Buy a new cell phone, possibly change carriers.

Gave up my land line totally and went straight cell with cable for the computer…a big deal in the over 50 crowd…not an easy jump to make for the old folks.

I kept the same stupid carrier, Nextel now together with Sprint= more dropped calls.
I did it mainly because I already had good credit with them, I pay my stuff on time, and it was just easdier that way.

Yes, nice.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006I2J96/qid=1112160299/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-5969207-0194451?v=glance&s=wireless&n=507846

I simply don’t use my cell phone as much as I could have, so I recently switched over to Virgin Mobile (my cell phone is en route) and their prepaid plan. I really like the fact that I could (theoretically) keep a cell phone for only $20 every 3 months, and nothing more. Plus, incoming text messages are free, so I can’t wait to abuse that!

I did some research and decided to stay with Tmobile for cost reasons. I got a free new phone and I only had to sign a 1 year contract.

I am considering new phones for my girlfriend and myself through Cingular. We are getting close. Just have to save a bit more cash.

and that makes it mostly painless. I did have two days totally without phone while it got sorted out.
(emailed tech support, well you could call us, well no I can’t I don’t have a phone. that’s the problem)

I change phone + provider every year, once my contract runs out.

Top Tips:

1) Play with friends phones, and find the one for you. Do you want/need a camera/flipphone/color display/Bluetooth? Do plenty of research. Decide on the one you want. Then shop for a provider that offers that phone.

2) Buy your phone from Amazon.com. In my experience, they always have the best deals, if you can be bothered with rebates—Often where you end up with more cash back than you spent!

3) DON’T SIGN UP FOR A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT! If you do, you’re stuck with the same phone + provider for two years, with no (cheap) way of changing. The providers are desperate to sucker you into a 2-year deal, now that number portability means you can take your phone number with you. The $50 you save at the start of the year might seem like a bargain twelve months later.

4) Every friend will have had different opinions of their cellphone provider. Someone will love AT&T, and say that they’ve never had less than three bars, EVER. The next will bitch about how AT&T dips out every time they move from their kitchen to the living room. All cellphone providers suck and rock in about the same percentage (about 60% suck to 30% rock!). It’s really all about finding the one that provides the phone you want.

Hope this helps!

Ive been using the same cell phone for something like 5 years now. Its my very first one. The battery won’t stay on without tape and its just silly to keep putting up with it. I figure I can either buy a new one or switch carriers and get a free one. I’ve been thinking about changing to the company that rolls over minutes or the one that varies your rate plan based on minutes used. Suggestions?