So, I was looking around at various phone models offered by various companies, reading reviews and comparing battery life and price and features, and I had just about determined that my choices for Verizon-compatible (ie: CDMA-compatible) mobile phones were between phones so ugly they appear to have been carved out of the branch of an ugly tree by the act of already-hideously-ugly people hitting them with their faces, and too-expensive flip-style phones. Before today, it never occurred to me that “lesser of the evils” would be a flip-phone, one of the worst ideas to come from the damned souls of Man.
Even Nokia, who does have two phones they claim work with Verizon, is forcing my hand. The two phones in question? Remnants of when the bulk of Nokia’s American phones were ugly and cheaply built. Luckily, Zoe pointed me to the Nokia 3586i, a gesture in futility.
For while the phone IS a CDMA phone which based on every word of its technical description should be fully compatible with all of Verizon’s service offerings, it is not listed as being compatible with Verizon. Now, the last Verizon rep I spoke to about phone models advised me that any CDMA-compatible phone not hard-wired for another mobile service provider could be used with their service. So, theoretically if I just went ahead and purchased this phone, I could call Verizon up and get it working. Except that Nokia won’t let me buy it through their site and there does not appear to be any way to order it online through any other company. I even tried figuring out what zip codes US Cellular, the service provider they say supports the phone, provides said service in and plugging that into the Nokia site to at least get a price on the thing, but no US Cellular-supported zip code seemed to do the trick.
There are ZERO Nokia 3586i phones on eBay.
If anyone is aware of a purchase-able mobile phone, compatible with CDMA, which does not appear to have been born in a nightmare, please let me know. Thank you.
I don’t know if this helps, and you probably already know it, but the FCC has told the cell phone companies to allow phone number transfers by November 24th 2003. The appeal by the cell phone industry leaders failed earlier this month, so unless something radically changes between now and then, in Movember you should be able to transfer phone numbers.
I really don’t think that helps you in this particular situation, but I thought I’d throw it out there. I’m TOTALLY switching back to Sprint PCS from T-Mobile as soon as they let me transfer my phone number over. It isn’t that T-Mobile is awful, they just aren’t as good as Sprint, and they are too expensive for what we’re getting. Plus, I’m very interested in the PCS Vision program.
I don’t know if this helps, and you probably already know it, but the FCC has told the cell phone companies to allow phone number transfers by November 24th 2003. The appeal by the cell phone industry leaders failed earlier this month, so unless something radically changes between now and then, in Movember you should be able to transfer phone numbers.
I really don’t think that helps you in this particular situation, but I thought I’d throw it out there. I’m TOTALLY switching back to Sprint PCS from T-Mobile as soon as they let me transfer my phone number over. It isn’t that T-Mobile is awful, they just aren’t as good as Sprint, and they are too expensive for what we’re getting. Plus, I’m very interested in the PCS Vision program.
I have a couple of those 3586i phones already activated with verizon. THey seem to work fine until one of them just stopped finding any type of signal. THe nokia’s will be out soon with verizon, probably aug-sept, or at least we will be seling them. … and iain, why would you go back to the worst rated service in the nation. Thier vision program is a joke and it cost through the nose. Verizon phones run faster, and give you the same functionality for less. SPrint has cut back thier vision program, and has stopped allowing customers to connect to the high speed data using the phone or pc card as a modem. When Nov. 24th rolls around go with the number one rated company, Verizon wireless.
I have a couple of those 3586i phones already activated with verizon. THey seem to work fine until one of them just stopped finding any type of signal. THe nokia’s will be out soon with verizon, probably aug-sept, or at least we will be seling them. … and iain, why would you go back to the worst rated service in the nation. Thier vision program is a joke and it cost through the nose. Verizon phones run faster, and give you the same functionality for less. SPrint has cut back thier vision program, and has stopped allowing customers to connect to the high speed data using the phone or pc card as a modem. When Nov. 24th rolls around go with the number one rated company, Verizon wireless.