# Good Cellphones/Company



## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Hey everyone, was just wondering what you all think of your cellphones/your carriers, im thinking/going to be getting a cellphone because i will need it for a job. So im looking for something of the following:
Full keyboard
Solid unlimited talk/text, or unlimited talk evenings
Good service
Decent pricing of phone/month to month costs
Durability of the phone

So if you have any favourites or ones you found to be horrible, id love to know what you think!


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

frankly all carriers are asses, it's just a matter of getting a few years of contract under your belt, or saying that "X company will offer me this, what can you do?"

I have a sony ericson xperia phone from rogers, it has full keyboard, and touchscreen, not a bad phone, the response time is sometimes a little slow, usually when I want to be fast lol.... but a good phone all in all

I pay $63 per month with ;

300minutes
unlim weekends/evening after 6pm (privilege of me complaining)
500mb data
unlim texts, picture/video messaging
caller ID
who called
name display (not part of caller ID on cell phones - ID just shows number)
voice mail 

and that includes all their BULL service fees 

not bad from my understanding


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

We have been with Bell for years and have the BB Pearl but no data plan.

$20 Plan
200 minutes
50 Free Texts
Free Evenings after 5pm and Weekends
Free Voicemail
Free Call Forwarding
and more...

If I were to update to unlimited everything, which I have looked at, I'd still consider Bell as well as Telus as front runners. The new cell phone providers aren't really doing much for the competition and brining down the cost as everyone had predicted.


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

I'm with rogers and have been for about 6 years now. I was able to get a retentions plan from them so i'm pretty happy at the moment. I have the blackberry curve 8520 with just a basic bbm and email plan - I pay $20 a month + $15 for the bb plan:

250 anytime mins
unlimited incoming calls
2500 outgoing texts
caller id
call forwarding
voicemail
unlimited evening and weekend

blackberry messenger
blackberry email

Another advantage with rogers is that they're on the gsm network, unlike bell and telus that use cdma, so you're stuck buying their phones. I tend to buy unlocked phones cuz you get more choices and they come without roger's restrictions - such as locked ringtones and stuff like that.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Thanks for all the input guys! Im defintiely going to have to do a review/comparison of all the major carriers. Im not really looking for a Data plan at all, since i have a laptop if i want to use the internet  Im also not a fan of touchscreens persay. 63$ is more than im really willing to pay, i think im looking more into the 20-40 tops range.
UnderTheSea, i think i would probably need something a bit more than that, at least in the text department
Jon your plan seems pretty solid, and im definitely leaning towards a BB


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

Fishfinder said:


> Thanks for all the input guys! Im defintiely going to have to do a review/comparison of all the major carriers. Im not really looking for a Data plan at all, since i have a laptop if i want to use the internet  Im also not a fan of touchscreens persay. 63$ is more than im really willing to pay, i think im looking more into the 20-40 tops range.
> UnderTheSea, i think i would probably need something a bit more than that, at least in the text department
> Jon your plan seems pretty solid, and im definitely leaning towards a BB


If you end up choosing rogers, you'll have to accept one of their regular plans for a 2 or 3 year contract, and once thats over, you can call in to speak with the "retentions department" and they can offer you special plans which varies with the amount of time you've been with them. I started out with a 25$ unlimited incoming plan - had that for 5 years and just last year i found out about the retention deals through a friend and got my plan by calling in. They also gave me a free phone when i signed the retention contract.

I personally can't see myself using a phone other than a blackberry now, the only other phone company that i like is sony ericsson - they have some pretty nice phones and their build quality is better than others in my opinion.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I'm with Bell. Been with them over a decade. I pay about $45/month but I'm on a contact for 3 yrs. No data plan. I'll have to dig out my plan later. Having been with them for over a decade allows me a lot of leverage on them. I do get a $150 phone rebate that comes about every 2-3yrs (IIRC as I'm sure on 3yrs but may have an early 2yr option) which allows me to look at their phone selection and deduct $150 from any phone there. It's been a long time ago but IIRC I got a $0 phone and they credited me $150 I think as I do remember getting air time for a month or so free.

Where abouts will you be working and mostly roaming around daily? IIRC Bell's been in the game the longest and the original carrier but I could be wrong on that but their coverage in GTA is solid and outside areas and roaming coverage is good. If you're out in the 'pocket' areas out in the long drives out IIRC small towns out Saria/Windsor areas some other companies reach may not be as good out there as they focus more in the core of the city. Pretty much from my understanding talking with a friend of mine who does programming of mobile phone apps told me that most companies are good to solid inside the GTA. It's when you go outside the main coverage zone that is when you'll see which other companies coverage is better.

Bells phone selection always has something new about every few months but not as wide a selection as Rogers mobie phones. I'm not a fan of having all my gear via one company as should that company go down for any reason (ie. tech issues/etc) I'm not really pinched out of the comms. That's one reason why I keep my phone and tv/internet seperate. Yah sure I've heard of some mates with the all in one package and they save some but just like to not keep all the eggs in one basket for me.

BTW if you can get a phone with wifi and it is able to work with Skype you can call out without using cell air time via local open wifi spots.

I'm not really too into the touch screens and I am bias towards 'one piece' AKA 'candy bar' phones which are the non folding ones because I'm always mobile on the go. Touchscreen is nice and the iphone is a powerful phone but when you're running hard or riding hard you can't really put the eyes on the phone to see the touch keypad that is when the riased keypad system works best as you can memorize the keypad and if needed can work the phone from memory pushing the buttons while doing something else then having to put your eyes to the screen to dial a phone number.

Also having had friends that did cell phone repairs for Bell before I've been told that while flip phones are convient and compact the weakness of the phone is two fold. 1. the hinge area should you for some reason apply pressure on the back of the open phone hard enough (ie. fall/etc) you run a good chance of snapping the phone in half (often) as I've seen from some phones before. Also 2. wearing of the data ribbon at the flip point over time.

If you do get an iphone check out http://www.otterbox.com for thier Defender and Armor cases. IIRC the Armor is waterproof to 1 meter should you need that. Defender is more day to day rugged commuter protection. IIRC Otterbox are the guys that made the Itouch case with the rifle mount which the US Army now has itouchs issued to snipers. Good company keeps your kit safe because eventually your kit is going to take a knocking no matter how safe you are.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

I pay $35 for my iphone on Rogers

150min voice, weeknights and weekends unlimited
3000+ sent text /w unlimited receive
call display, name display, call waiting
visual voice mail
500MB data

this package is not available today, and I lose mine in 1 1/2 years, will probably paying a lot more once my contract runs out


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

conix67 said:


> I pay $35 for my iphone on Rogers
> 
> 150min voice, weeknights and weekends unlimited
> 3000+ sent text /w unlimited receive
> ...


how the arf did you get the conix?!! damn dude!


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Seriously!?!? For our 2 iphones, we pay about $170 per month. I'm def going to call and ask for retentions. Don't know why we never thought of it with Rogers, we managed to get our Bell internet/satellite tv/home phone bill chopped in half by threatening to leave...


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

hojimoe said:


> frankly all carriers are asses


I was going to say that.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

AquaNeko said:


> Also having had friends that did cell phone repairs for Bell before I've been told that while flip phones are convient and compact the weakness of the phone is two fold. 1. the hinge area should you for some reason apply pressure on the back of the open phone hard enough (ie. fall/etc) you run a good chance of snapping the phone in half (often) as I've seen from some phones before. Also 2. wearing of the data ribbon at the flip point over time.
> 
> If you do get an iphone check out


yeah iv heard that about flip phones also, will definitely avoid them.

iphone is way too $$ for me and like i said, i dont intend on getting a data plan and it seems to me that thats one of the better features of an iphone. Also i personally dont like Mac in general lol, overpriced/over-hyped IMO

Im sort of leaning towards either Rogers/Bell, since we have rogers internet/cable and bell for our home phone, so might be able to bundle in a cellphone contract with that for a lower price/coerce them into giving a deal lol.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2010)

I switched from Bell to Rogers last fall after many years as a Bell customer. I actually was an original Bell Cellular customer with one of those big clunky phones in the '90's.

I wouldn't have left but Bell wouldn't let me keep my phone, which I loved, and switch my plan to pay-as-you-go, nor would they match the Rogers promotion (at that time anyway). I couldn't justify the cost of the service for the amount of use I gave it.

I rarely talk on the phone. I mostly text between my wife while she's at work via MSN. I wanted a plan that gave me unlimted text. I opted for the $25 per month talk, text and click. If I talk more than 30 minutes a month it would be surprising. Last month I had only 13 minutes talk time which works out to $4.55 above the $25 I pay per month. Between my wife and about 10 other people I had around 780 text messages last month which cost me $0 above the $25 per month I pay.

I could care less about data plans because who wants to browse the web on a 3" screen. I could care less about that aspect. I have updated my facebook via my phone through the mobile browser which again because of my pay-as-you-go plan cost me $0 above the $25 per month.

I am no fan of Rogers. I had a very bad run in with them a little over 10 years ago because of an over billing situation (cable). They have been fine so far with this phone, which I love. I don't need a fancy camera or video. It takes basic pictures if I need but has a nice keyboard which is great for texting.

Think of what you really need the phone for and look for a plan, contract or pay-as-you-go, and select your carrier on your needs. I researched at third party resellers like Best Buy or the Telephone Booth before I made my choice and would suggest the same.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

A little off topic but those who think data plan is only about mobile browsing, that's not quite true. The small screen makes traditional web browsing not feasible, that's why there are tons of specialized mobile apps available, all serving the form factor of smart phones perfectly.

You'll see more services available on mobile internet, and traditional use of internet will be much reduced in favor of mobile services (not just on data plans, but wifi included). Just look at what Google/Apple are doing today.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

hojimoe said:


> how the arf did you get the conix?!! damn dude!


My voice plan was standard minimal one, but I get $5 for being in a family plan.

My data plan is a bundle package they offered for a very short time, it's effectively a $30 plan with $10 off every month.

There's tax and other fees, so I do pay a little over $40 a month altogether for my number..


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

yeah, im definitely going to have to access what i really want out of it and browse around on the plans.
Also, what are some recommended models(with full keyboard) that you've used?


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

conix67 said:


> I pay $35 for my iphone on Rogers
> 
> 150min voice, weeknights and weekends unlimited
> 3000+ sent text /w unlimited receive
> ...


Rogers "grandfathers" all contracts even after the expire, so as long as you don't sign a new contract or make any changes they'll still offer you the plan for the same price. I suggest getting a rententions deal after your contract is over, they'll offer you something even better or can throw in some freebies such as free rogers to rogers or monthly credits.


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## WateraDrop (Nov 16, 2008)

carmenh said:


> Seriously!?!? For our 2 iphones, we pay about $170 per month. I'm def going to call and ask for retentions. Don't know why we never thought of it with Rogers, we managed to get our Bell internet/satellite tv/home phone bill chopped in half by threatening to leave...


$170 a month!?!?!?! I'm with Bell and I'm using the HTC Hero. My monthly payment comes to around $27 with 400 minutes, unlimited texting and voicemail, caller ID and whatnot.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

If you look hard enough you may find someone (rare) that hardly uses a cell phone and wants to give that up. I do know that $19.95 plans are still out there when I spoke with Bell's CSR while fixing a DSL issue for a customer. They told me there are a small amount of people with those plans however those plans are grandfathered and you'll have to do some 'take over' of the plan negociations with the person owning the plan to pay them up front or something to keep that plan but it is still under the original owners name tho and not your name to get that pricing.

This is the plan we have here. I'm on a shared custom plan for $45 which I pay half. Check the ' * ' for the customed selection.



> Bonus: Choice of Double minutes (200 extra minutes), Unlimited text messaging1, Extended hours (5 p.m.-7 a.m. unlimited local calling), or Fab Five (unlimited calling and texting to and from 5 numbers nationwide)
> 50 bonus local minutes
> 
> Specifications
> ...


Customed modified plan from above stock plan:
*400 local/long distance mins US/CDN combined/shared
*100 txt messages /unlimited recieve
*1700-0700 unlimited local calls
*Unlimited local calling between plan members
*Call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail, call display, name display on all members in the plan.
*50Mb data (could not negociate better on this given the above listing so it was a give/take somewhere)

Been with Bell for a long time we had a lot of leverage given that they put us in the legacy customer area. I checked plans from Rogers and other companies at the time (before number portability) and we worked out that shared plan there. $40/month with taxes ~$45 Wished I had more data mins.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Yea, we both use it a lot and therefore get lots of text, data, and airtime but still! My hubby is also a gotta have-the-newest-technology guy so we keep getting locked into a new contract by buying a new phone at the "deal" price.

But I'm definitely going to call and grind them down... We signed out last contract before Bell had iPhone, now that there's competition, I have no doubt they'll work harder...


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## ohmyfish (Feb 20, 2010)

The cellphones provided through Rogers or Bell do not satisfy me, especially Fido. The selection of phones available from any carrier is always limited. Instead, I choose my favourite phone in the world and order it. Markways in Markham (markways.com) is one of the best in Canada. When it comes to a cellphone, I will not settle. Most people spend more time with their cellphone than with their spouse! Oh yeah, I'm with Fido and my bill is $10 dollars a month.


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## Big Jim (Jan 7, 2010)

I'm with virgin and my last bill before I got a blackberry was $32 a month. 100mins daytime unlimited evening and weekends, and unlimited texts including picture texts


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

ohmyfish said:


> The cellphones provided through Rogers or Bell do not satisfy me, especially Fido. The selection of phones available from any carrier is always limited. Instead, I choose my favourite phone in the world and order it. Markways in Markham (markways.com) is one of the best in Canada. When it comes to a cellphone, I will not settle. Most people spend more time with their cellphone than with their spouse! Oh yeah, I'm with Fido and my bill is $10 dollars a month.


That's pay as you go right? As in you buy the phone upfront at X cost. How much was the phone if it was a pay as you go?


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

so far this seems like a pretty good plan to me...
Fido: $25/month
100 anytime minutes, unlimited 7pm-7am, unlimited text

both rogers/bell are an additional $5 a month and their unlimited nights/weekend start at 9pm... you would think with all of their economies of scale they would be able to pitch a better price...


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