Basic Cell Phone with Full keyboard/Carrier Suggestions

[Psycliff]

I am looking for a suggestion for a Cell phone with a full keyboard for minor texting. I do not want an advanced smartphone as the phone will be used for basic conversation use and 20-30 texts per month. For the carrier, I do not want a data plan for internet use. I currently use Tracfone for pay-as-you-go service and have a basic motorola cell phone where you need to multi key for different letters. Any suggestions will be appreciated in this time of financial belt-tightening.

Regards,
Psycliff

[Voldenuit]

I'm guessing you're not planning to continue using Tracphone - in any case, Tracphone does not allow its SIMs to be used on 3rd party phones, even unlocked ones. If you want to sign on to a 2-yr contract, you can usually get a locked phone discounted, but you may end up spending more on your plan than you currently do, and not all phones are available with all plans.

An unlocked Blackberry Curve 8310 can be had for ~$130 new and half that used. The nokia E63 can be had for ~$150 unlocked. Both have QWERTY keyboards.

You might also want to look at prepaid/pay-as-you-go phones. You can get a cheap prepaid Samsung for $80 from AT&T. You should ask around to see which provider has the best coverage in your intended area before signing on to a plan or getting a prepaid phone, however.

Since discovering the joy of Swype, I can't go back to T9 or even QWERTY, though.