Apparently, cell phone batteries aren’t meant to be immortal. I suppose I knew that, but I don’t like signs of weakness, even (especially?) in technology. The past several days, though, I begin the day with a fully-charged phone and end it with a “Your phone’s battery is dangerously low!” message. (“Dangerously?” As though something extremely dire will happen the moment it tips into the red zone? Exploding plastic and rubber buttons all over my purse?)
I use an old phone, as such things are determined. It’s a Palm Centro, and it does everything of which I require it: not much. I don’t surf the web on it, and my motto is that if I can’t wait until reaching a real computer to check my email, then I have an Email Problem. I don’t even text on the phone. What I want is a cross between an ordinary telephone and a file-handling PDA – specifically, one that can talk nicely with my Mac computer and automatically sync up with my calendar and contacts over a USB connection. That’s it. (Oh, and Sudoku. Shaddup.)
So when I went into the Sprint store to see about getting a new battery, I was most displeased to learn:
A) They don’t have a battery for my (positively antique, quite discontinued) phone;
B) I could buy one at the battery store…for about $50;
C) It’d be cheaper just to upgrade my phone, which I’m eligible to do, but…
D) All the phones to which I could upgrade that would do what I want them to do would require having a data plan.
I don’t want a data plan. Honestly, the only reason we’re on Sprint right now is that Dad went out and got Sprint phones for me and my brother so that he could call his kids and grandkids whenever he wanted to. I could switch off to another carrier, but then Dad would have to pay more to call us when he wants to, which he naturally would prefer not to do. Further complicating things, Eric’s work might choose to provide him with a phone in the coming days, but it won’t be Sprint. Switch me to his carrier? Get my own plan?
The guy at the Sprint store was all about trying to sell me on the idea of switching our family’s plan to a data plan, even though I’m the only one with a phone that would use/require it and even I don’t want it. Only forty more dollars a month! A true bargain! Ugh. I don’t think my level of “enthusiasm” was what he wanted, for some reason.
I just want my own phone to keep working. $50 for a new battery is looking pretty keen compared to the other options, which seems sad. Maybe some folks walk into the phone store and go all “Ooh, sparkly!” but that’s not where I’m at right now.
I’m doing this race as my first 50K/ultra in July 2012. I’m so tardy to the party but...
The extra $ for the data plans put me off too. I got around it – sort of, as it was still expensive (tax refund time!) by getting a new ipod – the touch, with a year of mobile me at $99. The itouch plus the mobile plan still comes out cheaper over the two years (with a renewal of mobile me) than a new phone plan plus monthly data plan (I’m with US Cellular and love it – considerably cheaper than Sprint), at least when you realize I needed a new ipod of some sort anyway.
I hate that they constantly try to bundle things and upsell you for stuff you don’t want.
1. $50 battery (the easiest choice)
2. Switch to ATT, get a sweet touch phone for only $19.99 and NO DATA plan required, plus they have cool commercials. (the hardest choice)
Ive ran into this before
#1 check ebay! I have found batteries for all types of various phones there really really cheap. Sometimes I get 2 to rotate in and out and a seperate charger. Had to do that with my old touch phone as it ate batteries like you wouldnt believe.
I was going to suggest ebay as well, that’s where I head for all my purchases like that. You really can find them for super cheap on there.
Make that a third vote for ebay!
Can I add another ebay?! We find many great tech deals going through ebay. I’m not sure how effective Craigslist is by you, but that might be another option. DH usually tries both ebay and Craigslist when he wants a new sparkly toy, or we need to replace something.
FYI… Sprint has unlimited anytime minutes. You don’t have to call Sprint to Sprint anymore to get the unlimited minutes. You can call any mobile plan. Check it out. Most companies have started this.
The Sprint guy told me that was only with the data plans! That seems to be what the literature says, too…
I’ll check out eBay. I did see the batteries on Amazon for far less, but the reviews seemed to indicate that they were old batteries, too, so they didn’t behave much better than the one I have in there now.
This is what I do — have a phone just happens to be a verizon one that can do texting only because I have a teenager then I also have an I-Pod Touch for my PDA. It handle my contacts and calendar. I can also check my email for free anywhere there is free wi-fi such as our library and the mall. Oh it also has a ton of apps that my kids have loaded on it.
Check out cellphoneshop.net. AND, if you are still in need of it, I have an extra palm Centro battery for a verizon centro. I think they are compatible.
I also got a battery for my Razr at the site Tammy mentioned. It looks like you could get a new one for your Palm Centro