Verizon..does anyone care about us basic users? Really?

Question

I know Im not the only 'crying' about this...but seriously...where have we come from just a few years ago when you offered feature phones that were actually half decnt for those of us who cant afford or DONT WANT to spend half our paycheck on the data packages...It seems like we've taken steps BACK with the basic phone you currently offer!  The brightside is the only one remotely close to what used to be available...but look at the reviews on any website, its terrible. Is it really that hard, or too much  to ask for a decent camera (w flash maybe?!), internet browser, etc...the Samsung Rogue and LG Envy 3 are way ahead of this phone from 3 years ago..cant we step it up?

Answer 1

Jonathan;
Yes, take a close look at the latest VZW offerings. There is nothing good in the basic phones.
If I don’t like touch screen and I have passed the flip phone era, then there are in fact only two (2) phones offered by the Verizon: LG Cosmos 2 and Samsung Intensity III.
Are these phones any good? I don’t think so. The quality of these phones is not even close to the quality of basic phones that we had in the past.
LG Cosmos 2
I can’t give any opinion as a user because I don’t own LG Cosmos 2. But based on the opinions of others VZW customers, I wouldn’t buy this phone or recommend to anyone. And then, based on what I see and read, I could say that this phone is very poorly designed and it’s out-of-date on some of the features. 
1. The camera has only 1.3 Megapixel - this is like moving backward instead of going forward.
2. There is no video.
3. Only 2” screen.
Why ALL the basic phone models must be slim? I don’t might to have a phone 1” wider.
There is no variety of choices on the design front. I think that most of the basic phone users could prefer to have a phone in the size of the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, just to have a bigger numbers and a bigger screen size.
Samsung Intensity III
I am the owner of one of this. I “upgraded” my old Samsung Sway (4 years without any problems) to Samsung Intensity III, and I am experiencing any kind of issues – issues, which I never had with my four previous phones (diff models).
Since this is the third Samsung Intensity III in three weeks, I think that I could give honest opinion based on facts.
I had to replace the phone twice for different reasons.
With the first phone, I was experiencing very poor signal, drop calls and terrible sound.
With the second phone, after first night in standby mode, the battery was almost discharged. The battery and the charger have been replaced. On the same day, I spent hours with VZW tech support to fix cracking voice and windy noise in the background. At the end I was told that it might be a problem with the phone and I should go to the store and replace the phone.
The phone was replaced. The cracking voice and windy noise is gone but I still have a weak signal and I hear from the callers that sometimes my voice sound like I was distant from the phone.
Poor design issues:
1. The keys (on the front panel) are so small that is very difficult to touch one key without touching another.
2. The orange color of the symbols on the keyboard made the symbols hard to read.
3. VERY small pictures. According to the phone specification: “Display 2.4 inches”. I wonder how it was measured, when the actual width is less than 2” and height approx 2”. But to see the picture in this size, you must set the picture as wallpaper.  Otherwise the size of the picture, in the ‘full view’ is only 1 1/2” x 1 1/8”.
4. The back cover is made so cheap that I am afraid that I can break after a few openings.
5. Poor signal
So far, it look like the Samsung Intensity III could be the worst cell phone I have owned.
I just don’t understand the phone manufacturers. Why do they cease production of a good quality phone, only to replace by piece of crap?
Best Regards,
D R