Cell phone problem?

[Buccaneer]

I have this nice Samsung phone that I've been using for about 4 years, with T-Mobile service which I have had for about 10 years. In the past week or so, I've been having problems getting calls out and taking calls in. I would speed dial, it would hesitantly ring once, then nothing. I have full range and full batteries. What is causing this and is it time for a new phone?

[JeeberD]

In cell phone years, that phone is older than you, Bucc. I have no idea if that's what's causing your problem, though...

[Buccaneer]

Yeah, but it does have a nice color display. You should have seen the first cell phone I had. ;)

Seriously, replacement phones run $50. People spend that every year to get the latest and greatest?

[Alan T]

Yeah, but it does have a nice color display. You should have seen the first cell phone I had. ;)

Seriously, replacement phones run $50. People spend that every year to get the latest and greatest?

My first cell phone I had was a huge Bag phone that sat in the trunk of my car. It was basically the same size as the spare tire for the car and used in case of roadside emergency! Good times!

[stevew]

that's the buccaneer of cell phones.

New phone time most likely.

[cartman]

Is this a pic of the phone?

http://www.latest-mobile.com/wp-content/uploads/images/articles/3/brick-mobile2.jpg

[daedalus]

Yeah, but it does have a nice color display. You should have seen the first cell phone I had. ;)

Seriously, replacement phones run $50. People spend that every year to get the latest and greatest?it amazes me as well, i have co-workers that would spend $100-200 on a new phone after a year or so. that boggles my mind.

i had my nokia for just over 5 years with t-mobile after having my previous nokia with at&t for about 4. they worked, i was happy. i shocked a lot of co-workers, though, recently when i actually switched to a modern cellphone and got an enV when i switched to verizon. i like it, especially since my darn co-workers love to text so much that i have no choice.

given my hatred for t-mobile, i would normally guess that it was their service, bucc. but it did not sound like you went to a new area so that should not be the cause. the final straw that motivated me to switch was that mine just started turning off sporadically -- i would guess that it just ran out of life. could be that the same is happening to yours.

get a new phone and switch company. i have much dislike for t-mobile. :D

[Logan]

it amazes me as well, i have co-workers that would spend $100-200 on a new phone after a year or so. that boggles my mind.

If it blows you away that someone spends $100 on something that gets them a year of useful life, make sure you never ask me how much I spend on beverages that get put into my system from 11p-3a on a typical weekend night :).

[Mustang]

it amazes me as well, i have co-workers that would spend $100-200 on a new phone after a year or so. that boggles my mind.


One of my co-workers buys a new one every 3-4 months. He gets bored with them so just buys a new one.

[lordscarlet]

You can probably get a new one for free if you sign a new contract.

[FBPro]

I work for one of the non-T-Mobile carriers and it is quite possible that your phone needs a software update. Not sure if TM does that kinda thing but the man. send out updates to us to update phones several times a year. Something you may want to check into unless you just want to update.

[Buccaneer]

Well, now I get ask a stupid question. How does one update the software/firmware of a phone?

[cartman]

Well, now I get ask a stupid question. How does one update the software/firmware of a phone?

It depends. If your phone has a mini-USB plug on it, there is usually a utility app your can DL that can send the updates to the phone. But usually there is either a proprietary cable that needs to be used. If you Google the model of your phone + firmware, you should get the answers you are looking for.

[daedalus]

If it blows you away that someone spends $100 on something that gets them a year of useful life, make sure you never ask me how much I spend on beverages that get put into my system from 11p-3a on a typical weekend night :).if there are actual gains out of it, it would make sense to me. the majority of the time, it is just because it is the newest, fanciest gadget.

[sterlingice]

You can probably get a new one for free if you sign a new contract.

Yeah, this seems like the obvious answer to me. Every 2 years, I'll probably get a new phone. My wife and I just went through this. She got the one that was free for renewing the contract while I spent about $100 to get a shiny new phone since I use mine a ton for work and needed something a bit more "feature rich".

SI

[wade moore]

Add me to the "get one for free" camp. Even if you want to stay with the same provider most providers give you between $100-$200 allowance every 18-24 months for a new phone and you can find plenty of basic phones in that price range.

[Passacaglia]

Add me to the "get one for free" camp. Even if you want to stay with the same provider most providers give you between $100-$200 allowance every 18-24 months for a new phone and you can find plenty of basic phones in that price range.

I've got Verizon, and when I signed up, they said it I could get $100 in two years for a new phone, which basically meant I could get a mid-grade phone for free. Now it's $50, which doesn't seem as sweet of a deal, so I'm thinking of switching when my contract ends.

[Passacaglia]

Yeah, but it does have a nice color display. You should have seen the first cell phone I had. ;)

Seriously, replacement phones run $50. People spend that every year to get the latest and greatest?

I think these two feed into each other. Most cell phones don't last two years (my last phone completely died after like 20-21 months, and this phone is on month 24, and the battery life leaves much to be desired), and the flipside is that you get some kind of deal on a new phone after two years. It's the chicken and the egg.

[MacroGuru]

I am brutal to phones as I have always been traveling. I do like to switch phones because I like some of the newer features on an upgrade, but it is generally 1 to 2 years before I do switch.

[Buccaneer]

Yeah, it's the phone. We're on a family plan and I took out my wife's phone, dialed my work number with no problems. Tried that on my phone and nothing.

We have gotten several free phones from T, so I guess it's time to hit them up again. Thanks.

[stevew]

It depends. If your phone has a mini-USB plug on it......

More likely a serial port.

[FBPro]

In most cases updating the software requires going to your carrier's location that can actually service a phone(some cannot and kiskos usually cannot). They are the one's who can do it and it should be n/c.

[Buccaneer]

No surprise but T-Mobile was willing to give me (and my wife) a $200 Motorola phone for free with a 2-yr extension. Didn't want such a phone and my wife likes here just fine. I went with their basic Samsung and now I can get calls out and in just fine.

[lordscarlet]

So you took a crappier phone for the same (free) price?

[Buccaneer]

It's a great looking phone that actually can get calls in and out. Same as a fancier phone.