Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cell Questions tagged with 'cell' at Ask MetaFilter. Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:00:42 -0800 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:00:42 -0800 en-us 60 Protected text messages randomly disappeared from my RAZR droid I regularly delete my messages from my droid. I have a bunch of protected messages that I have locked and they always stay there when I delete all of the thread. I just went to look for one of those messages and they are all gone!!!!!!!!!! Is there any way to retrieve these? I see a bunch of threads on the net, but can't find anything that works HELP!!!!!!!!,2014:site.272026 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:00:42 -0800 kbbbo Help me find a dumbphone! Which dumbphone should I get? Special snowflake details inside. Hello, <br> <br> A friend would like the best non-smartphone on the market that contains the following qualities. She has AT&amp;T service. I believe it's possible for her to bring in an aftermarket phone and have them hook it up. <br> <br> -Lots of memory<br> -A decent battery<br> -A decent camera<br> -A full qwerty keyboard.<br> <br> Does anyone have any suggestions based on personal experience?,2014:site.271793 Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:29:29 -0800 nurgle Nothing good ever comes from a visit to a phone store... Ordered cell phone online. Picked up cell phone in person. Salesman claims order was cancelled and happily placed a new order on the spot. Am I being paranoid by smelling a rat? Details inside... I ordered a new phone online from a Large National Carrier beginning with "A". They instructed me to go to a local corporate store for pick up. They were very busy and very shorthanded so when I had to wait 40 minutes for a sales associate, I wasn't too pissed. When it was my turn I told the salesman why I was there, he got my ID, and went right in the back and came out within 5 minutes with my phone. He asks for my ID again and then walks over to someone who I assume was the manager. They look at the iPad or whatever they use, stand there chatting for the next 15 minutes, and then I get an email: "Confirmation that your order has been cancelled". Confused, I started to get up from my seat to go ask the guy what was going on and he rushes over and tells me that my original order "didn't go through so we had to cancel it and just place it here." Since I have been in sales most of my life I immediately jumped to the conclusion that they had cancelled the online sale in favor of their local sale so they could get credit for it - and I was pissed about this because they made me wait 20 minutes to do it. My question is, was this a reasonable assumption, or are they just guilty of poor service? Did they game the system or am I just paranoid?,2014:site.270241 Sun, 19 Oct 2014 20:37:49 -0800 brownrd Wi-Fi calling Republic vs. T-mobile I want to get a pre-paid android phone asap (for a trip), but I also want to be able to use it at home and my house is at the bottom of a hill and has no to poor coverage. I'm thinking that wi-fi calling may be a solution. My coverage at home is: none for T-moble or Tracphone, no bars but calls kind of possible for AT&amp;T, one bar for Verison). I currently use an antique T-mobile pre-paid, which doesn't work till I'm 100 yards from my house. I'd like a phone that works well with wi-fi, that way I can use the phone at home. What I want to do with the phone:<br> 1. Have GPS and camera (so I can carry less things on trips).<br> 2. Have data to look up the location of things like gas stations that carry diesel, etc. on trips.<br> 3. Work at my house (probably through wi-fi).<br> 4. Make less than 10 minutes of calls per month, never text.<br> 5. Be pre-paid and like a little bird - cheap, cheap, cheap.<br> I'm trying to decide between T-mobile (<a href="">will supply a wi-fi optimized router</a>) or Republic wireless whose phones are optimized for wi-fi. So my question is which carrier, and which phone.,2014:site.269558 Mon, 06 Oct 2014 07:45:40 -0800 445supermag please help me europe-anize my tmobile prepaid phone I currently have my iPhone4 on tmobile's $30 for 100 min and unlimited data, prepaid plan. I need to spend a week in Barcelona soon. I was told by customer service that I will not be able to roam in Barcelona using this plan; any tips for how to make my cell phone experience in Barcelona as close as possible to what I have here? I saw this <a href="">question</a>, but the OP started in Spain and solutions offered seemed to use that as a tool. The O2 offer looks reasonable to me, but I'm not sure how to implement it from here in the US or once I would arrive in Spain.<br> <br> <br> Here's the highlights of what I would like:<br> 1. The ability to make calls to Spanish and American phone numbers.<br> 2. No limits on data or simple method for topping up (for example, Tmobile told me that I could use a more expensive plan in order to have 10- 100 Mb data available in Spain, but once that bucket is empty, I could not roam any more -- I don't want to worry about running out)<br> 3. Simple billing so that I show clearly my costs, since I can be reimbursed by my company -- it would be better if I just paid a lump sum for the week, but that's not an absolute requirement<br> <br> All suggestions welcome even if they don't perfectly meet all these requirements<br> <br> Regarding buying a Spanish SIM:<br> I'm willing to buy a Spanish SIM, but where and which plan? I have read the Orange site and it seems like the Ballein or DElfin plan PAYG plans would work, but how does the international calling add on fit in to that? how do I pay for the per minute charges and will it be a messy bill?<br> I'm also willing to use a different American PAYG if it would allow roaming - but I looked into AT&amp;T so far, and they just don't even have a mechanism for any international roaming.<br> <br> I should have WiFi sometimes and will try to depend on that, but one of my colleagues is there already and says that he would have been hindered in making necessary calls if he didn't have the ability to use his cell. (things are stilling getting setup at our Spanish site, so it's really best to be self-sufficient...)<br> <br> tl;dr simplest route to getting something like the cell service I have here, so that I can concentrate on getting my work done while there...,2014:site.262529 Mon, 26 May 2014 12:10:29 -0800 Tandem Affinity How to get music from Dropbox to Droid Maxx &amp; help with downloading I have a new Droid Maxx phone. It doesn't have an SD card - just internal storage. I can't figure out how to get my music on it. My old phone, another Android (Motorola Bionic) has WinAmp on it. WinAmp, however, is no more so I can't download it to my new phone. I loved WinAmp because when I "favorited" (i.e. downloaded) my songs on Dropbox, they went directly to WinAmp and I could make playlists easily.<br> <br> I have not been able to find anything that will do this on my new phone. And I don't really understand my new phone, either. I downloaded a whole bunch of music player apps to see if they could substitute for WinAmp, but none of them are able to find my music on Dropbox. I even downloaded an app that specifically says that's what it does -- gets Dropbox music files into...someplace. But I could not figure it out.<br> <br> Then I downloaded an app called AIMP(beta). People seem to love AIMP (I guess for PC, not phones). Somehow I was able to get some songs into the playlist. But there is no way to make another playlist. Also I can't remember how I got my songs into it yesterday! (I've been futzing around with too many apps at once.)<br> <br> So then I connected my phone via USB to my PC to try to look around and see what's going on in there, and there was an icon that said "Internal Storage." Sounds great, right? But there's virtually nothing in there -- not in the Music folder or Ringtones folder, etc. within there. So that the factory ringtones are somewhere else, and where they are is not obvious or accessible (there is no "Files" icon on the phone). <br> <br> I seem to be able to go to a song on Dropbox, Export it, it goes into "Music" folder, but then no app recognizes it as music. If I sound utterly confused, it's because I am.<br> <br> Why is my phone so mysterious? Is there a music player that will recognize my music in Dropbox and let me make playlists?<br> <br> So basically I wouldn't really need a music app like WinAmp that will retrieve my files automatically from Dropbox if I had instead some way to get those Dropbox music files into --- somewhere on the phone, where they would be recognized by any one of a zillion free music players for Android that are available. Thanks.,2014:site.262439 Sat, 24 May 2014 13:55:10 -0800 DMelanogaster Name My Mobile Phone (at least it's not a baby or a pet or a playlist) I am considering one of those "design your own" mobile phones and would like to make the most of the limited line of characters that can be printed on the back. Examples and requirements within. I've got 18 characters. Disregarding bathroom humor/porn, all I can think of are things like:<br> <br> @;--,-'--- <br> <br> or<br> <br> (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ <br> <br> The former is a little bland and the latter doesn't work. From what I can tell, the system accepts letters, numbers, shift+number symbols, and punctuation. Basically, the preview function won't let me enter anything that's not pictured on a keyboard. If it matters, I think the text will be subtle with the color options I've selected, so it won't be obvious to anyone not looking for it. <br> <br> Can you help me use 18 characters to write or "draw" something silly or pleasant or interesting or funny or goofy on the back of my phone? Please keep it rated PG-13ish (no gross-out/nudity/porn).,2014:site.258682 Fri, 14 Mar 2014 09:11:56 -0800 juliplease A smart phone smart enough to answer incoming calls by voice. Due to limited mobility from a disability, I'm forced to rely strictly on voice commands to control a cell phone. Over the years, trying to find a solution for reliable hands free functionality in this area has been challenging. Anyone familiar with voice recognition in the past knows the capricious, quirky nature of the beast. It can be VERY frustrating and almost comical at times. Anyway, with today's processing speeds and the advent of Siri and Google Now, I can happily say that it's almost there for me. In fact, I give a 90% approval rating for recent experiences with the latest Iphone and Android products. The biggest obstacle now has been the necessity to hit the home button to trigger the lovely Siri. This last hindrance was overcome by none other than Google with their release of the Moto X -- which waits in standby mode listening for your command. I was so excited by all the reviews that I rushed out to buy my own. It turned out fantastically, but (and there's always a butt in these things) it came with another quirky disappointment. And this one is kind of surprising: The damn thing won't answer incoming calls by voice. I've looked thru all the settings and searched high and low for an app but to no avail. The closest I've come is an app that auto answers after one ring, but who wants that? What if I'm trying to dodge the ex-gf. Lol. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.,2014:site.258652 Thu, 13 Mar 2014 18:01:48 -0800 dthm42 Do those reverse phone number look-up websites actually work? Do those reverse phone number look-up websites actually work? I think I have a stalker on my hands. Over the last week, I've been getting explicit text messages from a number unknown to me. After asking "who is this?" twice, with no answer, I have decided that this is a crazy person and will not respond to them. They have used my name in the texts, so I know it's not a wrong number. I plan on blocking them, but I would still like to know who it is. It's a local area code, so that isn't very helpful in identifying them. <br> <br> I've done the thing where I have a friend call to see if they answer or have a voicemail message--but they don't answer and their voicemail is automated. I've also googled the number to no avail. I'm wondering if any of those reverse look-up websites where you have to pay actually work--I'm willing to throw a one-time fee at this to get an answer. <br> <br> I'm not worried about my safety so much, and I live in NYC so calling the cops would be useless, but really I just want to know in order to be aware of a person I should avoid. <br> <br> Any ideas on how to identify this person using their phone number?,2014:site.258206 Wed, 05 Mar 2014 08:39:44 -0800 greta simone How much more secure are older low tech phones than the more modern ones Are older phones or phones designed for poorer countries any less susceptible to spying than the latest Apple, Google or Android models? I've read about CEO's looking for the very old brick phones because since they don't have the sophisticated technology of the modern phones, they're harder to monitor or track. I understand the phones w/o apps are clearly more secure regarding third parties because they aren't sending personal data to companies. But what the government and everything else; voice, location via cell towers, SMS; the very basics.,2014:site.254750 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 14:38:10 -0800 CollectiveMind Best prepaid plan for iPhone 4s? I previously had an android phone and was doing the t-mobile unlimited talk/text/data for $50 a month. Now I have a used iPhone 4s. I've never used anything made by Apple before so I'm a bit confused. From some research, it appears that data network is different and doesn't support 4g the same way so the t-mobile thing I was doing may not be the best way to go? Anyway, does anyone know what is the best deal for a (preferably) prepaid talk/text/data plan for the iphone 4s? Thanks!,2013:site.254382 Fri, 27 Dec 2013 23:11:50 -0800 long haired child Purchase used iPhone on Amazon? My iPhone was stolen and I need to purchase a new one. I am considering saving myself the hassle of a craigslist interaction by purchasing a used one through an Amazon retailer. Has anyone done this? Would you recommend it? Anything I should look for specifically besides carrier compatibility etc.?,2013:site.254166 Mon, 23 Dec 2013 07:18:34 -0800 Packy_1962 Finding the fastest wall charger for my cell phone What specs do I need to look at to find the fastest cell phone charger? Full recharges on some chargers take the whole night, while others take an hour. I'm now looking to buy new chargers, hopefully with multiple ports, that would charge my phone as fast as possible.<br> <br> I have an old HTC Vivid phone, but I'd like to know what specs I need to look at for any cell phone in the future.<br> <br> Thanks for the help.,2013:site.253126 Wed, 04 Dec 2013 12:47:22 -0800 n81acc How do I make sure my iPhone isn't a brick in India(prepaid SIM plans)? I'm going to be travelling to India soon and I wanted to get a prepaid cellular connection for my iPhone to avoid roaming charges and for internet access. What's the cheapest/best prepaid connection in India (going to be travelling around South India)? Is there some way I can buy it in the US so I can have cellular access from when I immediately arrive? (I will be using a lot of data because I will not be near wifi and would prefer not to go to an internet cafe every time I need to access the internet)<br> <br> I know T-Mobile offers no roaming charges now but this will not work for me because it looks like the plans are much cheaper in india and I've got an unlocked phone.<br> <br> What's the cheapest/best prepaid connection in India? Is there some way I can buy it in the US so I can have cellular access from when I immediately arrive?<br> <br> I've found the following: <br> <br> (Looks like a prepaid Airtel SIM). Are there any other websites that sell these SIM cards as well? Does any have any experience with this site?,2013:site.252896 Sun, 01 Dec 2013 10:20:36 -0800 touareg How much for a Wireless Tower ground lease? A wireless carrier has approached us about building a cell tower on our property in Northern Virginia. Aside from using the bandits that pop up in a Google search, how do we determine a fair ground lease price? We have been approached by a major wireless provider about building a cell tower on our property in Northern Virginia. It would be located on a remote back piece of our 7-acre residential parcel, in a semi-rural location, but still within the DC suburbs. There are a number of "cell tower consultants" that are happy to take a percentage of the lease they obtain for you, but they also have a reputation for scaring the cell companies away to nearby landowners who are not using such services. They have already conducted a site study and prepared detailed technical drawings, so they seem moderately serious about using the site on our property. <br> <br> Older questions have asked for similar advice, but may be dated. We understand some of the basic terms to seek in an agreement, but really don't have a clue as to what fair valuation is for leasing a small portion of our land. The initially discussed basic rent seems very low. Any hive experience in this area?,2013:site.252343 Thu, 21 Nov 2013 07:02:06 -0800 Anonymous Help me switch my phone from one provider to another Can someone help me with the technical aspects of switching my cell phone from one provider to another? The good news is I finally got Verizon to agree to let me out of my contract with no early termination fee (I moved to an area where Verizon has basically no coverage). The bad news is I don't know if my phone will work with other providers. <br> <br> I ended up getting a landline, so getting coverage at my house is no longer an important issue for me. I want to have a cellphone to use for when I'm not at work or home - where I have both internet access and landlines. So I'm looking for a month to month contract or a prepaid plan. T-Mobile seems to have some good ones but I can't get a good answer from them or Verizon on whether my <strong>Verizon Samsung S3 Galaxy (model SCH-1535)</strong> will work outside of Verizon. When I google it, I get a lot of technical jargon (rooting, CDMA, etc) that doesn't mean anything to me. <br> <br> I have a vague idea that I might need to unlock my phone. Verizon will not give me the unlock code. I've unlocked a Verizon phone (Blackberry) before so I could use it abroad with a SIM card, it cost me $10 through some unlock code site. Is this an option with my Galaxy? I've read that Verizon and T-mobile are totally different technologies so that won't work? I really have no idea.<br> <br> Can someone tell me <br> <br> 1. If it's possible to take my phone from Verizon to T-Mobile?<br> 2. If so, what do I need to do to make it work (without jargon)?<br> 3. If not, are there any carriers where my phone will work?<br> <br> I would rather keep my phone if at all possible as it's still pretty new, it works well and I like it. Thanks!,2013:site.248681 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 18:18:36 -0800 triggerfinger Broadband and mobile in Dublin Ireland? As a follow up to <a href="">this</a>, my son is flying to Dublin tomorrow from the US, attending DCU. He's got an apartment lined up but will need to get Internet service for it and a SIM card for his iPhone 4S shortly after he arrives. He'll be there for about a year. We're looking for specific recommendations for Internet service and mobile providers, and where/how to sign up! Possible complication: it will be a while before he can get a local bank account set up.,2013:site.248241 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 18:40:04 -0800 cosmac Found: Disablility Friendly Phone, Available to a Good Home Can you help me find a usuable phone for my disabled 72 year old mother? Physical Limitations:<br> <br> My mom had a stroke 23 years ago. She's in a wheelchair. She only has the use of the right side of her body i.e., right hand and right leg. In addition her vision is affected all around but especially in her left hand field of view. If you are on her left side you might as well not exist. If you are on her right side she knows you are there but has the normal corrected vision of a 72 year old, far-sighted person with tri-focals.<br> <br> Mental Limitations:<br> <br> My mom had her stroke in 1990. Even though she has used various technology on/off over the years she basically missed the boat on making interaction with computers and gadgets part of her normal way of thinking. Things have to be explained to her in great detail. She doesn't always grasp what is being discussed using the normal "growing up using computers" way that alot of people think so sometimes you have to come at things from a completely different direction. In addition her stroke has affected her brain which has affected her memory. She can't remember tons of different passwords and PINs and codes, and also complicated procedures for, oh, I don't know...answering the phone?<br> <br> Ideal Phone Would Work Like This:<br> <br> 0) My mom wears the phone on a lanyard and she can grab it with her good hand.<br> <br> 1) Phone Rings on Incoming Call: My mom grabs the phone and looks at it. She can clearly see the name of the person who is calling. If it's an unknown name then the number is clearly visible. If my Mom wants to answer the phone she puts the phone in front of her mouth and says "Hello". The phone recognizes her voice and answers the phone and she starts talking to whoever is on the phone. (I don't want to her to draw a pattern to start talking. She can never remember and/or see the device to recreate these patterns.)<br> <br> 2) To Check Voicemail. My mom puts the phone to her mouth and says "Voice Mail". The phone dials right in to her voicemail and starts playing her voicemail messages. As she listens to the message she decides she wants to delete it. She says "Delete" and the phone deletes the message. She listens to the next message and wants to save it. She says "Save" and the phone saves it. (I don't want her to have to enter a PIN to access her voicemail and I don't want her to have to press buttons to access and manage her voicemail.)<br> <br> 3) She needs to make an outgoing call. She puts the phone to her mouth and says "Call Home". The phone recoginizes her voice and calls the number programmed into her phone as home. (Again without using a pattern to unlock the phone or her hand to bring up a teeny tiny list of contacts and scroll through them)<br> <br> Right now it takes multiple minutes and/or people and/or supernormal incantations to make a phone call, take a phone call and check her voicemail. Whenever she goes to a phone store they sell her a bill of goods about the capabilities and/or ease of use and/or capabilities of their phones.<br> <br> I want to help her find something that is a good fit for her limitations. The phone needs to be able to do the basics, really, really well, before I even concern myself with the realm of texting, picture taking etc.<br> <br> Does anyone know of a phone that is a good for a person who is older, one-handed, vision-corrected, vision-limited, mentally-limited and unfamiliar with the PC and Personal Gadget paradigm? I realize that not everything as I describe it may be available in any solution. But even just a subset of it *or* a company that thinks of the needs of a disabled person, would be a good start.<br> <br> P.S.: My mom is a very smart person, and is aware of her limitations. The things that she can remember, whether pre or post stroke, she remembers well. She volunteers. She has received her Master Gardener's certification. She stays very active. She's trying to meet the world half way. Now we need the world to do it's part.<br> <br> Thanks!,2013:site.247892 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 12:36:24 -0800 dgeiser13 Really? $1000/year? I need a phone plan (US). All the options seem bad. Can anyone think of an option I've missed? Special snowflake details inside. So I'm feeling quite sorry for myself as I'm about to lose the free phone plan I've had for the past two years. Here's my special case:<br> <br> - I live in California. There is no cell reception at my house (sometimes texts arrive a day late or the phone will ring but conversations are almost always impossible: success rate 2 calls/2 years).<br> - I call Canada during my commute for 3-4 hours per month. <br> - I would like to be able to text with my Canadian sister.<br> - Otherwise, maybe 30 minutes of domestic calls per month. <br> - I don't currently have a smartphone but having some sort of app that would tell me about accidents/mudslides on my route home sounds really handy.<br> - My Canadian family are all on iThings, so I use imessage with them when I have wifi. I like my iPod and am thinking of an iPhone (I know not to buy one this week), but I'm not too invested. <br> <br> I've thought of calling cards for calling Canada and using data instead of texting, which may make things cheaper since the international aspect is complicating things.<br> <br> Here are the options I've thought of:<br> - Ting: I think this sounds great, except they won't sell me a plan because they don't have coverage at my house. I think I could use a friend's address or my work, though. International texting included, calling Canada is $0.15/min. I have access to an old phone I could test this out with first.<br> - AT&amp;T: I get a 21% discount through my work, which still ends up being ~$100/month. Seriously, $20/month to add texting to your phone?<br> -Verizon: 7% discount through work, still really expensive. Their website makes it sound like you can get the same 2 gig data plan either prepaid or on a plan, but you'll pay $40 extra per month for the privilege of having a contract. I don't understand. They do seem to have the best coverage around home though.<br> - T-Mobile: possible although I'm concerned about coverage. They have $10 International Talk &amp; Text plan, except calls have to originate from their network and there are two gaps on my drive home.<br> -Straighttalk: international texting is not even possible. Concerned about the fact that they are currently being sued for their unlimited data claims.<br> - Other MVNOs: Some of these sound great on their websites but every single one seems to have terrible reviews online. Ignoring the reviews, promising sounding ones are Airvoice Wireless, Boost, Simple Mobile, Redpocket, net10, ptel. Is anyone happy with any of those? I am also concerned about coverage being not good enough. But I guess these don't come with contracts so I could experiment. <br> - The "I give up" option: get a PAYG plan for emergencies, save many hundreds of dollars per year, tell my family I'll call them via Skype at less convenient times, and listen to even more podcasts while driving.<br> <br> And a bonus question: if the coverage maps show 2G for most of the way home, is that good enough for phone calls?<br> <br> I feel like I have enough information here to make some sort of decision but nothing here seems very good. Anyone just want to make a decision for me?,2013:site.247883 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:19:14 -0800 carolr Disposing of a very broken cell phone? I have an old Palm Pre with a very shattered screen that probably doesn't power on anymore (I haven't gone near it since it shattered). What is the best way to recycle it? I live in Seattle and the city recycling does not accept e-waste. I know there are a number of places you can mail cell phones to be recycled but I'm very unclear on if they accept non-working cell phones with broken screens, etc. Anyone have personal experience with any of these services?,2013:site.247664 Sat, 31 Aug 2013 15:40:29 -0800 tigeri Porting number from Sprint to Boost? (without contract being finished) I need to port my Sprint phone number over to boost. Bills are out of control and I rue ever leaving Boost for a contract phone. I've been with Sprint over a year, but not long enough to finish out two-year contract. Yes--I know I will be on hook for early termination fee. My main worry is that I owe money to Sprint (phone is still on for a few more days). I want porting to go smoothly and I do not want to lose my cell phone number. I can do this tomorrow or later today. Just let me know what I need to do to port number smoothly. Thanks for your help.,2013:site.246338 Fri, 09 Aug 2013 09:18:14 -0800 caveatz Seeking cell phone advice for non-savvy pensioner Advice please: (1) are there SIM only, pay-as-you-go cell options available in Canada (2) any recommendations for a solid, inexpensive, quad-band phone for a pensioner that probably won't use apps Looking into this for my mum. She recently remarried, after being not so recently widowed. She is based in the UK, but now spends at least half the year with her Canadian husband. She has a 10 year old Nokia handset (pay as you go on a UK network), so basically no functioning cell phone while in Canada. This is inconvenient, so she'd like to get one. <br> <br> Nearly all the advice she has had has been 'get an iPhone 4'. The thing is - she doesn't particularly want one. She almost certainly won't use apps to any significant extent, she might use email / IM lightly, and she doesn't like touchscreens. She's fairly locked into Google services (Gmail, Picasa and IM via hangouts; and her new husband has an Acer Android tablet that she can now just about find her way around), but fundamentally if given the choice between a simple phone and an smartphone at a similar price, I wouldn't be surprised if she chose the simple phone. <br> <br> So - I've promised to help her out on two fronts: <br> 1. Research and recommend a phone that meets her requirements (rather than someone else's wish list) - simple to use, long battery life, preferably non touch screen, works in Canada and UK with a simple SIM swap <br> 2. Find her best option for a Canadian SIM deal - preferably pay as you go with credit that doesn't expire, or expires over a very long period (I can find a similar deal in the UK)<br> <br> My instinct is that an older Blackberry might fit her phone needs pretty well. Failing that a low end Samsung Galaxy (though I haven't yet validated that both are definitely quad band). I'm very interested to hear recommendations on SIM-only cell deals in the Canadian market. <br> <br> Cheers!,2013:site.245690 Tue, 30 Jul 2013 09:09:28 -0800 bifter My new smartphone was stolen. I want a new one, without the price tag. This past week, when i was away on vacation, my Samsung Galaxy phone was stolen. (I had the service suspended right away). It was a new phone, on a new three year contract with Bell Canada, signed in April. From what i can tell, there aren't any good options that don't cost me hundreds of dollars. I don't want to replace it with a crappy phone until my contract runs out - i have almost my entire three year contract still to go. And i don't really want to spend the $700 to just replace it outright. <br> <br> Is there anything magical i can say to Bell or Rogers to get a replacement phone for the same reduced price i paid when i signed the contract? Or at least for a reduced cost? For example, if i switch to Rogers and sign a contract with them (and therefore get a new phone at a reduced cost), is there any way i can get them to pay off whatever exorbitant fee Bell would charge me to get out of my contract? Or are there any other ways to replace this phone at a low cost?<br> <br> (Also, i cannot lie: i would love to upgrade to the S4).,2013:site.245652 Mon, 29 Jul 2013 15:43:04 -0800 Kololo Trip to Italy, 6 week duration, 80+ year old user. Need pointers. My mother is travelling to Italy (lots of relatives there) and would like to have basic cell phone access while there. I need to work out the details before she leaves in September. Her first part of the trip is with a tour group in the areas near Vicenza, Padua and Venice. Part 2 of the trip she will be staying with her sister in the Trentino area farther north. The main idea is for her to have a way to call out infrequently and be reached for short calls. If longer calls are necessary, she would find a land-line. The phone has a camera and she will be taking pics.<br> <br> Her phone is a rather old <a href="">AT&amp;T Z331 (or sometimes called a ZTE A331)</a>, but according to the AT&amp;T site, it is international capable so that is good. There will be no need for email, text, web access or anything like that. Just phone and messages and those will be sporadic. The camera stuff is fairly straightforward. I have checked the AT&amp;T site and there are temporary international plans for this phone. Or at least it seemed that way but I could be reading it wrong.<br> <br> So what am I missing? Any generalized Euro travel tips appreciated. As a general note, I am trying to make this as easy as possible for a senior and my choice would be to use this current phone as opposed to getting something fancier. She is a very basic user and more choices will only lead to confusion. Finally, there seem to be quite a few Europe cell phone questions answered already, but the AT&amp;T roaming seems to be the odd option. I also intend to call AT&amp;T soon to get it setup, but would like to know as much as I can before calling.,2013:site.245266 Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:42:41 -0800 lampshade Help me find a Not-So-Dumb Phone I am looking for a simple, non-smart phone with the following features: * Long battery life * Bluetooth (to connect to a Parrot in the car) * Good speaker and microphone for hands-free * Low SARS rating This last point has been the hardest for me to find. For some reason, it seems that new smart phones have much lower SARS rating. I don't really care that it has a keyboard. I should also mention that I am in Europe so it needs to be 2G/3G/4G which I think is different from the States. Appreciate any help! I've been looking on CNET, Google and across the web without much luck...,2013:site.245233 Tue, 23 Jul 2013 08:56:26 -0800 BigBrownBear