Looking to get a new phone from AT&T

[Jean-Luc]

Any suggestions from those of you who use AT&T? I'm currently looking at the:
Samsung Eternity (http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Samsung+Eternity&q_sku=sku3130239)
Blackberry Curve 8310 (http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=BlackBerry%C2%AE+Curve+8310+-+Titanium+%28Refurb%29&q_sku=sku1160076)
Pantech Matrix Pro (http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Pantech+Matrix+Pro%28TM%29&q_sku=sku3480390)
Samsung Magnet (http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Samsung+Magnet+-+Orange&q_sku=sku3730229)
Samsung Blackjack II (http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Samsung+BlackJack%28TM%29+II+-+Black&q_sku=sku1140027)
Samsung Propel Pro (http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Samsung+Propel%28TM%29+Pro+%28Refurbished% 29&q_sku=sku3910238)


Any suggestions you guys might have, or experience with the devices I listed would be great.

Oh, an additional note. Do NOT suggest the iPhone. I don't want it, nor can I afford it.

[Phopojijo]

Well if you're looking at the cost of the phone... the cost is really a small sliver of the whole overall cost of ownership.

The raping begins when you're locked in a contract.

[Jean-Luc]

I'm trying to keep the cost of the phone <$50.

I'm more concerned about what each phone can do, if they're reliable, easy to use. That kind of stuff.

[Phopojijo]

I'm trying to keep the cost of the phone <$50.

I'm more concerned about what each phone can do, if they're reliable, easy to use. That kind of stuff.Yeah that's the problem... lets say you have a 40$/mo contract.

After your 2 year term... you would have spent 960$ on the phone.

So you'd be going from a 1010$ phone to a 1060$ phone if you were to get a 100$ phone... o.O

[Cojafoji]

Do not get an at&t phone. Everyone I know who has dealt with them feels violated in more ways than one.

[Jean-Luc]

We only have three carriers out here. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Through experience, we've determined that T-Mobile sucks hard out here (In the house, with a cell phone booster and STILL no signal?). Verizon sucks hardcore with their customer support, and will only try to sell you something instead of actually helping you.

Only option is AT&T.

[Abdurahman]

The eternity is nice.

[Masterz1337]

3G 8 gig iPhones can be bought refurbished from Apple for 50$ biaaaaaaaaaatchhhhhhhhhhhh.

+1 Apple.

[Phopojijo]

Yeah with at least a 70$/mo contract -- 90$/mo if you want unlimited texting.

Don't worry Sleet, you're gouged for buying Apple even after you buy the hardware.

[Masterz1337]

That's AT&T's problem, not Apples. Pretty sure the US has the highest rates for the iPhone.

[Disaster]

I'm trying to keep the cost of the phone <$50.

I'm more concerned about what each phone can do, if they're reliable, easy to use. That kind of stuff.

I personally have the LG Xenon.

Really good phone. I've never had any problems with it.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=LG+Xenon(TM)+-+Blue&q_sku=sku3680271

[Jean-Luc]

That's AT&T's problem, not Apples. Pretty sure the US has the highest rates for the iPhone.
Right, because Apple has absolutely no influence on the pricing of both their hardware and the REQUIRED $30/modata package that comes with it. Despite the iPhone being a good phone, fuck Apple's price gouging.

Anyways, I'm going into the store tomorrow to demo a few of the phones, then I'll make my decision. Leaning heavily towards the Samsung Eternity right now.

@Disaster
The Xenon looks nice indeed, but $100 price tag puts me off.

E: Welp, if I had read I would see it had 3G. I'm dumb.

[Disaster]

Right, because Apple has absolutely no influence on the pricing of both their hardware and the REQUIRED $30/modata package that comes with it. Despite the iPhone being a good phone, fuck Apple's price gouging.

Anyways, I'm going into the store tomorrow to demo a few of the phones, then I'll make my decision. Leaning heavily towards the Samsung Eternity right now.

@Disaster
The Xenon looks nice indeed, but $100 price tag puts me off.

E: Welp, if I had read I would see it had 3G. I'm dumb.

http://wireless.bestbuy.com/specialoffer.aspx?cid=34308_bacb545f2e90481d98a43b 6449d1a50e

Actually, If you purchase it through BestBuy (which I did), you only have to pay $50. :iamafag:

[Heathen]

iPhone.

[Phopojijo]

That's AT&T's problem, not Apples. Pretty sure the US has the highest rates for the iPhone.... Annnd Apple chose AT&T because they were paid by AT&T for exclusivity and because they wanted to only support that one carrier in the USA.

Apple chose AT&T for selfish reasons... don't apologize for them.

... Though I wasn't dissing Apple -- I was just saying that the iPhone is more expensive than its 50$ pricetag would suggest.

[Heathen]

but its worth it.

[Jean-Luc]

It's not worth it for those of us who can't afford the mandatory data plan, hate Apple's locked hardware/software, and are not going to take advantage of the features the iPhone offers.

[Masterz1337]

I don't believe the 70$ iphone plan is much more expensive than the BB bills. I could be wrong though. Don't bitch about Apple locking down on the phone, you can just jailbreak. If you can crack apps, you can jailbreak, and everyone on this forum pirates, it's no secret. AT&T is the one responsible for the high bills for the subsidized price, just like they're the ones forcing apple to reject apps that will strain their bandwidth (not to say Apple doesn't reject apps for no good reason, but a large part of it is AT&T screwing both Apple and the customer over)

Also Apple chose Verizon, but they turned Apple down, so they went to AT&T. Get your facts straight.

[Phopojijo]

Also Apple chose Verizon, but they turned Apple down, so they went to AT&T. Get your facts straight.No... they chose AT&T because Verizon wouldn't agree to sharing their service fees with Apple.

Which by the way is probably why AT&T made "special plans" for the iPhone.

Still Apple there too. They followed who would give them the best profit, not who would benefit their customers most.

Obviously that's what most businesses do -- but to stick up for them for it is insane.

[Jean-Luc]

Gather around children, it's time for a nice story about our dealings with AT&T today.

I'm operating on a family plan, and we created said plan on the phone earlier this morning. My sister and I are getting Samsung Impressions, and my father asked for the iPhone 3GS. Well, he unfortunately couldn't get the iPhone online because for some arbitrary reason AT&T partnered with Costco, meaning you could only get the phone from Costco, or from an AT&T store. There was no shipping to be found.

Here's where the story gets fun. At a nearby AT&T store, the iPhone was out of stock. I offered to go to Orange (~45 minutes away) to drop by Costco and pick one up. I go there, and on the very DAY we learn of this partnership, they are completely out of stock, and "will be for some time."

So, I go to an AT&T store in the same city, and find that they have an iPhone 3GS in stock. Hurrah I'm thinking! Nope. I walk in and ask for the iPhone 3GS, telling the person working there that we had activated a plan earlier in the morning, and that I wanted to pick up the iPhone since we couldn't get it online. He wouldn't let me. He said he can't let me purchase an iPhone because A) I'm not my father, and B) The account was "pending."

I thought this was some major league bullshit, and then he tried to SELL me a new plan, on top of the one we made mere hours earlier, in order to get us to buy the iPhone right then. I leave the store pissed off and put out, and drive the 45 minutes home.

Just to shit on my day further, I just checked the AT&T website. All iPhones are back, the apparent 9 hour partnership with Costco is gone, and my entire day was meaningless.

FUCK. THIS. SHIT.

[Corndogman]

Uh, that last post was confusing so I'm not sure if you've already gotten one, but i was going to suggest:

Sony Ericsson W760a

I got mine for $50 at the AT&T store. camera is decent, 3.2 mp, does video too. Has a cord for connecting to pc, simple windows explorer interface. I love mine because I can easily put on games that I downloaded, and edit any song I like on my computer then transfer it to be used as a ringtone. Plus transferring pictures and videos to your pc.

[Jean-Luc]

Uh, that last post was confusing so I'm not sure if you've already gotten one, but i was going to suggest:


My sister and I are getting Samsung Impressions

Which part of that was confusing?