where to buy a phone revisited?
Hi all, Hoping for some local perhaps off the beaten path options. to be forthright? I am really running out of time to find a solution. There are options even outside of lg, the xp3 or xp3 plus for example. Challenge is finding them, given the touch screen focus. The symbol, chatter's only flip is off the table, no accessibility features. The tcl rogers item seems to have talking..but not at your ear. phone need not be a flip of course, just have buttons..like a blackberry. Which used to have fine speech as well. store ideas? sadly, save for a firm model, this is not an on line sort of buy. with appreciation, Karen.
Since I started the original thread, I ended up buying a brand new "Samsung Galaxy A16 5G" from Samsung site. It's the cheapest Samsung phone, hopefully my last purchase. I looked at used "Samsung Galaxy S2[1-4]" models, but a new A16 is still cheaper and with warranty. On 2025-07-20 22:06, Karen Lewellen via Talk wrote:
Hi all, Hoping for some local perhaps off the beaten path options. to be forthright? I am really running out of time to find a solution. There are options even outside of lg, the xp3 or xp3 plus for example. Challenge is finding them, given the touch screen focus. The symbol, chatter's only flip is off the table, no accessibility features. The tcl rogers item seems to have talking..but not at your ear. phone need not be a flip of course, just have buttons..like a blackberry. Which used to have fine speech as well. store ideas? sadly, save for a firm model, this is not an on line sort of buy. with appreciation, Karen.
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That is wonderful! Actually, I will end up likely with two plans. Wanting to find one of those units that let you put in a sim card yet connect a regular phone. In case my new cell has no accessibility whatsoever. On Mon, 21 Jul 2025, William Park via Talk wrote:
Since I started the original thread, I ended up buying a brand new "Samsung Galaxy A16 5G" from Samsung site. It's the cheapest Samsung phone, hopefully my last purchase. I looked at used "Samsung Galaxy S2[1-4]" models, but a new A16 is still cheaper and with warranty.
On 2025-07-20 22:06, Karen Lewellen via Talk wrote:
Hi all, Hoping for some local perhaps off the beaten path options. to be forthright? I am really running out of time to find a solution. There are options even outside of lg, the xp3 or xp3 plus for example. Challenge is finding them, given the touch screen focus. The symbol, chatter's only flip is off the table, no accessibility features. The tcl rogers item seems to have talking..but not at your ear. phone need not be a flip of course, just have buttons..like a blackberry. Which used to have fine speech as well. store ideas? sadly, save for a firm model, this is not an on line sort of buy. with appreciation, Karen.
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From: Karen Lewellen via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org>
Hoping for some local perhaps off the beaten path options.
We'd love to help you, and we're trying. But I don't have a great understanding of what makes a good phone for you. On top of asking us, I hope you are asking other people who need phones with similar capabilities. My guess is that most Android phones are alike in support. iPhones are probably all alike too. "Feature phones" seem to be dying out. Some won't work when 3G gets turned off (this year).
to be forthright? I am really running out of time to find a solution. There are options even outside of lg, the xp3 or xp3 plus for example. Challenge is finding them, given the touch screen focus. The symbol, chatter's only flip is off the table, no accessibility features.
My bias is to not get phones through carriers. Their goal is to get you to buy their service.
The tcl rogers item seems to have talking..but not at your ear. phone need not be a flip of course, just have buttons..like a blackberry. Which used to have fine speech as well. store ideas?
I'm no expert. I don't do this often. I took my Pixel 8 in for warranty service at Best Buy in Scarborrough Town Centre mall. They were nice enough to say that they didn't do on-the-spot phone service and suggested Mobile Klinic in the mall. Mobile Klinic did the fix, for free (not using the warranty). What I take from this: individuals in stores are very different in their knowledge. Try to find someone who can understand your needs. <https://mobileklinik.ca/stores/scarborough-town-centre/>
sadly, save for a firm model, this is not an on line sort of buy.
Yes.
On 7/21/25 17:40, D. Hugh Redelmeier via Talk wrote:
My bias is to not get phones through carriers. Their goal is to get you to buy their service.
I've been with Rogers (& Cantel) for over thirty years. My phones have never been tied to my service. I only bought one phone elsewhere. My current phone, a Google Pixel 6, I bought from Rogers almost 4 years ago. My plan was just to pay for it in full up front, but they had a deal that saved me a few $hundred by buying over time. My service details did not change at all when I bought that phone.
Actually, did not the cRTC make it a requirement that all phones be sold unlocked from carriers in 2017 or so? On Mon, 21 Jul 2025, James Knott via Talk wrote:
On 7/21/25 17:40, D. Hugh Redelmeier via Talk wrote:
My bias is to not get phones through carriers. Their goal is to get you to buy their service.
I've been with Rogers (& Cantel) for over thirty years. My phones have never been tied to my service. I only bought one phone elsewhere. My current phone, a Google Pixel 6, I bought from Rogers almost 4 years ago. My plan was just to pay for it in full up front, but they had a deal that saved me a few $hundred by buying over time. My service details did not change at all when I bought that phone. ------------------------------------ Description: GTALUG Talk Unsubscribe via Talk-unsubscribe@lists.gtalug.org Start a new thread: talk@lists.gtalug.org This message archived at https://lists.gtalug.org/archives/list/talk@lists.gtalug.org/message/H5BJVZO...
The carriers will gladly give you a $1000 phone if you buy a $3000/year plan for the next 5 years. But hey you get that shiny new iPhone for almost nothing. I stopped buying phones through the carriers or phones associated with their plans as soon as I found a way to buy unlocked phones. On 2025-07-22 11:35, Karen Lewellen via Talk wrote:
Actually, did not the cRTC make it a requirement that all phones be sold unlocked from carriers in 2017 or so?
On Mon, 21 Jul 2025, James Knott via Talk wrote:
On 7/21/25 17:40, D. Hugh Redelmeier via Talk wrote:
My bias is to not get phones through carriers. Their goal is to get you to buy their service. I've been with Rogers (& Cantel) for over thirty years. My phones have never been tied to my service. I only bought one phone elsewhere. My current phone, a Google Pixel 6, I bought from Rogers almost 4 years ago. My plan was just to pay for it in full up front, but they had a deal that saved me a few $hundred by buying over time. My service details did not change at all when I bought that phone.
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On 7/22/25 12:31, Alvin Starr via Talk wrote:
The carriers will gladly give you a $1000 phone if you buy a $3000/year plan for the next 5 years.
I pay $55/month for 130 GB and unlimited Canada wide calling on Rogers. No "5 years" plan.
But hey you get that shiny new iPhone for almost nothing.
I stopped buying phones through the carriers or phones associated with their plans as soon as I found a way to buy unlocked phones.
I have bought all but one from Rogers. That one came straight from Google. None have been locked. This may be because I never bought a phone as part of a plan. I always kept the phone purchase separate from the plan.
Hi folks, Truly I do not expect my needs to make allot of sense for many..especially given how auditory processing disorder, like many stroke related experiences differs from person to person. perfect description might be found if you google LG exalt accessibility, as that is one phone that provides the basics. The xp 3 and xp3 plus did as well. Buttons, speech at the ear, I honestly do not send texts or use my phone on the net. Android accessibility differs from company to company because google spreads android across so many manufactures, and does not require consistency where their access tools are concerned. The things members of the google accessibility list complain about. An IPhone is out, besides the lack of buttons, the speech makes me dizzy..physically ill. I decided to ask CNIB about the button factor, will see if they know of anything. Still, I believe the items that let you connect a standard land line phone to them with a slot for a sim are called wireless home phones? I resonate with ron, visiting a Carrier location is not working well. Will call the mobile clinic too. Thanks, Karen On Mon, 21 Jul 2025, D. Hugh Redelmeier via Talk wrote:
From: Karen Lewellen via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org>
Hoping for some local perhaps off the beaten path options.
We'd love to help you, and we're trying. But I don't have a great understanding of what makes a good phone for you. On top of asking us, I hope you are asking other people who need phones with similar capabilities.
My guess is that most Android phones are alike in support. iPhones are probably all alike too.
"Feature phones" seem to be dying out. Some won't work when 3G gets turned off (this year).
to be forthright? I am really running out of time to find a solution. There are options even outside of lg, the xp3 or xp3 plus for example. Challenge is finding them, given the touch screen focus. The symbol, chatter's only flip is off the table, no accessibility features.
My bias is to not get phones through carriers. Their goal is to get you to buy their service.
The tcl rogers item seems to have talking..but not at your ear. phone need not be a flip of course, just have buttons..like a blackberry. Which used to have fine speech as well. store ideas?
I'm no expert. I don't do this often. I took my Pixel 8 in for warranty service at Best Buy in Scarborrough Town Centre mall. They were nice enough to say that they didn't do on-the-spot phone service and suggested Mobile Klinic in the mall. Mobile Klinic did the fix, for free (not using the warranty). What I take from this: individuals in stores are very different in their knowledge. Try to find someone who can understand your needs. <https://mobileklinik.ca/stores/scarborough-town-centre/>
sadly, save for a firm model, this is not an on line sort of buy.
Yes. ------------------------------------ Description: GTALUG Talk Unsubscribe via Talk-unsubscribe@lists.gtalug.org Start a new thread: talk@lists.gtalug.org This message archived at https://lists.gtalug.org/archives/list/talk@lists.gtalug.org/message/BXPBL6Y...
participants (5)
-
Alvin Starr -
D. Hugh Redelmeier -
James Knott -
Karen Lewellen -
William Park