Could someone PLEASE get the phone?

I puffy heart my cell phone.  When Gabriel was about 4, he ran away from me in the parking lot.  While I was trying to grab him, I dropped my (new at that time) phone, the one I got free for signing up.  It shattered into a million pieces.  I went in to the store and asked for the most durable phone that they sell, and was sold a panasonic that is apparently made for construction workers.  Whatever.  I know I can drop this phone and it's great - never falls apart, never dings. 

I'm having trouble with it, though.  The battery won't hold a charge - I think it needs to be replaced. BUT.  Panasonic doesn't make this battery any more - claims that phone is out dated.  I'm sure it is.  But I like it!  The house charger doesn't work, since one of the kids dropped the male part into a bowl of cereal and milk.  Charging it in the car only gives me about 20 minutes of talk time. 

The Hubster has a program at his job, where they get points based on sales, and we can use the points to buy just about anything.  There aren't any phones on their site, but I've been told that I can pick one I like and they will send it.

Now, I guess I need to see if my cell carrier will give me flack about not purchasing one of their phone - which they will graciously sell me for $300, unless I want to rework my contract.  In an amazing act of grace, my mother carries my contract on hers, and I don't pay for it.  So I can't change that. 

I was looking at a BlackBerry or a Treo, but was told that since I'm just a housewife, I don't need one of those.  Whatever, beeyotch.  I need what I want.  I'm not certain I want one, though.  I don't know if I want a camera phone - I pretty much love my camera that I have now, and I have it figured out.  Do I really want a phone that I'd have to figure out?  Would the learning curve be worth it?

What phone do you have?  Do you like it?  Why?

Comments

[Dollymama]

*Just* a housewife. Oh how I love that statement. Sort of like the one i got from the school superintendant about my No-Lice Spray: "So, are you just a mother, or what?" Yeah, buddy. Just.

No recommendations on phones. however, I got a Dell Axim (pocket pc) a year ago, and I use it constantly. Keeping track of life is enough reason to use an organizer.

[alana]

Before you buy anything from Verizon go to blog.kevinbasil.com for a recent grumpy review of THAT phone.

I have cingular, with a crappy camera that I don't use much...but I love the phone. It came free with the plan. My husband has a blackberry and I bet you could use it more than HE does, and he uses it for his job. You have waayyy more organizing and juggling to keep track of than he does, for instance.

...Just a housewife...I heard that one when we were purchasing life insurance a few years ago and the idiot selling to us thought I did not need as much coverage as my dh. Well, buddy, you try to watch this man take care of it ALL in case of my demise and see how far he gets without hired help. HA! We figured up I was worth more than he was.

[Mimi]

I think a Blackberry or Palm phone would be way cool.

However, I have the cheapo Nokia phone that came with my plan free and it's just fine.

Also, did you look at batteriesplus.com for your battery? Maybe they have it.

[Cookie]

My dh has a Treo and isn't very happy with it. He's had it for over a year and has gone through 3 phones. (through work). Signals aren't so good, doesn't hold a charge long etc. I'd check into the Blackberry.

[Hall]

If you really like your old phone and would rather have a battery, it is definitely worth searching for your model number on eBay. We have an old phone whose battery died and got better ones for cheap on eBay. Good luck!

[Monica]

I have a motorola flip phone. If money weren't an issue, I'd have sprung for the moto razor, but alas one can't live off of ringtones alone. I like my phone..I've dropped it several times and the baby chews on it with his new baby teeth all the time.

[lucy]

There isn't a quicker way to piss me off than to hear that derisive "just" in front of "wife" or "mom".

I've had 'em all.....I think the Nokia phones hold up the best. :-)

[ukok]

Slide phone, Sagem I think, but since I'm in England it probably isn't relevant!

God Bless.

[Carmi]

The Motorola Razr has dropped in price in recent months. Here in the Great White North, some places are selling it for under a hundred bucks. If you negotiate hard with the carrier, they'll often drop the price. The advantage of the Razr is that it is so think and light that dropping it doesn't result in catastrophic momentum-related damage.

I also keep my phone in a Roots case - I'm incredibly hard on my equipment as well, and this case has prevented damage in at least two dozen falls since I bought the phone in June.

[Lisa C]

After I fried my phone by running it through the washing machine, i got a used phone from ebay. You have to search for one that is configured for your service carrier.