Phones for making calls: best basic mobiles Updated January 12, 2006 When you're in your car and on the go, you still want to remain in touch with your colleagues and clients. And if you're on a limited budget, you may not have any need for fancy multimedia features that can distract from a cell phone's primary purpose of making calls. Fortunately, there are mobiles without glitzy bells and whistles. If you prefer no-frills handsets or if your workplace doesn't allow camera phones, check out these basic models. Verizon's Samsung SCH-N330 has a speakerphone, while Sprint's LG VI-125 has analog roaming and great battery life. The Nextel i355 sports a sturdy construction and push-to-talk capability, Cingular's Samsung SGH-D307, and the Samsung SGH-X497 for Cingular has reliable call quality.
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| Product name |
Motorola i355 (Nextel) |
Samsung SGH-D307 (AT&T) |
Samsung SGH-X497 (AT&T) |
Samsung SCH-N330 (Verizon Wireless) |
LG VI-125 (Sprint) |
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| Review date | October 24, 2005 | November 22, 2005 | October 19, 2005 | May 3, 2005 | May 19, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
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6.6
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6.6
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7.0
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6.0
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| Review summary | The supertough Nextel Motorola i355 might be big and bulky, but it won't have any trouble surviving the elements. | Rocking an innovative flip design and a mini keyboard, the Samsung SGH-D307 will please messaging fanatics once they master the unintuitive navigation controls. | Despite a couple of design misfires, the Samsung SGH-X497 is a good starter cell phone with solid call quality. | Samsung's SCH-N330 is a cute, unpretentious phone that offers nontechie cell phone users a simple, functional handset with a cool pop-up screen and a few hidden extras. | The LG VI-125 is a great entry-level cell phone for users who just want to make calls. |
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| Basic Specs | |||||
| Service Provider | Sprint Nextel | AT&T | AT&T | Verizon Wireless | Sprint Nextel |
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| Cellular technology | iDEN | GSM | GSM | CDMA | CDMA2000 1X / AMPS |
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| Band / mode | iDEN 800/900 (Dual Band) | GSM 850/1800/1900 (Tri-Band) | GSM 850/1800/1900 (Tri-Band) | CDMA 800/1900 | CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 / AMPS 800 |
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| Talk time | 270 min | Up to 300 min | Up to 240 min | Up to 216 min | Up to 210 min |
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| Wireless Interface | Info unavailable | Bluetooth | Yes | Info unavailable | No wireless interface |
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| Weight | 6.8 oz | 4.3 oz | 3 oz | 3.9 oz | 3.4 oz |
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| Carrier | Nextel Communications | Cingular Wireless | Cingular Wireless | Verizon Wireless | Sprint PCS |
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| Product name | Motorola i355 (Nextel) | Samsung SGH-D307 (AT&T) | Samsung SGH-X497 (AT&T) | Samsung SCH-N330 (Verizon Wireless) | LG VI-125 (Sprint) |
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range |
 Check latest prices$39 from 1 store | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
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