Simple cell phones today - worse than what they used to be?
Share this page:
And this brings us to the subject of the email one of our readers, Mr. Ryan Brune, sent to us a few days ago. Here’s what he writes:
“Hey PhoneArena,
I love coming to your site all the time to see what's new in the world of phones. I am a Verizon customer and I have been frustrated for the last four years or so about how they are treating their low-end customers. A year ago I had an LGVX8600 flip phone, which I really liked after two years of ownership. After it broke I was sent a newer phone, the Motorola W755, as a replacement, and I noticed it is not nearly as good of a phone.
Over the past few years I've been trying to look for a phone that lives up to what I found with my old phone, but I've been simply astonished at how it seems that the new phones that are coming out FOUR YEARS after the phone I liked before are technologically inferior. They are thicker, have worse cameras, cheap buttons, small front screens, and don't even look cool anymore. And now with Verizon's new "Enhanced Multimedia Phone" category, it seems they are even further ignoring those who simply want a decent phone with some decent features on an inexpensive plan.
I was wondering if you could write an article about this phenomenon so that others could be made aware of this problem that seems to be only getting worse. I'm not sure if the same thing is going on with other carriers, but if nobody starts to comment on this problem, I don't think it will ever get solved. Verizon will keep forcing their useless data plans on us with worse and worse phones.
 |  |
LG VX8600 | Motorola RAZR |
Doesn't anybody else think it's a little strange that almost no flip phone on the market now is as thin as the RAZR was? We shouldn't be buying phones that look worse than the phones from the early last decade. That is just wrong.
We all love the technology we see in new phones, but some of us just can't afford the plans right now. There should be at least the degree of technology available to low-end consumers that was available 5 years ago.
Sincerely,
Ryan Brune”
To tell you the truth, we feel the same. Manufacturers don’t seem to care about the design and usability of their basic phones as much as they used to. So, it’s your turn now, phoneArena readers – Do you think the development of technology has actually left us with a disappointingly poor catalog of affordable, ordinary cell phones? Feel free to speak your mind in the comments section below.
And should you have a similar idea you would like to share with us, do not hesitate to write at tips@phonearena.com.
Share this page:
58 Comments
2. Jyakotu posted on 11 Mar 2010, 06:57 0 0
Manufacturers should never forget where they started. There are many out there who just want a basic cell phone with maybe a few extra features (Bluetooth, VGA camera, etc). But, the most important thing they need to remember is that a cell phone is just that, A PHONE!!! It's disappointing when a cell phone can excel in multimedia, messaging, and web capabilities, but it lacks in it's calling capabilities. Remember, phone first, feature packed headset next.
3. ilia1986 posted on 11 Mar 2010, 07:05 0 0
I think it is inevitable and was to be expected. When people switched to cars from horses a long while ago - horses gradually got less and less attention to care-wise. Same here. People need to realize that cellphones as we know them are going to be our personal computer in several years. We will use to to surf the web, listen to music, take pictures, lock or unlock our car or your apartment, purchase goods the same way we do with credit cards today, sync our location with the schedule of public transport, arrange and rearrange meetings and conferences - not just in the calendar - but in real time. It will replace our TV' because there will be no point in a centralized TV network anymore, because all the content will come from the web, and everyone will choose what suits him - similar to youtube. It WILL be our be-all end-all device. And its happening right now. It is called advancement in technology which will bring upon advancement in our lives. And the sooner the manufacuteres AND the consumers understand it - the better. The days of a phone being for calls, SMS, music and camera only are long gone - they ended with the iphone. And to the person complaining in the article - I'm certain that regardless of where you live - you can find a pretty good affordable touch screen phone which will usually have 3.2 MP camera, and will be capable of doing all the things your LG did - not to mention quite a bit more - oh and it will probably also be quite thin.
13. scottmbolt (unregistered) posted on 11 Mar 2010, 09:03 0 0
"The days of a phone being for calls, SMS, music and camera only are long gone - they ended with the iphone." ... I couldn't agree less. Nothing will replace voice to voice communication. Yes there are alternatives, but it will NOT be replaced.
4. BigRed83 posted on 11 Mar 2010, 07:25 0 0
It's kind of a double-edged sword. As a technology involved person, I love seeing the next "shiny object" that seems to come down the pike seemingly every 20 minutes. Making coffee on your smartphone will probably debut at this year's CTIA show. Carriers and manufacturers collaborate on what gets released in order to maximize profits. The US cell market is so saturated, that there are very few customers that don't have a cell phone, making it harder for carriers to be profitable. Sure, there are carriers like MetroPCS or psuedo pre-paid services like Boost or Straight Talk that offer low cost services, but you get far less than what Verizon, AT&T or the other majors offer. What do customers want? Cheap, reliable service. How does a carrier stand out to the average consumer? Flashy ads, phones that make the afore-mentioned latte as well as providing MORE. "Mr. Customer, SURE, you want cheap, reliable service, we can do that. By the way, wouldn't you also like to... [fill in the blank here]? A large segment of the buying public want to STAND OUT. The RAZR. The Treo 600. The iPhone, Blackberry, DROID, etc. Carriers are serving that need, in addition to creating more of it at the same time. 1GHz processors? Who REALLY needs more capabilities of a desktop computer from 10 years ago in their pocket? I don't use all of the capabilities of my smartphone, but I like it, and have a hard time seeing myself going back to a Touchpoint flip phone like I had in the late 90's. Who wants a basic phone nowadays? People that are not overly technical, the older segment of the population, and the very young user market. There is one basic problem in that market model; NO PROFIT!. How much does a manufacturer get from a carrier on the back end on a dumbphone? Pennies (if anything) as compared to their latest & greatest "NewOS" wonderphone. It comes down to GREED. Technology is moving forward, not backward. Companies and stockholders want to make money, simple as that. Customers want the latest shiny object that comes out. As long as this business trend continues, any remaining dumb phones will get cheaper, uglier, and less useful. Sad? Yes. This is my opinion. If it's wrong, I'd be grateful, but I don't think I am. What do you think?
12. callipygian7 posted on 11 Mar 2010, 08:38 0 0
I am completely of the same opinion that there are no reasonable basic phones in existence. I, in fact, still have the VX8600 as my current phone, and have been waiting... and waiting... and waiting for Verizon to market a phone of decent quality, without an excess of features that I don't need. What makes it more painful is that data packages are being hurled at us, whether we need it or not. I'm sorry, but I don't feel that I should have to pay for a data plan in order to have certain phone models (for example, the LG VX8360, Samsung Alias2, and other slightly better phone models REQUIRE a $9.99 or higher data package) I should also point out that I am a 20-something, very tech-savvy customer. Heaven forbid I'm not looking for a touch screen phone (which has been the focus of practically EVERY new handset for over a year) or a piece of junk. I don't spend my life on my phone, and I think it's absurd that my choices are limited to an expensive headset that I don't need, or a flimsy POS that I don't want. There is clearly a market for it, as other carriers have produced great balanced entry-level phones (Nokia 6303, Nokia 3720, Samsung Shark S5350)
44. Diesel44 posted on 15 Mar 2010, 13:47 0 0
Verizon does offer good simple phones. Check out the Samsung Convoy for one of the most reliable, toughest, best sounding, and non battery draining phone on the market. Consistently rated tops by users. No, it's not the thinnest, smallest phone on the market but it works and works well for what it is meant to do.
5. crappypunk posted on 11 Mar 2010, 07:27 0 0
my old vx 8600 had an awesome camera I loved that phone lol
7. nancyfuqindrew posted on 11 Mar 2010, 08:10 0 0
Totally agree with this guy. Not everyone wants to walk around with a giant brick in their pocket. Why can't there be a middle ground between piece of crap kiddie flip phone and trapper keeper sized smartphone???
8. totes_magotes (unregistered) posted on 11 Mar 2010, 08:11 0 0
What this guy is complaining about makes sense, but this guy is providing examples of the "free" phones he upgrades too. If he spend more the $50 upfront that he just gts re-imbursed, he might not have such a problem with the quailty.
10. nancyfuqindrew posted on 11 Mar 2010, 08:17 0 0
I'm on sprint, and it really doesn't matter how much I spend. Every phone has a huge drawback.. either size or quality. Pixi might be the best compromise, but really.. a 2mp camera?? It's driving me nuts.
14. scottmbolt (unregistered) posted on 11 Mar 2010, 09:06 0 0
A camera is going to deter you from liking your phone? A Camera!? Really!?
18. nancyfuqindrew posted on 11 Mar 2010, 09:36 0 0
As far as functionality goes, after the phone's ability to make clear phone calls the camera is the second most important feature to me. I use it constantly.
20. totes_magotes (unregistered) posted on 11 Mar 2010, 09:56 0 0
It drives me nuts listeing to people complain about the camera quality on thier PHONE!. Its a phone, not a camera, you want good megapixels go buy a DIGITAL CAMERA, somthing that was designed to take pictures.
22. nancyfuqindrew posted on 11 Mar 2010, 10:27 0 0
You sound like a pretty reasonable guy, being driven nuts by consumers voicing a desire for convenient products.
23. nancyfuqindrew posted on 11 Mar 2010, 10:38 0 0
Also, how old do you have to be to argue that it's a phone not a camera? You're posting on phonearena.com, so you should be aware of all the other uses people have their phones besides just making calls. Yet this seems shocking for you. You're going to shit bricks when you discover your calendar.
9. CHEFJEFF posted on 11 Mar 2010, 08:12 0 0
It's all about the money. High end phones come with expensive monthly plans, so why would a carrier give a damn about it's lower end phones, they don't make money off those customers. A simple cell phone plan for a low end phone is about 40 bucks a month, compared to a smartphone plan, which is about 100 bucks or more, so which phones would you prefer to have in your lineup if you were a carrier?
11. rwolf1984 posted on 11 Mar 2010, 08:36 0 0
Keyword in the letter to Phone Arena...He was "SENT" a W755...Did he use his upgrade? Lesson Learned:Never under any circumstances order a phone through any companies call center. It is very likely that this was a refurbished replacement phone. The W755 was one of my best selling phones, I sold hundreds of 755s. Its an EV-DO phone loaded with features. One of the only complaints customers had was battery life. Regarding the worship of the RAZR...It sold very well because of its look, but its actually one of the worst phones ever made. Especially the Verizon and Sprint versions because they altered the software so much it hurt the performance. If you had a RAZR on AT&T they really didnt tinker with the phone's software and it performed much better. The hinges and battery doors were prone to issues and once your hinge is loose its only a matter of time before you lost your screen. In my experience 9/10 times 3G phones offer the best calling experience over less capable 1x phones manufactured by Samsung and LG on Verizon and Sprint as well as G and Edge phones on AT&T and T-Mobile. Don't be the guy that walks into the store or up to the kiosk asking for a free phone. You're going to unhappy and walk home with a POS phone. Fast forward to 2 years later only to repeat your mistake... The good news is that you can still get a quality phone from all 4 nationwide carriers, but its gonna do more than what you want and it wont be so basic. Bad news, Verizon considers most of its 3G flip phones multi-media phones that require a 9.99 data plan. The best thing a customer can do before they speak with a sales agent is to do some research on the phones they are interested in. Get the name of a phone and find customer reviews and specs. Phone Arena and Phone Scoop are the best review sites. Everyone here probably knows this, but everyday ordinary people don't.
