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Verizon Cell Phone Reviews and Buying Guide: The 4 major cell phone carriers are Verizon, AT&T (Cingular), Sprint/Nextel, and T-Mobile. These carriers need to offer new and innovative cell phone technology in order to not only attract new customers but also retain their current ones. AT&T has recently upped the ante by partnering with Apple and the hit iPhone. Verizon is the consistent leader for carriers in terms of 'best network' as rated by Consumer Reports and other leading institutions for having the best voice quality. Verizon Wireless currently carries phones from Samsung, Motorola, and LG. Many of the phones are free to customers if they signup for the 2 year contracts that are required. The real issue is that most phones are not much different from the next. Sure some take pictures or others offer VCAST services, but they all make phone calls and provide the option of sending text messages to your friends, family, and co-workers. Verizon has about 25 mobile phones they offer as part of their wireless service packages in the U.S. Which phones are the best? Consumer Reports (Jan 2008 issue) rated many of the cell phones offered by all the major carriers and came up with a 'top picks' list to guide potential owners with the various features of each. Verizon uses a CDMA network for their cell phones so consider that when traveling to other countries that only offer GSM or TDMA. The two types of mobile phones are still the flip phones (like the RAZR) or "candy bar" phone. I have found that the 'candy bar' cellular phones tend to have problems when inside pockets or purses with dialing numbers that you didn't intend to dial. I recently switched from a Nokia model (candy bar style) to the Motorola Razr because I couldn't stand always having numbers being punched into the display without me actually wanting it. Flip phones will eliminate that issue completely. Some newer phones have swivel or sliding actions to reveal the display or keyboard. Some displays on certain phones are hard to read in dim light, so be sure to test any phone you buy in a store, although purchasing online can save you money as we found. The software that is installed on many cell phones is not always intuitive and easy to use the first few times. Make sure you have the store employee give you a quick demo of the basic functions of the phone - speed dialing, recent calls, saving names and numbers, Internet access (if it offers that), ringtone settings, text messaging, and camera usage. Cell phones have become like computers, people only use like 10% of the all the functions they offer. Almost all consumer buying guides we read mention that customers should look for rebates on cell phones to get the best deals. Online websites often have the best deals, but be sure to check in your local cellular store to see what they are offering. It would seem that each week there are new promotions and discount prices in all stores. When it comes to camera phones, keep in mind that most pictures you take with the phone will not turn out clear enough to actually print out and use like you would with a normal camera. The megapixel technology on cellular phones just isn't sufficient enough yet and 1 or 2 megapixel cell cameras will leave you with blurry photos. It's a nice bonus to have, but don't buy a cell phone simply because you like the camera feature unless you are considering the Nokia N95. You can find the latest Verizon cell phones online at Verizonwireless.com with pricing details, photos, and full specs. For more ratings and reviews we found great owner reviews on Amazon.com and CNET and About.com do technical reviews as well with comparisons against other phones. Best Phone: The Verizon Wireless G'zOne Type-S ($99.99) is a great first choice for a sturdy cell phone that offers plenty of features. The water-resistant case the phone is built with can withstand humidity and rain. The keypad is dust resistant so it will stay clean. Features include speakerphone, camera with flash, voice activated dialing, Bluetooth capable, and it's capable of GPS navigation (VZ Navigator) with turn by turn directions. Talk time is estimated at about 200 minutes with standby at 170 hours. You can text, picture, video, and instant message and the Mobile Web 2.0 offers up sports, news and email right to your phone. You can also play 3D games, download ringtones, and wallpaper images. The LG Chocolate ($80) is another top seller and top rated wireless phone from Verizon. The Chocolate phone is available in a variety of colors (Cherry, Black Cherry, Black, Blue Mint). Features include Bluetooth, ESPN MVP, mobile email, V Cast music, and VZ Navigator GPS capabilities. Camera Phone: As we mentioned earlier, cameras on cell phones may seem like a great feature, but most disappoint end users with blurry pictures that don't look good when displayed on computers. The Samsung FlipShot - Black ($200) is a Verizon Wireless offering that does take good pictures with a 3.0 megapixel camera built in. You can get high resolution images that you can print using the PictBridge technology. If printing is not what you want to do, then view the images on your TV using the TV-out option. The digital camera comes with autofocus, digital zoom and a flash. It even supports panoramic shots. Picture modes include auto, portrait, landscape, macro, night, daylight, and backlight. Resolution of your digital images goes up to 2048 x 1536. The phone has lots of other great calling features which make it a "best buy" in our eyes. Verizon Smart Phone: The Palm Treo 700p Smartphone ($399.99) is still considered a top player in the 'smart phone' field with the Palm OS powering the phone. You get broadband access via the EV-DO network, a 1.3 megapixel camera for those impulsive photo ops, Wireless Sync, a digital music player, and Bluetooth technology. The QWERTY keyboard makes for quick and simple typing. Works great for email on the go (business users) and it even provides a memory slot for SD cards. A 2 year contract is required for the discounted price, otherwise you will be paying closer to $500 for this unit. Other smart phones from Verizon are Verizon Wireless PN-820 Smartphone and the Motorola Q Black. Top Rated Verizon Phones: Other popular wireless phones from Verizon include the Samsung U520, Samsung SCH-u740, Samsung Jitterbug, and the LG enV. If you like watching TV shows on your cell phone, check out the LG VX9400 for $150 that is the perfect V CAST Mobile TV phone on the market. Watch your favorite tv shows right on the colorful display. A program guide lets you quickly check what is available. The Samsung Juke is a good music playing cell phone with 2GB of internal memory for music. Supports MP3, WMA, WMA Pro, AAC & AAC+ formats and lets you create or manage playlists. © 1999-2008 Funskins.com - Product Reviews