I need a new cell phone

[TheSizzle36]

If money weren't an issue, I'd get an iPhone, but that isn't an option right now. $150 is about the max I'd go out of pocket, and ideally I'd like to keep it around $50 or under.

Our 2 year contract with Verizon is almost up, but we are at the point now where we can re-up with them or wait until December and see what else is out there. Our last phones broke (stupid LG pieces of crap... so keep that in mind with recommendations that we want to avoid LG's) and we are using ghetto older phones that work, but have shown signs of going the route of our older LGs (randomly the phones go into car kit mode, and the person speaking can't hear you, it sucks bad). So we want to get away from LG phones.

I'm intrigued by the BlackBerry idea, but at the same time know that once you go that route you can't go back. A data plan would be nice, but not a necessity. We aren't 100% sold on Verizon, so if anybody has recommendations on service, I'd be interested in hearing your experiences as well as any recommendations on phones.

TIA.

[woot]

Originally Posted by TheSizzle36

If money weren't an issue, I'd get an iPhone, but that isn't an option right now. $150 is about the max I'd go out of pocket, and ideally I'd like to keep it around $50 or under.

Our 2 year contract with Verizon is almost up, but we are at the point now where we can re-up with them or wait until December and see what else is out there. Our last phones broke (stupid LG pieces of crap... so keep that in mind with recommendations that we want to avoid LG's) and we are using ghetto older phones that work, but have shown signs of going the route of our older LGs (randomly the phones go into car kit mode, and the person speaking can't hear you, it sucks bad). So we want to get away from LG phones.

I'm intrigued by the BlackBerry idea, but at the same time know that once you go that route you can't go back. A data plan would be nice, but not a necessity. We aren't 100% sold on Verizon, so if anybody has recommendations on service, I'd be interested in hearing your experiences as well as any recommendations on phones.

TIA.

I have a blackberry pearl and I love it. It's about the same size as a regular phone, so it doesn't have the full keyboard, but the 2-per-key system works pretty well with the built-in word guessing stuff. I don't really type much if ever, but it's nice for typing in web addresses and whatnot. I mostly just use it for checking email, but the data plan is nice for looking up directions or sports scores.

The only reason I bought a blackberry to begin with was because I was sick of my RAZR and everything like unto it, and 90% of the phones we saw at 3 different companies looked exactly like RAZRs.

I have some horror stories about verizon customer service, but their reception tended to be good. We recently went back to verizon for a couple weeks since ATTs reception wasn't doing it for us, but we ended up going with T-Mobile, as their reception was far superior to both. I think we're next to one of their towers, so who knows which company would be best where you live.