options of monthly plans deducted from your credit/debit card.Cons: Service not always available in mountainous regions, but that may be due to the type of phone. So far I have had excellent coverage most places I go.Summary: I would highly recommend this company. The customer service is excellent, and adding money to the plan is easy. I've had pre-pay service with another company, but this is MUCH better.
By: Jonathan Pusar on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 From: Brooklyn, NY (United States) Experience: 4 Years
Pros: Relativally cheap phones Decent Pricing plan Bonus minutes every once in awhileCons: There are better values for prepaid over the years Service is spotty in NYC Having to pay 10 cents a day just to brose their store.Summary: I'll cut to the chase: Years ago when I got the VM, the pricing was excelent, and it was the only phone service that allowed you 3 months to top it up without spending $60+ a shot.
Now, TMobile and Co. has stepped uo their game by offering 1yr to top up after reaching a certain statice, and still no Weekend specials. Plus spotty service, etc. Just not worth it.
The only reason I still have it is because my phone is not broken.
Finally you can all stop asking me when AT&T's gonna get them a QWERTY phone. Boom! Here's four for your SMS-fiending thumbs to drool over. I'm going to be lazy and just cut-and-paste from the press release:Pantech MatrixThe Pantech Matrix is available today in navy blue and black with green and will be available Oct. 16 in red. It is $79.99 with a two-year agreement and mail-in rebate1, and it features the unique...
This is an interesting turn of events, if it proves to be true. With all of the speculation about if and when Samsung would bring their Windows Mobile powerhouse, the Omnia, to AT&T, nobody stopped to think about a CDMA version of the device. Nobody, it seems, except Samsung and Verizon Wireless.According to this rebate form posted on HowardForums and later found on Engadget Mobile, Big Red is prepping a VZW-branded Omnia to...
I'm "at" the Motorola Virtual Press Conference where they're launching the Krave ZN4 for Verizon. No surprise here, as this device was leaked far and wide. But it still sounds pretty interesting - it's a flip phone with a touchscreen and an "interactive flip." Apparently the clear plastic flip cover has touch controls so you can access frequently used functions without opening the device up.
Krave looks like it's going to...
Noah gets his hands on two new flip phones with some power under the hood: The BlackBerry Flip 8220 for T-Mobile and the LG Lotus for Sprint. Will your next smartphone be a flip? Also, more on the Android "G2" rumor, and news on tons of new cell phones.
Did you listen to this week's podcast, Noah's Bark #7? If so, you heard Noah's list of his Fave Five cell phone TV commercials of all time. Watch 'em for yourself here and chime in: What'd he miss? What's in your five? Let us know in the comments (with links if you can find 'em). 1. T-Mobile "Pookie" Commerical with Charles Barkley and D-WadeThe series with The Chuckster and D-Wade is my all-time...
What’s Good: Universal landscape mode and universal landscape QWERTY; optically-enhanced action button functions as a scroller or track pad; appropriate use of haptic feedback and accelerometers; excellent 5 MP camera with LED flash, auto-focus and face detection; secondary cam for video calls; embedded GPS; FM radio and overall A/V-friendliness; large, welcoming and sensitive screen; it's a generally comfortable phone that makes you feel cool...
Part 2 of Noah's 2-part review of the BlackBerry 8220. The first-ever BlackBerry flip phone hides the buttons away for a sleek look, but does it have the juice to keep Crackberry addicts happy?
Part 1 of Noah's 2-part review of the BlackBerry 8220. The first-ever BlackBerry flip phone hides the buttons away for a sleek look, but does it have the juice to keep Crackberry addicts happy?
The first ever flip BlackBerry is a winner, so long as you play to its strengths. While the 8220 is very large for a modern day flip phone, it's lightweight and slick looking enough to trick you into thinking it's a little smaller than it really is. I've had the 8220 for just under a week now, and I very quickly grew used to carrying it around in my pocket. No, it's not as thin as a RAZR or as small as a low-end sliderphone,...
If only my BlackBerry would flip shut! Hey, it does! Noah unboxes the new BB Pearl Flip 8220 for T-Mobile and gives us a (long) quick tour around the phone.
Carrier: AT&TRetail Price: $99.99 or via ebayContract Price: $49.99 or via Let's TalkHot Feature: Video captureThe Samsung A637 is a complete messaging phone perfect for anyone who wants all the features without the fuss. Key features include 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Instant Messaging capability, MP3 player, GPS, XM radio and video sharing.
Carrier: T-MobileRetail Price: $159.99 or via ebayContract Price: $29.99 or via Let's TalkHot Feature: Music PlayerThe MOTO ACTV W450 available in mandarin orange and canary yellow sports the familiar Motorola clamshell design. Key features include a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture, stereo Bluetooth, MP3 player, microSD slot, speaker phone and picture messaging.
Lane Jensen in Oregon here and I have a great trick that works for all Verizon phones to get better signal. First, you need to be within about a 5-10 mile radius of where you are going to use your phone the most. Secondly, instead of dialing the normal *228 for activation, dial *22899 and it will take you instantly to the programming music and update your phone. No more having to go through the prompt and listening to the same old voice saying,...
Fierce! It's the unique new LG Lotus for Sprint - a square-shaped clamshell with a full QWERTY board inside. GPS, Sprint TV & Music, 2MP Camera, HTML Browser, Mobile IM and Email ... Noah checks out this fashion-forward feature phone.
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October 6, 2008 - Cogratulations to Omar Flores of TX. He is our week 17 winner of a brand new Motorola Q9m. "It feels good to know i won, I really did not expect for me to win, it came of great shock to me, thank you phonedog.com for the awesome phone!"