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We have a flip phone that is a current model but texting is not feasible. It can take 5 minutes to type one sentence. If we can avoid making mistakes and have to go back a space.
What low cost alternatives are out there for a very easy to text (keyboard style) that would only be used for texting and nothing else. Text only, no need to pay for ability to make phone calls.
Maybe a TracFone?
We stopped texting on the other phone due to numerous texts from telemarketers and we got tired of getting, reading, deleting, and paying for them.
It looks like TracFone won't work. The minimum is 30 service days = having to buy a new airtime card every 30 days whether you use the minutes or not. The phone plus $120 a year.
They do have a 1000 text card but it is only an add-on.
The AT&T is too expensive for the purpose. Veeeeery occasional texting between friends and relatives. TracFone was good except for the above.
So you stopped text messages because you got tired of paying for it and now want to carry a second device and have a second plan so that you can send text messages that you got tired of paying for it. That makes absolutely no sense to me.
I'd use something like get a Google Voice number and then use Hangouts on your computer to send the occasional text message. You can also just use regular email but you need to know the person's provider. Just compose a regular email and send it to phone@appropriategateway.com. Google Voice would mean you wouldn't need to know the provider.
Third option depending where you live, Google Project Fi. Runs off T-mobile service. $20/mo for unlimited talk/text plus $10 per GB. If you don't use much data and are somewhere T-Mobile works well (generally urban areas), it's a pretty good option. The Nexus 5X is $200 after activation so there's the upfront cost but it's a decent phone. Might be cheaper than your flip phone is costing you month to month. You get the unused data credited back, so if you're buying 1 GB of data and use .2 GB, they credit back $8.
I'd use something like get a Google Voice number and then use Hangouts on your computer to send the occasional text message. You can also just use regular email but you need to know the person's provider. Just compose a regular email and send it to phone@appropriategateway.com. Google Voice would mean you wouldn't need to know the provider.
You could get a Google Voice number and use it for texting with people on cell phones right in a browser window on your computer in your Google Voice account. I use mine for that, it works well! And it's free!
So you stopped text messages because you got tired of paying for it and now want to carry a second device and have a second plan so that you can send text messages that you got tired of paying for it. That makes absolutely no sense to me.
I'd use something like get a Google Voice number and then use Hangouts on your computer to send the occasional text message. You can also just use regular email but you need to know the person's provider. Just compose a regular email and send it to phone@appropriategateway.com. Google Voice would mean you wouldn't need to know the provider.
We can try Google Voice.
A small circle of people some of which do not even have an e-mail address. All text for them.
10-15 text a week would be plenty. TracFone does not accommodate that. $120 a year + a $20 phone is not worth the cost. We'd rather give that to a charity.
Some users in the group have Verizon as we do but we had to block texting due to telemarketers, etc.
X cost per text is not a good option. As far as carrying two phones around that won't happen. Text phone would be not be carried out.
It looks like TracFone won't work. The minimum is 30 service days = having to buy a new airtime card every 30 days whether you use the minutes or not. The phone plus $120 a year.
They do have a 1000 text card but it is only an add-on.
The AT&T is too expensive for the purpose. Veeeeery occasional texting between friends and relatives. TracFone was good except for the above.
Another type of phone that is easy to text with is a blackberry, maybe even a used one, I used to use a 8530 curve and it was great for texting, so much so that I bought one for my wife too, now we use androids so those phones sit in the closet as backups.
The above works great send and receive a reply back.
Though I am not sure if others can initiate a text to e-mail.
No, we would not carry two phones around. If (for example) TracFone had a text only plan with no expiration we might go that way. Such a text phone would only be used inside the dwelling.
Maybe its me, but isn't the whole point of texting is to be able to do it from a mobile device?! I have a Samsung flip phone and texting is a beast and I was about to bend over and get a Smartphone but I think I will explore some of the options suggested by earlier posters. The Samsung lives on a T-Mobile month to month plan, the plan is many years old but the Samsung is only a little over a year old. You only have to pay $100 once, to get the advantages of the Gold level plan.
The above works great send and receive a reply back.
Though I am not sure if others can initiate a text to e-mail.
No, we would not carry two phones around. If (for example) TracFone had a text only plan with no expiration we might go that way. Such a text phone would only be used inside the dwelling.
I've not done it, but the instructions on my Kyocera Rally on T-Mobile says texts can be sent to a phone number or email address. It just needs to be listed in "Contacts".
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