Should I get an updated Verizon cellphone? (T-Mobile, contract, blackberry)

[rlrl]

I have a 6 year old Verizon Kyocera 2325 cellphone. It's prepaid and i use the impulse or freeup refill cards. I bought it for $99 at a verizon retailer

There is a Verizon Samsung prepaid phone selling in Target for $14.99. it's advertised as you pay only for what you use

The only reason i am thinking of getting it is because it's lighter than my 6 year old phone and the cost is good. but is the quality less?

would i be able to transfer the phone # from my verizon kyocera to the new verizon phone as well as transfer the balance? could i also use the existing refill card i have on this new phone? I am confused as to the difference between this pay what you use vs the straight refill cards i currently use. would i activate the new phone myself or would i have to take it to a retailer?

[M3 Mitch]

I would suggest getting a GSM type phone, so you can transfer the SIM card to another phone if you want. AT&T, Consumer, T-Mobil are all GSM.

Verizon is CDMA, as is Sprint.

I like to keep the same cell phone as long as I can. Consumer has decent phones for free, but while it's a no-contract deal you do sign up for X minutes per month, no roll-over.

Around here Verizon is an old school, long contract traditional cell provider.

[rlrl]

who doesn't like change, could i ask what those initials stand for (GSM, SIM, CDMA)

i had originally bought the verizon phone 6 years because of a top rating in Consumer Reports but with these inexpensive phones i don't if the quality suffers

would i have to take the new verizon phone to a retail store to activate it or could i do it by the instructions?

[Lancet71]

Originally Posted by rlrl

who doesn't like change, could i ask what those initials stand for (GSM, SIM, CDMA)

i had originally bought the verizon phone 6 years because of a top rating in Consumer Reports but with these inexpensive phones i don't if the quality suffers

would i have to take the new verizon phone to a retail store to activate it or could i do it by the instructions?

CDMA and GSM are kind of the decoding languages for the phones. If you purchase another phone, you can do it yourself unless you wanted to switch your old number to the new phone which is a little more involved. As for SIM, it's a tiny chip that goes in the back of the phone that stores all the data. Sometimes they can be transferred from phone to phone. Verizon uses a program called backup assistant which saves all your data, but you also can use the blackberry online site if you had a blackberry. Truthfully a 5 minute phone call can usually aid you in switching info from one phone to another, but you must call from a different phone to perform all the needed functions.

[WillysB]

GSM is used by AT*T, T-mobile, others and requires a SIM card., comes with the phone purchase. Will hold your contacts info, can be transferred to a new phone.
CDMA is used by Sprint, Verizon and others with NO sim card. Some phones allow you to save your info to an online access.
If you don't know the difference then it probly shouldn't matter to you.

These days most phones can be activated online, or by making that call from the old phone but may require follow up effort.

You may find some help at Howard Forums, dedicated to cell phone use and users, it's free to read.