Basic, Free Phones Sometimes Fit the Bill

As you can see by my post on the no-frills Jitterbug phone I ordered for my parents, not everyone wants a phone that plays music, takes photos, and has menus that seem to never end. In this 60 Minutes "Get Me the Geeks" segment, New York Times tech columnist David Pogue notes that phones have become more feature-laden and artfully designed because phone manufacturers don't want people getting used to acquiring their phones free with cellular service. So they have designed beautiful, feature-filled phones to entice us to spend hundreds of dollars.

Well, many of us don't want to pay for expensive phones with features we may never use. And if you've got a family plan, you'll be spending so much on monthly service that you won't want to break the bank on phones, too.

If you're happy with the free cell phone you received with your last service contract and may go that route again, check out this piece by PC World's Grace Aquino. She tested one free phone from each of four major service providers—Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. She notes that many of the free phones are not free until you mail in a rebate form, and others are available only on company web sites and not in retail stores. She found the widest selection of free phones with Cingular and the least with Verizon Wireless. Check out the entire two-pager, but here's a quick look at the phones Aquino tested:

Cingular: Motorola SLVR L6 - (Pictured) Not for the feature-free-seeking set. It allows instant messaging and surfing for email, but the keyboard isn't ideal for sending messages. Luckily, Cingular has eight other free phones to choose from, including the SLVR L2, which has no camera.

Sprint: Samsung a640 - Easy to use, decent camera, but, like the SLVR L6, it also has lackluster screen quality.

T-Mobile: Samsung t619 - A basic clamshell that's easy to use, including a voice dialing feature. It's compatible with Bluetooth headsets for additional hands-free talking, too. T-Mobile also offers the Motorola PEBL for free, too.

Verizon Wireless: Nokia 6215i - Slim, compact clamshell that has an OLED screen, which saves power and has a nice look.

There can be downsides to getting free phones, or sticking with basic handsets that you've had for a long time. The models may not be around when your contract is up, and so finding batteries for them may be difficult. You may want to consider buying an extra battery if you're getting a good deal on your phone. Or just replace it with a new free phone offered when your contract expires.