Cell phone question????

JD Seller

Well-known Member
I am using a Flip phone. I do not want any kind of touch screen phone. I can not answer my wife's smart phone half the time without getting pencil or some thing to swipe it with. My fingers do not register on the touch screens. We have a printer with a touch screen. I have to use a pencil eraser to make it work. Maybe the calluses or some thing but I have trouble with them. Plus the not being able to see the screen is bright day light is a big hassle to me.

Anyway to my question. I am currently using Convoy 3 phones. I have good luck with them. I am on Verizon for better or worse. The replacement/insurance plan is no longer going to cover my flip phone.

I see the same model, Convoy 3 phones on Ebay and other internet sites. They are pretty cheap, $25-50 buys you one. They show the different companies they are setup for, like Verizon or US Cellular. I looked and my phone does have a SIM card under the battery. So will those phones work to replace mine???? IF they will what/how do I go about switching from the phone I currently have to one I would buy???? I am on a phone "PLAN". Can I move the SIM card and move my data from phone to phone????

The reason I am asking is the one I currently use will shut off if you do not SLOWLY close the phone. IF you just lightly snap it shut with one hand it will shut off 50% of the time. So I flip it shut and put it in a holder on my belt turned off. So I am walking around with it off and do not know it. I need to be in Cell contact as my wife has health monitors that dial my phone if things are not right with her.
 
As long as the phone is unlocked and works with Verizon you should have no problems switching the SIM cards. As for transferring the phones data I?m not sure.
 
Unlocked means it isn't tied to a specific carrier, still needs to be the proper type of phone for your carrier.

If it doesn't have a SIM card you will need to call or go to a phone store anytime you switch phones. Phones with SIM cards can be swapped simply by moving the SIM card.

When I had flip phones we had Samsung Rugby's but not sure if they are compatible with Verizon. Easy to get off eBay, tough and use a SIM card.
 
Would a different phone be out of the question? I'm looking at the Sonim xp5. I haven't bought it yet so I don't have personal experience. It's not a flip phone but supposedly is extremely heavy duty. It looks like an old school phone with push buttons and no touch screen. I don't know if you can get it with Verizon service but might be worth a look.
 
Locked phones are tied to one carrier. Part of the discount/contract deal.

As others have said, as long as it is listed for Verizon, you can swap in the SIM card and go. Pictures and such you will likely have to move off the old phone to a computer or such.

I have not bought a phone from the carrier in quite a few years. Currently use one bought off Ebay.
 
You might consider a Kyocera E4520 DuraXV flip phone. Was a flip phone user until last summer (also Verizon) and, though I won?t go back, there are times I wish....

The DuraXV is my all-time favorite flip phone. It was designed for workers and to be tough as nails and it is. Can take drops, being rolled on while in a pants pocket, will take a quick dunk if the rubber plugs are in place. It has great sound quality and its speakerphone is excellent for both talking & listening. Can also answer it without having to flip it open, using side buttons. Good camera & the flash doubles as a very good light, prob better than my iPhone. One little feature that I always liked is that the flip part has a lip on it so can pop it open with your lips while holding it with a gloved hand - don?t need to take gloves off to answer a call. Battery life is very good & call drops are rare. One little quirk - it likes being turned off and turned right back on - just once - about every 30-45 days.

Verizon still offers the DuraXV but you have to type Kyocera into their web site search box to find it. New cost is $260-ish. But you can get very good used ones (like I did) in Ebay for $25-30 - Search for Kyocera E4250 DuraXV Verizon. Probably want to get one with a charger, though generic micro USB chargers work fine. Might have to buy a new battery but that?s not expensive and you can replace it yourself (unlike iPhone).

Even though my DuraXV isn?t on our Verizon plan anymore, I still keep using it for its alarm, flashlight, camera, voice recorder. I just don?t carry it everywhere all the time & can?t dial from it except as a 911 phone.
 
I've bought many used phones off eBay. I always try to get phones originally from my provider (AT&T). I don't trust a seller's claim that a phone is unlocked.

Note that different providers use different technologies; I think only CDMA and GSM are currently in use in the US. Verizon is CDMA, while AT&T uses GSM. I say this because many phones APPEAR to be the same model, but are in fact totally different phones. So just getting a "Convoy 3" phone, even if it's unlocked, doesn't guarantee it will work with your SIM.

Also, I'm not so sure just swapping out the SIM will work on a CDMA phone. It's my understanding the SIM on CDMA phones is used for 4G LTE data, but the CDMA voice information is internal to the phone. My suggestion is to buy a Verizon-issued used phone, then take it and your old phone to a Verizon store and get them to set it up.
 
We use flip phones from the Dollar Store. About $20. If we have to get a new one, we just swap out the sim card. We are with ATT.
Richard
 
Local Corp Verizon store wants to lease you a new phones ,they work on commission. I walked in with used IPhone and they told me it was stolen and wouldn't activate it. I told them it was an old phone I had bought under old plan at that store when you purchased phones with your plan. Was informed that you couldn't have bought a phone from their store because they never sold phones only leased them as long as she had worked there, and she had been there over 13 months. Thirty minutes later and elevated blood pressure I got to talk to manager who called Corp number to verify who reported my phone stolen. Was informed that when they changed plans that older phones that had been paid off and not upgraded with new leased phones were no longer upgradeable. Problem is they still sell IPhone SE that were used and can be re-activated in their store. After ninety minutes and two more calls to corp I left store with my old IPhone activated and working fine.
Conclusion : if I had bought a used phone on Fleabay I would have gone for the BS that phone was stolen and had to lease a phone from Verizon. They had the nerve to call me 15 minutes later to do a satisfaction with service call. I didn't give out any gold stars for customer service.
 
I've bought unlocked phones on Ebay. They worked, but I had to take it in to have it activated and my address book transferred.

They did it, but were not real enthused since I didn't buy the phone from them. But, they also told me they didn't sell flip phones any more, which I later found not to be true.

Don't expect any support from them. If there is a problem with service, they will blame it on the phone.

The ones I used to buy were the Rugby phones. They were some "Mil Spec", which I take means they pass a durability test, resistant to breaking when dropped, somewhat water resistant, heavy duty construction. I liked them, but the volume was low, couldn't turn it up enough to hear in the noisy shop. The last one started garbling the incoming audio. Not sure if it was the phone or the provider no longer supporting the technology.
 
I use a Convoy also. I have bought new ones and switched over to it myself. Just do the programming upgrade thing *228 send and it will prompt you through the process. As for data you can transfer it also by using the bluetooth feature. Not sure how to explain it but it should be in the user manual if you have one.
 
I was on a flip phone thru Trac Phone for years. Wanted a smart phone but my wife said I wasn't smart enough. She finally broke down and got one for herself. Couldn't believe the difference in sound quality. Two days later, she ordered one for me. It has taken some getting used to answering, but I can actually hear what people are saying. I was missing 1/2 the conversations on the old phone and my most common response was "say that again".
 
Hello JDSeller,

You can save your contacts by saving them on your computer through you usb port.
Save them in a folder on your desk top, and transfer them to your new phone,

Guido.
 
I buy LG flip phones on Ebay. Never had a problem getting it activated. Make sure it is compatible with your carrier. I use Verizon. I will usually buy an extra to keep on hand.
 
I have the same issue with smart phones- fingers too big, constantly losing the screen, etc. Tried them twice and turned them back in. Got a Kyocera Dura flip phone from Verizon- really like it. Has text, camera, talk...unlimited of each for $49 per month. Very durable phone...battery lasts 6 days on monitoring.
 
Iam on my second Motorola Moto W755 Flip phone with Verizon service. Iam retired and don't need to email or go on internet with the phone. I went to the Verizon store last week to see about getting my contact list backed up to my sim card in case I have trouble or lose phone. They could not figure out how to accomplish that. I remember back some years ago when they advertised that you don't want that big bulky ATT phone and should buy their tiny flip phone. Now they want you to get rid of the tiny flip and buy their big IPhone that don't fit to good in your pocket. Go Figure!
 
JD Seller,

I had a similar issue recently with my flip phone shutting off. Figured out that it was turning off when i closed it or if it was set down on a surface a little hard. My brother suggested that the battery was moving a bit and loosing contact, resulting in phone turning off. I placed a piece of paper between the battery and the battery cover and it has not been an issue since. Might be worth a try before replacing the phone.

Hope this helps.
 
(quoted from post at 16:19:54 07/12/18) I have the same issue with smart phones- fingers too big, constantly losing the screen, etc. Tried them twice and turned them back in. Got a Kyocera Dura flip phone from Verizon- really like it. Has text, camera, talk...unlimited of each for $49 per month. Very durable phone...battery lasts 6 days on monitoring.


I can't seem to figure out if that phone is available or will work on a Tracfone or Straighttalk account. I refuse to take the shaft from any of the big contract providers for the little I use a cell phone. But a rugged phone would be nicer than buying a new one every few years.
 

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