Some people couldn't care less about having a camera embedded in their mobile phone or being able to watch TV on the phone display. Instead, they want an inexpensive, no-frills handset that works well for making voice calls. The problem is, these days shoppers have fewer basic models to choose from. Still, there are several good standbys that are definitely worth your minutes.
I scoured the Web sites for six nationwide carriers--AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Nextel, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless--in search of bargain-priced, basic handsets. (AT&T and Cingular will soon merge but, at press time, they were still separate businesses.)
What should you look for in a budget phone? I'd recommend choosing a model that is a breeze to operate, permitting effortless adjustment of call volume and easy navigation through menus. If you live in or travel to rural areas, choose a phone that supports analog signals. Many rural locations do not have the latest cellular networks that work with digital-only cell phones.
Nearly all of today's basic handsets can store hundreds of phone numbers, maintain calendars, and allow you to play simple games. They lack camera capabilities and other fancy multimedia functions, however. And whether you spend a lot or a little on a phone, voice quality and coverage will differ from place to place and from one network to another.
Overall, I'm happy to report that all six carriers I checked offer several low-end phones for under a hundred bucks. To get one of these phones, you must usually sign a one-year service contract (or longer). To evaluate the free phone offers, I considered models advertised with an instant rebate and/or an online discount; I didn't count mail-in rebates or refurbished models.
Bear in mind that some phones discussed here may not be available in your area--or they may have sold out by the time you read this. But carriers may have already replaced them with newer, comparable phones. Call the carrier or visit your local mobile-phone store to check availability.
Freebie Phones
Except for Nextel and Verizon, the carriers I reviewed give away basic phones if you sign a new contract. AT&T Wireless and Cingular have the best selection of phones available for free, provided that you agree to a two-year contract.
AT&T Wireless supplies several candy-bar-style options from Nokia. The current inventory includes the 3560, the 6200 IM, the 3120, and the 6800, which sports a flip-out keyboard that lets users type instant messages more quickly than using a standard dial pad. These Nokia phones are relatively pocket-sized and are equipped with color screens, but they lack volume-control buttons.
Cingular lets you choose from a variety of models, including the new LG Electronics C1300, the Samsung SGH-X427, and the Sony Ericsson T237. These handsets have a color LCD, allow you to send and receive text messages, and are preloaded with games. The LG and Samsung phones sport a clamshell design. The Sony Ericsson is a candy-bar-style handset and is compatible with some TTY (teletypewriter or text telephone) devices.
The LG C1300 and the Sony Ericsson T237 are compatible with Cingular's $25 FastForward cradle/charger accessory, which forwards calls to a landline phone without using up your minutes. One requirement: You must subscribe to Cingular's Call Forwarding service for $3 a month.
T-Mobile has a pretty good selection of free phones, too. To get one at no cost, you must sign up for a one-year contract. Your choices include the Nokia 6010, a candy-bar-style phone with a color screen, and the Samsung R225m dual-band world phone with a blue-backlit gray-scale screen. Check with T-Mobile to find out which countries the R225m will work in. (For a newer, tri-band world phone from T-Mobile, shell out $120 for the clamshell-style Siemens CF62T: It has a voice recorder, a color screen, and a second gray-scale display on the outside that shows signal and battery strength, plus caller ID info for incoming calls.)
Sprint PCS offers only one free phone, the candy-bar-style Nokia 3588i, which features a color screen, TTY support, and interchangeable faceplates (additional plates cost extra).
For Extra Cash, Get Better Features
Move beyond the selection of freebie phones and your choices expand, of course, and the features get better. Some models are more comfortable and easier to use than the free handsets.
Nextel sells the most rugged-looking--albeit the bulkiest--phones in this bunch. All of its phones have the walkie-talkie feature called Direct Connect. Though Nextel popularized the walkie-talkie function, Sprint and Verizon each offer the same feature, called Push To Talk, on a couple of their phones. Most of Nextel's phones, which are made by Motorola, have gray-scale screens. At this writing, all of Nextel's inexpensive phones require a two-year contract. Nextel's cheapest phone is the $25 i205. If you're looking for a rugged, water-resistant phone, you should consider Nextel's i305 priced at $80. If you prefer a clamshell design, go with the $100 i530.
In conjunction with a two-year service agreement, Verizon offers a wide array of sub-$100 phones from various manufacturers, including Audivox, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung. The clamshell-style Samsung SCH-a650, for example, costs $30. The SCH-a650 has a color screen, a voice memo feature, and support for Verizon's Mobile Web. If you prefer a candy-bar-style design, consider the $20 Kyocera KX414.
For an old standby that's been popular with many users, pick the $70 Motorola V60s. It's a compact clamshell-style phone with a gray-scale screen inside and a one-line text screen on the outside. Sprint PCS sells an updated version of this phone, the Motorola V60v for $100. The improvements include a color screen and a polished silver cover.
Other notable and inexpensive phones include the $30 Samsung VI660 from Sprint and the $40 Sony Ericsson T226 or the $50 Samsung X426 from AT&T Wireless.
Regardless of which basic mobile phone you choose, I highly recommend checking it out at your local service provider's store. Better yet, sign up for a two-week trial (or longer) period and pay the carrier only the activation fee and the minutes you use.
Got a question or comment? Write to Grace Aquino.
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