Which would you pick?? [Poll]

[Zephik]

Samsung Trance (http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Samsung-Trance-U490-Review-review-r_2152.html) - $50 (Great basic phone, good music phone, 3.5mm jack)

LG Versa (http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/LG-Versa-Review-review-r_2112.html) - $50 (optional attachable game pad, comes with attachable keyboard)

Samsung Rogue (http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Samsung-Rogue-U960-Review-review-r_2265.html) - $80 (built-in keyboard, ?)

LG EnV Touch (http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/LG-enV-Touch-VX11000-Review-review-r_2182.html) - $100 (the works? maybe? hmm)

It's slim picking when it comes to Verizon, but they have a $35 a month texting only plan which includes unlimited everything except calling. So... yea... that's why I'm going with Verizon. The above phones are the coolest phones they have that don't cost a small fortune for me. $100 is basically my limit. Also, it can't be a smart phone or blackberry, as Verizon seems to want to charge $55 a month instead of $35 for those phones. So yep, this is basically it. Reading through the reviews, each phone has its pro's and its con's. I'm just not sure which one to pick. So have at it! Which would you pick?

[Zephik]

I've been reading the reviews a bit more in-depth. This is my conclusion thus far...

LG Versa is WAY better than the Samsung Trance. The Samsung Rogue is better than the LG Versa. Now here's the question, is the LG EnV Touch better than the Samsung Rogue? We'll find out here shortly! But so far, I'm really digging the Rogue a lot.

God I am so freaking happy that I started using my brain tonight. I WAS going to go with the Samsung Trance. Then I went "wait a minute, do they have affordable smart phones that aren't smart phones?" Yes. Yes they do. And the Trance PALES in comparison. There IS NO comparison. lol

I've never been excited for a phone before. :p

[SXRguyinMA]

I've got the LG Dare and I love it and m wife has the EnV Touch and loves it to death, plus the full keyboard is a big plus. I was lookin at the Versa when I got mine, but I'm never going to use any of the attatchments. I use my phone for calling, pics, the occasional vid and once in a while music. Texting kinda sucks on it due to the small screen, and its even more cramped when you flip it and get the full keyboard. I like my wife's env touch because the full keyboard is real, you can feel it

[x88x]

Wow, I'm actually pretty impressed those phones are as cheap as they are. I remember just 4 years ago (yes, I know; an eternity in the tech world) when I paid $50 for my Nokia 6236i (http://usa.nokia.com/find-products/phones/nokia-6236i).

From a first glance, I would say the Rogue, but that's just because I like the slide-out keyboard better than a flip-out keyboard in a phone. Actually, I would be willing to bet that most of the cost difference is the second display on the EnV. However, it looks like the EnV has a better screen (external), which supports 1.6 million colors instead of the 16k that the Rouge offers. The Rouge has a capacitive touch screen, whereas the EnV has a resistive. Both have good and bad points; basically, the resistive tech is more accurate, but the capacitive tech is less prone to scratches and only works with fingers. Personally, given the resolution and size of these screens, I would go with a resistive panel and just put a screen protector on it.

I assume they both run crappy 'dumb-phone' OSs? Unfortunate. That rather limits what you can do with them (and how much it costs to do it). :(

What I would recommend is to find a Verizon store nearby that has both phones for demo, and go try them both out.

EDIT: doh! Started watching the conclusion on the Rouge; turns out it has a resistive touch screen too.

EDIT2: After watching both video reviews, I gotta say I'm pretty impressed with the OSs on both (for 'dumbphones'). I notice the review says they're both a bit heavy...personally I like my electronics to be a little heavy; it usually means they're actually built well, and I don't have to baby them.

[Mark_Hardware]

I personally would take an LG over a samsung phone any day. It seems to me that samsung puts out a phone with all these features, then rather than make sure everything works right they just rush on to the next one... Idk just my opinion and you know what they say about those....

[Zephik]

I read the reviews pretty tightly, the Rogue and the EnV Touch are definitely the best out there and are each others closest competition.

Basically, the Rogue is slightly better in all areas except in music. The Rogue still uses that god awful ancient anti-christ of software whereas the EnV Touch doesn't.

I decided that I'm going to get the Rogue though. I'm really digging everything about it. Especially that AMOLED screen, which side by side with the EnV Touch is the superior screen. It's also a bit smaller than the EnV, yet it has a slightly bigger screen. So its compact but not at a loss of specs, in fact, the specs are slightly better than the EnV Touch oddly. That and I really like the Slide Out keyboard instead of the Flip Out keyboard. Basically, everything about the Rogue is slightly better than the EnV Touch and it's a bit cheaper to boot.

[Zephik]

I personally would take an LG over a samsung phone any day. It seems to me that samsung puts out a phone with all these features, then rather than make sure everything works right they just rush on to the next one... Idk just my opinion and you know what they say about those....

This is a bit true. There has been a good number of reported incidents with the Rogues ear-piece and possibly mouth piece, however most people if not all were able to get a replacement no problem and then they go on to say that it's the best they've used, which includes some of the reviewers.

Seems like Samsung uses pretty high quality parts, at least with the Rogue and their Televisions, they just need to test them better. But, as long as people are reporting that exchanging it for a new one is pretty much hassle free, then I'm not too worried about it.

The reviewers are actually saying the quality is one of the better quality phones that they've tested/reviewed. Its just that darn earpiece/mouthpiece. TEST YOUR PHONES BETTER SAMSUNG! It's a real shame to get that negative feedback whereas otherwise the phone gets just about nothing but applause. The only other negative is Verizon's fault with that damn music software. They REALLY need to update that. Hell, I'd pay $20 just to get one of the nicer music players instead of that BS. I'd pay another $10 to be able to run it in the background which you can't currently do.

[x88x]

Hmm, idk, the only Samsung products I have extensive personal experience with are their monitors and TVs, but I've always been very happy with the build quality on those.

I know you didn't list one of these in your options, but in my experience the best built phones are Nokia's. I have never seen any Nokia phone (or actually anything at all made by Nokia for that matter) that wasn't built like a brick. For example, my current old 6236i has been sitting in my pocket, through rain, snow, heat, getting thrown around, slept on, sat on, and basically getting the crap kicked out of it, for the last 4 years...and it still works like a charm. Paint's worn away in places and the speaker for the speakerphone is getting a bit fuzzy, but other than that it looks and acts like I just brought it home from the store yesterday.

Unfortunately, Nokia seems to not focus very much on the upper-mid-range stuff. Most of their phones are either high-end smartphones or basic no-frills dumbphones.

EDIT: rather, in browsing Nokia's website for a bit, it looks like they make phones like what you want...Verizon just doesn't support them...stupid Verizon, using CDMA...

[Zephik]

My very first cell phone was a Nokia. It's true, they're build quality is amazing. Their only downside is that they are literally either the most basic phones in the universe, or completely and utterly amazing phones for a billion bazillion dollars. lol

The only phones that are Nokia on Verizon are basically crap.

But I think I'll be happy with the Rogue. Samsung makes great displays, but as far as everything else goes, they can be a bit iffy. However, the reviews are basically all pointing out that the build quality is above average to excellent. ...they also mention the earpiece/mouthpiece issues, but again, they also report a fairly hassle free trade in so I'm not too worried.

The only other real option is the EnV Touch, but I don't really like the size of it or the folding style keyboard. That and it costs a bit more and is slightly worse than the Rogue, although not really noticeable unless compared side by side.

Yep, this is definitely the phone for me. I can't wait to get it! I just have to wait until I get paid.

[chaksq]

I say go with either of the LG. Great phones, I just got a LG Xenon myself. Best of luck.

[Spawn-Inc]

i voted for the Samsung Rogue, but after reading some more i am changing it to the LG EnV Touch

[billygoat333]

i love my lg voyager, but samsung has never steered me wrong in terms of reliability. the best phone ive ever had so far was a samsung a670. lasted forever and a day. my voyager = win though :)

[Zephik]

i voted for the Samsung Rogue, but after reading some more i am changing it to the LG EnV Touch

The reason(s) being?

[Mark_Hardware]

cause LG kicks ass

hehe just playin :P