im looking for a cell phone service plan...

i currently use SprintPCS... which is great for regular use but I need a service plan which allows me to receive all incoming phone calls for free.

by "free" i mean... for all incoming calls, i can talk for how long ever I want without it decreasing the number of minutes I have on the whatever plan

sprintpcs only allows the first minute of incoming calls to be really free...

i don't even know if this exists now.. but im just asking :)

I don't think it exists... :)

cheers,
:beer:

I don't know where you live, but in my area (Scottsdale, AZ), Nextel is offering free incoming calls with their plans.

its usually first free incoming minute

Nextel was running a promo (don't know if it is still good or not), and it was for all incoming calls free, not just first minute.

Never heard of a plan that had all incoming calls free. Usually just the first minute.

OTOH some plans have a night and/or weekends options that include some high number of minutes during those periods.

I just got a new StarTac with a SprintPCS 180 plan today. Do they really offer 1st incoming minute free, because they don't list it anywhere on their website?

OFFTOPIC: From personal experiences, which phone do you think is better: Motorola StarTac or Samsung 8500?

Boris

unless sprintpcs changed their plans...
all sprintpcs services should have the first incoming minute free.

i have a samsung, but I think its an older model... but its great cause it has voice activated calling and its very small and easy to carry around.

although i've never tried the startac, samsung makes great reliable cell phones (for SprintPCS anyways).

when you signed up, did they list "!st incoming minute free" as one of their features?

Boris

SprintPCS does not offer 1st incoming minute free anymore. THey stopped that about a year ago. If you were on a plan that included it, you still get it, but now it is not an option.

Come to think of it, my PacHell (oops slipped again), PacBell phone has/had that too. I have no idea if it still does and completely forgot about it.

I'm thinking of dumping the cell phone for a page with the little keyboard on it. Pretty cool. Mini laptop :)

I'm on Verizon in the Greenville, SC area (formerly Bell Atlantic Mobile) and I get unlimited minutes both ways for $49.95 per month. Long distance (outside of North Carolina/South Carolina) is $0.15 per minute though. Still works out very well for me.

I assume from this that you guys have to pay to receive in-coming calls? If so that is a bummer, we only pay for out-going calls in the UK - We also have all the newer phones first.

In my opinion the StarTac should have been StarTacky - it really does fall to pieces, my business partner had 3 within the space of as many months, another friend had 2 in 5 months and had them all repaired at some stage too.

I refuse to put credit on my phone ... I now hate one2one .... Anyone wanna buy a 3210 ?:P ...I'm told the coverage is good in the usa ... Coverage in the uk sucks.

I can't believe you guys have to pay for incoming calls, that sucks!

I paid £100 (you can get it for £70 now which is approx $100) for a Siemens c35i (okay not the best phone) but it came with 15 months free line rental, 50 minutes of out-going calls per month (anytime) to other cellnet users and any UK landline numbers, and the option to renew after that for a discount rate. Carphone warehouse has the same deal but with the 3210 for £50 (this was a special, think they are clearing them out for the 3310).

I wouldnt give ya £5 for a 3210 nevermind £50.

Originally posted by echoweb
OFFTOPIC: From personal experiences, which phone do you think is better: Motorola StarTac or Samsung 8500?I recently went through that comparison in buying a new phone, and talked to a number of people had each of them. At first I was going to buy a StarTac because a friend had one and was happy with it. Then a coworker showed me her 8500. Feature by feature they're almost identical, but if you compare them side by side the StarTac seems to be almost flimsy. I chose the Samsung, and have been completely happy with it.

StarTac- I have to agree on this one... I've had friends who've had them, and if you want a small little phone that impresses your friends (until you break it) that looks neat, then get a StarTac, but if you *use* your phone or want one that will last, it just isn't the way to go.

I've dropped my Nokia more times than it should be dropped and although I don't think it is the best phone out there, it is still intact :)

you know, I've read literally hundreds of reviews on the most popular phones and I realized that for EVERY single phone there will be people who had great experience with it or an awful one.

StarTac does look a little "flimsy" but I know several people who used it for years and it never broke (except the antenna, but it costs $5 to replace it on a non-breakable one).

Originally posted by Chicken
StarTac- I have to agree on this one... I've had friends who've had them, and if you want a small little phone that impresses your friends (until you break it) that looks neat, then get a StarTac, but if you *use* your phone or want one that will last, it just isn't the way to go.


I have to agree with this. Samsung made a similar phone like StartTac (that can flip out), and friend of mind did a short of demosntration to show how strong Samsung's design was, in front my very eyes. He opened his cell phones, put it one the table with the display facing the table. At this position you should think that the weakest point of the cell phone would be on the hinge connecting the two parts of the cell phone. So... here was the demonstration: He slammed his palm, pretty hard, on that very hinge (the weakest poinst as I saw it) and.... the cell phone was thrown out several feets away from the table... and... NOTHING HAPENNED! Now, do that with your START TAC!

BTW: the demonstration was first given by the Samsung's in front of many people. My friend just repeated the demonstration and I have to admint, my jaw was opened big :eek: to see that and to realize later the cell phone was OK!

So if I have to choose, I will go with Samsung. Besides, it has more functionality and more fun to use (like you can compose your own music to be palyed when the cell rings) than Start Tac (I believe). So, flamethrow StarTac ;)

just my two cents,

cheer,
:beer:

Disclaimer: I won't be responsible should anything happens when you choose to do the demonstration to your Samsung. I did not represent Samsung nor I get any benefit from sharing the story :)

Yeah, dektong, that's probably the Samsung 8500 that we're talking about: it has a "clamshell" design similar to that of the StarTac -- it hinges in the middle -- but it's a much more robust design.

I haven't tried anything as aggressive as your friend's demonstration, but I've dropped my phone a few times including once that I practically slammed it onto the ground in a parking garage. No ill effects; I don't even worry about it any more when I drop it.

Originally posted by echoweb
you know, I've read literally hundreds of reviews on the most popular phones and I realized that for EVERY single phone there will be people who had great experience with it or an awful one.

StarTac does look a little "flimsy" but I know several people who used it for years and it never broke (except the antenna, but it costs $5 to replace it on a non-breakable one).

True, and I just noticed that although you were asking about the two, you already got the StarTac one. Keep in mind this was just my personal experience (a few office co-workers). Just be a bit careful with it and you should be fine. They are neat little phones, just not the most durable on the market. It really depends on *your* use of it. Mine gets banged around pretty good and for me, it just wouldn't work.