Well......I'm giving in and getting a....
 

Fellow's:

I've been here a while I guess......I've always shared my feelings on
phones in cars and us people using them in cars..........
well I think I need to actually have a phone now.....(smart arse comments expected/welcome)...:rolleyes:

but I know nothing about them.....despite what I've read here in the forums....:nix:
would someone chime in about what kind to get......yes, I have never had a cellular phone before:slap:, it's true.....this would be my first one.....
but what kind? I don't need internet or sports news or things like that....
but I will want to 'pair it', as you all say, to my car......
are there certain models/brands that would be better for our cars?

I do come before you humbled: also.....someone side swiped my 550 and killed my mirror and scratched up my drivers side doors....what fun.........
but my new HRE's were completely un-harmed!!!:bow:
I was at fault:slap:

any help would be cool:y

I like Apple products for their operating system which has set the standard of how everyone develops their operating systems nowadays, their high quality, beautiful hardware designs and all glass/aluminum casing on the iPhone (no cheap plastic to speak of), great pocket size, and their closed system which benefits especially us more casual consumers since it guarantees only top tier Apps, i.e no crap goes into your phone/product. Not to mention, it has an insanely good camera, and beneficial stuff like SIRI.

If you do, however, decide to go that route, I'd advice to wait for a few weeks as iPhone 5 will come out and should be amazing and an improvement in all ways from the current iPhone. That's what I'm doing (currently using a "dumb phone" while I wait, no big deal as I do most of my Web stuff on my Macbook Pro and don't "need" my phone to do much more than the basics).

I got an HTC Android phone and returned it, just didn't feel right to me and wasn't worth it, so I exchanged it for the "dumb phone", saved some money, and will wait to see what iPhone 5 has in store....

K-A - Apple makes a crappy phone. It has way too much other crap to make it a useable phone. Be honest - how often have you accidentally dialed a wrong number.

I'd go to MBUSA and see what phone from your vendor gives you the in-car features you want.

What vendor will you be using? Verizon, Sprint, T'Mobile or AT&T? Each have their advantages.

If you are looking for good value and can deal with intermittent crappy customer service, the look at Sprint. They roam on Verizon and are the absolute cheapest around . Or are you looking at one of the prepaids?

Give us your requirements and we'll give you some advice.

I'll give the iPhone some kudos for ease of use and reliability. I've had 3 android type phones and they've all been utter crap. The lack of a hardware interrupt button makes it extremely frustrating once it stops responding. If you already have an iPod or are invested in iTunes otherwise, the iphone it a smart choice, one device in the car. I agree with CEB on using Sprint. I've used them both here and in Europe, the speed and reliability of the network is VERY good.

iPhone has been the most functionally sound Smartphone I've used so far. I didn't like the Android I had (returned it for a dumb phone), and my Mom's HTC isn't just all around pleasant for her as well. My Brother also had Android's and they'd bog, freeze, or their open-system allowed him to get too many low ball Apps that corrupted the phone or something like that.

I don't need my phone to do that much, I don't even need a Smartphone, technically. But for what I do desire from a Smartphone, I dig the iPhone, even though the current one is basically a 2 year old design and operating system (to be changed in about a month). I'm acclimated to Apple's systems though, so it feels "at home" to me. Also, Apple's hardware feel and designs are top of the line, the iPhone is still a really beautiful piece. Of course, that beauty comes with the downside of cracking the all glass case..... but apparently iPhone 5 will fix that with a nice aluminum and glass mix on the back, and of course Gorilla Glass on the front. I love that in an age of plastic-everything, there's no plastic to speak of on the phone.

The problem is that the OP wants a phone - not a smartphone, so the iPhone is not ideal as it really is a bad phone.

I'm probably the only person on the planet who has an office issued iPhone and iPad and a personal Blackberry and Playbook.

I far prefer the Blackberry as a phone although the iPhone blows it out of the water for internet related stuff. I also like a physical keyboard

Ah, right, if we're not talking "Smartphones", then I can help there too. I got an LG something-or-other "dumb phone" and found it to be far superior to the POS Samsung "dumb phone" they had in the "dumb phone" section. Works good as a phone I guess, pretty simple, and can technically go on the Internet if need be, in a very crude way.

Drive a Mercedes and talk about what is the cheapest phone service to get...!!!!????!!!!

Get real guys.

Even if you do not need a smart phone you can get one. You do not need to use the smart phone functions if you don't want to.

There is no better match to the W212 than the iPhone. This is simply because the glove box connection is designed for it for flawless browsing of music.

IPhone is also the best cell phone for all qualities ever made on this planet, period.

That's true. iPhone connector in the glove box is awesome as it makes the car your "big phone" basically. Also, apparently there will be a "SIRI" button on the steering wheels of future calls, allowing SIRI to handle all your automotive requests when you have an iPhone.

Regarding Smartphone VS Dumbphone, that's true, however most carriers still require you to pay a monthly premium just for the Smartphone due to the extra Internet bandwidth, etc. If you never use those, then it might be a waste of money every month (usually about $20-$30 more). Otherwise, no reason to have a dumbphone instead of a Smartphone. I know this from experience. :D

I like my Droid 4 because it is the only "full featured" smart phone I could find with a slide-out keyboard. I type a lot and really like the tactile feel of a slide out keyboard... I plan to get a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (hopefully on Verizon) when it comes out August 29 to carry as a second phone.

Good luck with your choice. The good thing is whatever modern high-end phone you buy, Apple, Android, and even Windows phone, you will have a great user experience. Go with what you like.

Also if you don;t want a smartphone may I suggest...
http://www.jenlist.com.au/Blog/OldCarPhone_t607.jpg

Don't be an apple fanboy. Buy it if you like it, but don't buy into the hype.

My two cents are: I've had various smartphones for a few years now and still find touch screen buttons infuriating for typing messages. I don't have fat fingers either. If you can get over that, a smartphone is the way to go if you will do any browsing on the internet over a high speed connection at all. Texting is also much easier no matter how you cut it over a regular phone unless it has a qwerty keyboard.

If you decide to go android, just don't download a bunch of stupid apps and you won't have problems with compatibility or corruption. The Galaxy S3 is pretty impressive and pretty darn snappy.

I am surprised to hear you don't have a phone as of yet lol
It's not something that you are an old person or whatever else lol.
Being a devoted Nokia Owner, I would recommend you Nokia PureView 41 MP but it's a smartphone .
I better read thru T3 ,Log and STUFF and reply back with more detailed way , what model is the best for buy w/o needing too much things

Hey WEB thanks for uploading that pic, I asked my dad which car was that and got a clinching answer as well


Hey hyper,

I have found the link I wanna show you :
http://www.mercedes-benz-mobile.com/

You can find and compare which model is the best for your needs . BTW, Blackberry phones can read SMS w/o any tool but other phones such as Sony, Nokia,LG need bluetooth module to get the messages to read .

Another link for you to see :
http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/only_m...owners_support

Android and Iphone apps are great but not a good software for Symbian or Windows Mobile grrrr lol

thank you for the replies gents.......
sounds like a lot of folks like the smart phone.....
I don't need the web, or anything besides the ability
to recieve incoming calls....and that's only for emergencies.....

guess I'll have to go visit (a mall?) somewhere to look at some..

thanx again for the comments....
and the picture is great too Web:y

If you are using it exclusively in the car then the iPhone does integrate well but it makes a horrible stand alone phone. If you will ever carry the iPhone around to use as a phone you may hate it.

Good luck with your decision. If you go to the mall, make sure to take the MB compatibility list with you.

Hype,

While you do not require a smartphone for it's "smart" capabilities I still suggest buying one. Simply because the camera on an iPhone or something similar is superior to any dumb phone out there. I find having a quality camera in my pocket at all times is quite handy and you'll find yourself taking many more pictures. Just a thought..

My recommendation is the iPhone. Future proof, reliable and quality construction.

Guys, not everybody wants a multifunction device. The iPhone is fine if you use all of the capabilities but it sucks as a standalone phone. the interface reminds me of an early Treo.

I would never want a phone only as I use it for emailing but there is a huge market for normal phones for a very good reason. When I travel, I carry my office iPhone, my personal BB, my office Motorola normal phone, a sat phone and a pager. Each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Oh and if Motorola wins the injunctions, there won't be any iPhones sold in the US for awhile - not likely but possible.

I really have never found any flaws with its phone capabilities at all, especially compared to any other Smartphone, or even the LG dumbphone I have now. Pretty much everyone has copied IOS anyway so in my oh so humble opinion, at least being used to Apple's OS, they usually (others) seem like second rate versions of Apple's IOS. I haven't used a Blackberry so can't comment on how that works as a phone, but obviously its multifunction capabilities for those who desire it aren't nearly on par (as you said as well).

I think Apple has a better chance of getting Android products banned for patent violations (already successful in many cases and pursuing Samsung vigilantly for stealing their patents, as we all know) and copyright infringement before Motorola has a chance at winning any trials against Apple.

I couldn't see myself with one of those smartphones, or Iphones or whatever it is.....
I don't need anything that complex.....
just: phone for car you know?

Try searching through your contacts to find a number. That teeny, tiny scroll bar is a joke.

The Motorola lawsuit ain't no joke but it probably won't go anywhere. iOS is several years old and really hasn't gotten any upgrades of any significance.

Actually this POS LG I have now completely ripped off IOS's scrollbar as well, so I'm still used to it (iPhones is much better than this things, at least) I guess.

IOS is due for an upgrade indeed, which will happen with IOS6 (coming with the new iPhone presumedly next month). iPhone 4S is pretty much a 2+ year old phone, however being that it still can be considered by many to still be the best Smartphone on the market is really a huge testament to it, being that in the world of tech, especially Smartphones, shelf lives are very short and products get dated fast. I like to think of it as how M-B's/BMW's/etc. stay relevant and hot for 7 years cycles while Toyota, Honda's, etc. have to get changed every 4 years.

For most people, it works. The sales figures speak to that already. You use the scroll bar to find contacts? Just type a few letters or numbers in the search area and they come right up. You're just making it harder on yourself not using the easy search features baked into the phone.

Hype. My vote would be the iPhone. It will do everything you want without any issues. It will just work the way it is supposed to. Any other phone, in my opinion, and you are taking a chance. Hell, in my area, ATT was offering iPhone 3GS for one cent....a penny. Just get the least expensive iPhone you can find.

okay, ultra dumb question: where does one buy a phone?
best buy? or the like?

despite all the positive and negative feedbacks you hear about iphone, let me tell you one thing that made it the phone of choice for my wife. She couldn't turn on our TV to watch a DVD for cryin out loud, but she was able to pick up the iPhone and start using it the first time without reading any instructions. This is why iPhones doesn't come with any extensive instruction manuals, and why the Android users would never understand why iPhone have such a large following.

And the integration with MB is awesome. All the basic phone features are integrated into your dashboard so you never have to touch the phone itself.