I'm on a Tracphone and mostly satisfied. Best feature is the cost. I pay about $100 per year and the minutes roll over. I did the extra cash up front for "lifetime" double minutes... that is life of the phone. First phone I had was not very good... second was more expensive and more powerful. At the moment I have over 2000 minutes because I don't use them all... may have wasted my money on the double thingy. Downsides! They will kick you off the air if it is busy. Not dropped... they just won't let you call or it will say "emergency only". Most of the time it works just fine but not at all during lunchtime when everyone is calling someone. Texting is poor because of the cheap phone but it does allow it. Texting is popular around here because we have weak signal and text will go when voice won't. I think they ding me 1/2 minute per text. I don't use it much but it is a nice option... helps to have a friend that will let you send a couple practice texts while learning how. I really like the voice mail! My home voice mail was often a pita... machine broke or ran out of room. Almost worth the phone just to have the mail. Tracphone has some really cheap phones. About $15 should get you the lowest which comes with a few starter minutes. If it works for you they have better phones available on the website. If you buy minutes for the cheap phone then get a better one they will transfer but that deactivates the old phone. I will probably watch this thread as I'd like something a bit better. Just waited 90 minutes to make an important call because the airwaves were "congested". Suppose the call got made... and emergency service was available if that had been the situation. : ) lyra

1. There will be a sense of disconnection Smartphones have dramatically changed the way we communicate with other people. They made it easier and more accessible. Technology used to limit us as we were forced to languish in front of a landline while waiting for a call. Today people have become much closer to each other. Now, in order to talk with the desired person, a couple of touches on the smartphone are enough. However, the absence of this miracle gadget will make you feel separated from the world, which often leads to an acute feeling of loneliness. In addition, you may succumb to incessant boredom. 2. It will become harder to navigate without GPS The days of people using maps to get to the right place are almost gone. All smartphones are equipped with GPS, which helps us to reach our destination without much difficulty and wandering. Life has actually become much easier thanks to GPS, because this navigator shows us the right direction right down to the smallest turn. Therefore, in the absence of access to the global system, many people will not be able to correctly and quickly navigate in an unfamiliar area. Navigators have become such an integral part of our lives that most travel enthusiasts and those who often go on business trips can hardly imagine their lives without a smartphone with its indispensable GPS.

Any smart phone these days, purchased now, will give good results. Just play smart/dumb when you are in the store and ask for quick hints...like "hey, this is so new to me"...(show them your old flip phone)..."I need and want a photo help lesson now". "show me how to take a pic and how to delete"... That way, when home, you can toy with it...take many pics and delete as you experiment setting up a piece of fruit or veggie here and there trying different lighting...not when a hot meal needs to be on the table...experimenting you will know what works. Just get the basics down if this is your first...then go through the manual.... Ann-t is correct on better phone cameras but often i am satisfied with what i have. A good pic is the one taken, and handy. Our phones are with us always and more often than a side camera bag lugged around. I would follow ann's advice if it fits the budget. (my eyes spin when deciding a new phone and all the gab speak and hidden costs but it is not at all like it used to be). I doubt you will be spending much more than you are now per month? And have a much better tool in your pocket or bag. Or not notice the cost as it is so great having so many options at hand...

I guess it all depends on how much you call from home versus away from home or on the road. We use pre-paid cellular. The new phones were free after rebate and my wife and I each spend about $5-$7/month for the STI Mobile/Sprint service. We only make quick 1-2 minute calls for necessary reasons and it works fine anywhere in the country that Sprint covers. Voice mail and text messaging are turned off on both cellular phones. Other cellular providers are now joining the pre-paid game with good deals. We are still stuck with the old telephone company for home and home office lines. I must have the reliability and quality of a landline for my business. I do pay too much for long distance, toll-free, and local service for my business compared to the low rates available today. Bills are typically $35-$50/month for relatively low volume usage. The last time I switched was from MCI to Ameritech(i.e. SBC/AT&T/who knows?) It was a pain to switch, but the new lower rates were good for a year before they went up again. Our home phone line just went up to $22/month for local phone service. It started at $18 several years ago. Pre-paid long distance service is $.025/minute using cards from companies like Cheap Phonecards. The latest cards don't require you to enter the pin every time from home and you can program the 800 access number into speed dial. The long distance cards are great from hotels too. We are seriously considering the switch to broadband phone service, but our local numbers are not yet portable for Vonage or the others. We are just outside of their large markets. Broadband cable internet is $30/month and speed is around 300K or 10 times faster than dial-up. It is fast enough for our needs. The total bill (excluding my business) is around $67/month for all phones and broadband for my wife and I. Here is a link that might be useful: Cheap Phone Cards