Cell Phone Problem

[Merlin]

I can only explain this if I make it fairly long. We have had our cell phone about 7 years. In Nov. 2006 my wife was in the hospital and the phone must have gotten thrown in the trash. I went to the Cingular store and all they had less than $200.00 was the $40.00 you get by renewing your contract. I picked that one. Two months later I took my brother to Radio Shack and they had a wall full of $40.00 phones with a new contract. As it turned out, the phone we have has numbers too small for fingers to mash and words too small to read. We have called AT&T and Cingular and the least expensive phone they have is a refurbished for $169.00 unless you are a new customer, then the phone is free. I could upgrade to a 2 phone family for $20.00 + per month, but I don't need or want 2 phones. They also told me if I could find someone with an old phone they don't want any more and it has an original Cingular SIM card in it, I could put my SIM card in it and use it and throw mine away or dispose of it as I see fit. Does any of you have an old phone laying around not being used that has numbers large enough to mash that you would part with? Or maybe know a store that won't charge an arm and a leg? It doesn't matter if it is solid or fliptop. I'm not eligible to upgrade free until July 2008. In the meantime, our phone is almost useless. Thanks.
Merlin

[Into Tractors]

Merlin, I know what you are going thru. My father-in-law has similar problems. Beside the buttons being too small for him to see/use, add to that the problem of him having hearing aides.

The "Smaller is Better" designs is driven by the "Yuppies" in my opinion, wanting to have more things in a smaller package.

This isn't going to help you today, but check out the following link for the "Jitterbug" phone.

http://www.jitterbug.com/?id=google&gclid=CNq0vYSa8IwCFQlQWAod9Ql6EA

I realize you are locked into a contract and such, and don't want to spend more money right away, but we got one of these phones for my parents. They don't use the phone that much, they just have it mainly to use in case of emergencies and when they are traveling.

[Merlin]

Thanks for the link. That will be my next phone when my contract finally expires next year. Wish I would have known about it last November.

[pete1941]

Merlin, I like you, am totally turned off by a cell phone no bigger than a pack of smokes yet has a phone, camera, internet, music player and Lord knows what else. I looked at the Jitterbug that Mike suggested and it's exactly what I've been looking for . Thanks Mike

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

2 words of caution about the cell phones, if you get one that is too old, cinulair/ATT will not activate it.

2nd thing is the jitterbug does not say who the service provider is. Do they work of cingulair/ATT, or Verizon/us cellular, etc. or their own service. Not all service providers are equal, or even good.

[Merlin]

2 words of caution about the cell phones, if you get one that is too old, cinulair/ATT will not activate it.

They told me that they didn't have to activate it. Just remove the battery and the SIM card is under the battery. Just remove the old SIM card from the old phone (throw it away) and install the SIM card from my present phone into the old phone and it will work.

[Kodiak]

Merlin,
I have a Nokia model 6010 that I will send you if it will help out? I'm not sure how much larger the numbers would be but if they are any bigger your welcome to it. It works fine just needs a sim card.
Look it up on the web and let me know if it will help.
Went back and found a link. It comes with a battery charger, case, belt clip, and the phone is dark blue. Looks like new.

Ron W.
http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/6010

[VinceD]

Mike mentioned the problem with hearing aids. Some providers (Cingular for one) have some phones that work perfectly with hearing aids.

My mother has a phone with a necklace type loop that plugs into the phone. She just puts the loop around her neck and plugs in the phone. The sound is inductively(?) transfered from the phone to her hearing aid. She claims it sounds "perfect". It's not practical to use all the time but when she can use it she loves it.

That doesn't help with the problem of small buttons and big fingers but it might make hearing a caller a little easier.

[Ron Luebke]

you can find some deals on ebay with used phones as well. you do not have to have a contract to dial 911 any cell phone will do this . so if you have an old phone charge it up and carry it with you when you travel.

[Merlin]

Merlin,
I have a Nokia model 6010 that I will send you if it will help out? I'm not sure how much larger the numbers would be but if they are any bigger your welcome to it. It works fine just needs a sim card.
Look it up on the web and let me know if it will help.
Went back and found a link. It comes with a battery charger, case, belt clip, and the phone is dark blue. Looks like new.

Ron W.
http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/6010

I would appreciate it Ron. From what I can see in comparison, the 6010 looks like a giant up side mine. I think we could push a number without covering 2 at a time and wondering which number we pushed. If I take something sharp, I can push the "lock key" button and then the star button to lock the keys, but Nina works on it 30 minutes before she can unlock it. When my contract runs out, I am going to buy a Jitterbug. Do you want the postage now, or after it arrives? I think you have my address. If not, I will resend it. Like Cingular said, I can use my present SIM card from my phone. Thanks again.
Merlin

[Into Tractors]

Wow, glad the "Jitterbug" looks good to a few of you. Trust me, I don't own stock in them like apparently some folks do with Kroil?

Funny thing is, I work for AT&T Goverment Solutions. As an AT&T employee, they do make offers for discount plans and such to employees. Here I am an AT&T person, and I use Verizon as my cell provider and someone other than AT&T for my home phone service