It's time for my free every 2 year phone upgrade. Rather than pulling up an old thread, I thought I'd check here to see if anyone on Verizon has gone through this recently and has any do's or don'ts?

I'm not that familiar with Bluetooth. Is that something I should have considering I'll have this phone for 2 years? I use my phone for work (I'm a business development consultant), but I really haven't used it as more than just a phone. What do you Bluetooth users use the Bluetooth for (try saying that 3 times quickly!)? I don't plan on using a wireless headset.

What do you Bluetooth users use the Bluetooth for (try saying that 3 times quickly!)? I don't plan on using a wireless headset.

Then I wouldn't worry about it having Bluetooth, as that's what it's primarily used for on cell phones: wireless Bluetooth headsets or wireless car kits.

There are other uses for Bluetooth with your cell phone, but they are pretty techno-geeky (like using your cell phone to wirelessly connect to your laptop for file transfers and/or dial-up networking, which would also require your laptop to be Bluetooth equipped)...but those aren't for your average user.

So I'd say you'd be just fine without Bluetooth for the next few years if you're just going to use it as a normal put-up-to-your-ear telephone. Especially with Verizon, who usually cripples most non-headset Bluetooth functionality anyway.

:)

I actually use my bluetooth for four functions, but I am an Ubergeek. I agree with Opus. If you don't want a wireless headset and you are asking this question, then you probably won't use it.

And if anyone is really interested in Bluetooth technology and some of it's applications (cell phone and other)...here's a thread from last year that highlights some of what Bluetooth is, and what it can do.

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=47386

:)

Thanks! Yeah, my laptop does have Bluetooth, but I'm really not using it. What little memory transfer I need between my laptop and tower I accomplish either through e-mailing files or just using a memory stick.

I'm gonna have to shop around and see which phone I want now. Everyone seems to want a Razr, but they just seem way too wide for me. I think I'll probably end up with a regular Motorola or an LG...unless anyone wants to chime in about their favorite.

I think I'll probably end up with a regular Motorola or an LG...unless anyone wants to chime in about their favorite.

I just love my Verizon/Motorola E815:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=1801

Great display. Great reception. Good features. Great battery life. VCast (these are videos of various things like news, weather, TV shows, etc) with unlimited Mobile Web 2.0 for just $15 more per month. Has Bluetooth.

I just love my Verizon/Motorola E815:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=1801

Great display. Great reception. Good features. Great battery life. VCast (these are videos of various things like news, weather, TV shows, etc) with unlimited Mobile Web 2.0 for just $15 more per month. Has Bluetooth.I also have this phone, but without the VCast (I'm not in a supported area). I agree with all Opus said. I can also hear clearly and have had fewer dropped calls than previous phone.

Another happy e815 user here! Best phone I've ever had.

Yay! That's exactly the one I'm thinking about getting! You guys ROCK! ;)

For you E815 users, did you get a car charger? They used to sell packages that included the car charger, leather case, etc. for like $30 or so, but now it looks like it'll cost me over $50 to buy it individually. Their only package includes the headset which I'd hardly ever use. I may cave in and get the package on the off chance I start using the headset. I don't have to pay for anything extra to access the Bluetooth on this phone, do I?

Thanks for the help. I'm way behind on technical stuff in the last few years...hoping to catch up in the upcoming months.

You can get third-party open market car chargers for it almost anywhere really cheap...like $5...from all sorts of general cell phone places and kiosks, swap meets, eBay...they're all over the place. Just skip any package that makes you purchase the headset. The wall charger comes with the phone. Just go for the leather case thing, but even that can be purchased from open sources. Verizon might even have the car charger a la carte if you ask, but you'll probably pay like $15 for it from them. Sounds like they're trying the "push" the whole "kit" on you.

Honestly...the battery holds such a long charge, that I've never even used my car charger! The wall charger is all I need. I only charge it once every 3 or 4 days. Try going without the car charger for awhile. You can always purchase it later if you find you really need it.

I've had Verizon for quite a few years and have been through multiple new every 2 transitions. I LOVE Verizon. They have the best service.

As for the phone, I am also ready for my upgrade as well. I was thinking about going for the LG-VX8300, the LG-V, the Razr, the Samsung A-930 or A-970. I currently have an LG phone and I love it.

I'm actually doing my phone purchase online, and the only thing that's not full price is the "package" inculding the headset.

I once purchased a car charger from my Cingular dealer, and it fried the phone's battery. I called Cingular, and they told me that the store where I purchased the charger was an authorized dealer and not a "real" Cingular store. So, I went to a "real" Cingular store where they replaced the battery. It was just such a hassle. Now I'm really wary of purchasing chargers from anywhere but the "real" phone company.

Aside from that, yeah, I think you're right, Opus1guy. I'll just live with the basics until I really determine what I need.

Thanks again...gonna make my purchase tomorrow, I think!

...Everyone seems to want a Razr, but they just seem way too wide for me. I think I'll probably end up with a regular Motorola or an LG...unless anyone wants to chime in about their favorite.
Alas, therein lies the dilemma when it comes to choosing between a RAZR and some other phone based on size--"wide" and thin w/ the RAZR, or narrow and thick with other phones. There are quite a few phones that are narrower than the RAZR, but very few--if any--that are also thinner, as well.

FWIW--I have a RAZR V3i (slightly-improved version of the V3, and similar to the V3c--but still a bit more improved, IMHO--which is the model offered by Verizon) and I don't really find it too wide at all...but that's just my personal observation. If indeed I somehow had any concern about it being a bit too wide...the fact that it's thin enough to drop into my shirt or pants pocket while hardly bulging out of the pocket at all would more than trump such a concern.

Alas, therein lies the dilemma when it comes to choosing between a RAZR and some other phone based on size--"wide" and thin w/ the RAZR, or narrow and thick with other phones....

...the fact that it's thin enough to drop into my shirt or pants pocket while hardly bulging out of the pocket at all would more than trump such a concern.

Yup, true true. For me, I'm comfortable with my decision because I've played around with my husband's RAZR, and I just don't like it. Plus, as a woman, we often don't have a shirt or pant pocket to drop in our phone. I do, however, have a little pouch inside my purse that will fit a traditional flip phone just perfectly. ;)

Here's my next noob question, guys. I like my phone so far, but it doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to ringtones. I'm heading to the Verizon store today to ask my questions, but as it regards to Disney ringtones, where did you guys go, and will it be pretty self-explanatory how I can download them? Thanks!

Here's my next noob question, guys. I like my phone so far, but it doesn't have much of a choice when it comes to ringtones. I'm heading to the Verizon store today to ask my questions, but as it regards to Disney ringtones, where did you guys go, and will it be pretty self-explanatory how I can download them? Thanks!

Verizon is a bit controlling when it comes to ringtones. They only want you to purchase ringtones from them via their suppliers at:

http://getitnow.vzwshop.com/index.aspx?id=music_ringtone

But I don't know if they have any Disney tunes other than the Pirates promo they're currently running.

You can shop for them right via that web site or on your phone using the "Get It Now" feature.

You can get ringtones from others but they are a bit of a pain to get them onto your phone. From what I recall (doing it for a friend...I don't use any ringtones other than the ones on the phone already myself) we had to make sure the ringtone was in a format the phone would play and then email the ringtone as an attachment to the phone itself (for which Verizon charged some small amount).

Ask at your Verizon store how to do this or dial *611 and talk to a tech that can walk you through the process. Like I said...they make it hard to do because they really want you to purchase all your ringtones from them.

Thanks for the link, Opus1guy! I'm surprised that my phone didn't come with "that many" tones. My last phone was an LG and came with a lot more "traditional" ringtones.

I've never downloaded a ringtone ever. I checked out your link, and there were things that said $0, but when I went to my phone to Get It Now, they were charging $2.99 per. :mad:

I love how they make it so difficult to find the freebies.

I apologize if the following appears to be a slam towards Verizon, but it is because of all these "restrictions" they have regarding stuff like ringtone download and bluetooth (and yes, I suppose that there are ways around that but nothing that the typical consumer would know how to do) that I'm with Cingular. With my Moto V3i I have none of that Verizon BT restriction cr*p, and I can create and upload custom MP3 ringtones to it w/o having to pay a single penny, rather than being informed that the only way I can get ringtones on my phone is to go to a particular site (either via phone or PC) and pay $2.99 to download poorly-composed/sounding ringtones that may or may not even have a particular part of the song I was looking for.

Heck--I have on my phone right now a handful of Disney-related ringtones...all created by ripping the songs from the various Disney music CDs I have in my collection, editing them so that I get only that part of the song I want to hear, then uploading them to from my PC to my phone via cable. :D

I would love to help you make it easier to get free ringtones of your choice onto your phone but alas, you have Verizon... ;)

I would love to help you make it easier to get free ringtones of your choice onto your phone but alas, you have Verizon... ;)

LOL, I was with Cingular for many, many years, but I left them for Verizon because Cingular had the absolute worst coverage for my area (and I do NOT live in the boonies). After more than a year (heck, almost 2 years) of them telling me that there were several cellsites going up in my area, I gave up and left for Verizon.

LOL, I was with Cingular for many, many years, but I left them for Verizon because Cingular had the absolute worst coverage for my area (and I do NOT live in the boonies). After more than a year (heck, almost 2 years) of them telling me that there were several cellsites going up in my area, I gave up and left for Verizon.

I'm with 'em for the same reason...best coverage. But tonytone is sure correct about Verizon's crippling or uber control of many additional features.

But since much of it was fairly easy for me to figure out or easy to find someone that knew how to "hack" the phone and free-it-up...I've got the best of both worlds now. :)