Cell phones

[edg]

So I'm thinking about buying a cell phone. Unless someone can come up with an overwhelming reason not to, I will probably go with Cingular as a provider, as they're the only provider in the US (to my knowledge) who allow unused minutes to be kept across months.

What I'm not sure on is the phone. I have three solid criteria:

It must not be a flat-body phone (in other words, it needs to be a flip-top or have a sliding panel that reveals the keypad), unless the power button is not easily accessible.

It must not cost me, when all is said and done, more than $300.

It must be heavy-duty enough to withstand being kept in my pocket.

Features, like games, text messaging, cameras, and the like, are completely optional; they're nice (except for the games - playing games on a cell phone = ugh) but I don't require them. What I do need is a device that will let me get in touch with people, and that will let people get in touch with me, when I don't have a land line handy.

So. Anybody have recommendations? What should I look for? What should I avoid?

Comments

[aurorafirechild.livejournal.com]

I would go with any provider that isn't Sprint. Sprint=Evil, Money Hungry Industry. I have and LG Verizon phone that I'm happy with, although the commerical with the guy running around to different places on his cell phone saying, "Can you hear me now? Good!", is very misleading, since I've been to some of those places, and get NO RECEPTION. Don't get a Kyocera brand phone. They are pieces of crap and won't last you long. Your best bet is to look at phones online, as suggested previously, and see which brand fits your needs, and which provider fits your price range. :)