Local Cell phone stores

[adrian]

Anyone work at one, or knows a friend who can answer these questions?

Where is the cheapest place to go to sign up for a renewed contract in October for a Motorola v300? (a camera flip phone)

My Mom's plan is about to expire in october, and I was eyeing to get a camera phone (to send pictures of what we're about to buy to each other incase we're about to buy the wrong product).

And where are some indirect stores I can visit?

[pzarquon]

Who offers the v300? Only T-Mobile? I'd imagine their retail stores are the place to start. Since there are dozens of resellers, some fly-by-night operations in mall kiosks that are gone the next week, I suppose you're asking for recommendations of more reliable vendors?

I'm with Sprint, but I love my camera phone... the last three cell phones I've owned have had cameras (though to be fair, I go through them so fast only because my son destroys them so quickly). I lust after the 3MP versions they have in Asia, compared to the barely 1MP blur-fests currently offered in the U.S., but for fun, quickie shots (http://hawaii.buzznet.com) (and yes, the occasional shopping assist), they're fine.

[adrian]

Well, the v300 is available to anyone who is on a GSM network, but if I get one unlocked (able to set it with any GSM network provider), it'll be more expensive.

Right now, they'll probably give it to us for $125 (after rebates) and since my Mom wants us to have the same phones (there's three of us total in the phone plan), that'll be big bucks.

Since our contract is about to expire, we might consider going w/ sprint (to be on the same network as my brother - who is on the mainland) but that is a possibility.

[pzarquon]

Is the lack of GSM a deal breaker? I know it offers a lot (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question537.htm) of features, beyond the "everybody else is doing it" thing, but for me it was only an issue when I did a lot of international travel. Besides, yes, a swappable GSM phone is going to cost you.

I doubt Sprint does GSM (though they carry the Motorola V60v (http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/PhonesAccessories/PhoneDetails.jsp?navLocator=%7Cshop%7CphonesAccess ories%7CallPhones%7C&selectSkuId=motorolav60v&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1476015&CURRENT_USER%3C%3EATR_SCID=ECOMM&CURRENT_USER%3C%3EATR_PCode=None&CURRENT_USER%3C%3EATR_cartState=group&bmUID=1090382639820)). But their same-network plans are nice. My wife and I do the PCS-to-PCS thing, and if we were cross-network, our monthly bill would be well over $100.