whichwayup.org

01/31/07 11:51 PM: New Cell Phone

So after a lot of consideration, I opted to take the “discounted” cell phone offer from Cingular and renew my contract. I’ve had Cingular since they bought my old wireless provider, AT&T Wireless. So I had the old AT&T, and soon I’ll have the new AT&T.

I had previously been using an old Treo 600, which was nice for the PDA functions (that I didn’t use), but it was a terrible phone. Well, it wasn’t awful, but it was not wonderful. I loved being able to play all sorts of games, including a Game Boy emulator I had… but my main problem was using the damn data functions. I had Google Maps and whatnot, and along with the browser… I was using tons of data. I ended up upgrading my data plan, but I can’t justify paying $15/mo just to surf the web from my phone. I figured the best way to cut down on data use was to get a regular cell phone with a crappy browser.

I renewed my contract, got a better deal on my voice plan (shaved $20 off, I had too many minutes before… had banked over 8,500 rollover), and took their free phone. Sure, I’m locked in for another 2 years, but you’re going to have a contract with any provider (unless you get a pay-as-you-go phone), so I figured why not.

I picked the Motorola L2, as it was completely free. I would have liked to get the L7 or the Blackberry Pearl, but I figured the better the phone I have, the more I’ll spend on a wireless plan.

It’s super-thin, as bluetooth as well as USB connectivity, so I can sync all of my old contacts from the Treo without any hassle. It seems to have decent voice quality, and the screen is fine for what I need to do. All I really want to do with my phone is make a few calls and have it for emergencies. When I’m rich, maybe I’ll get a slick PDA, but I can’t justify some $150/mo cellphone bill.

I still have the Treo, I may just go back to using it and sell the L2, or perhaps I’ll sell the Treo… I haven’t really decided. I could probably get around $40-50 for the L2, or $60-70 for the Treo. Not a whole lot, but better than nothing.

I also figure when this AT&T changeover becomes “final” this summer, they will want me to sign a new contract with the “new AT&T,” and they will offer me another free or discounted phone. I can either keep my existing contract, and be one of those old school “Cingular Orange” customers with the new company… or bite the bullet and give them another 24 months. We’ll see. If I have a million dollars by then, maybe I’ll get an iPhone.