# Darn it! I HAVE to buy a cell phone. Which one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Phones and Phone Plans\ **Created:** [April 5, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141 "2026-04-05T02:05:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Henrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Henrius](https://community.clark.com/u/Henrius)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/1 "2026-04-05T02:05:20Z")
My beeper no longer functions in my part of Atlanta. A friend advised me to get a Samsung A series phone for about $200, but the phone he recomended must no longer be made. This is what I need a phone to do: A very few voice calls each month- mostly for emergencies. Texting capability for online authentication Ability to read QR codes in overseas museums. GPS capability for navigation abroad. Voice and visual translation capability. I will rarely use a camera function. I will not be watching videos on it, nor storing music. I am amazed at the price range of phones. From $150 to $2000! I guess if I travel internationally I need to be able to put SIM cards in easily. Even after reading a Consumer Reports article, I am hazy about what more money buys you. ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.clark.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 12:16pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/2 "2026-04-05T12:16:43Z")
Henrius, I am not a cell phone expert but I’ve been through a few of them. Yes, you can get a $200 (or even less) Android but as usual you get what you pay for. Right now I am a fan of the Google Pixel phones. Google owns the Android operating system and they support their phones very well. My Pixel is 2+ years old and going fine, a Pixel 7A. I think I paid $400 for it. The “A” means not top of the line, but for me it does everything that I need. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Henrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Henrius](https://community.clark.com/u/Henrius)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/3 "2026-04-05T12:32:57Z")
I thought the selling point of these Google phones was the fine camera, which I care nothing about. ---
**Author:** ![c200ns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/fbc32d/32.png) [@c200ns](https://community.clark.com/u/c200ns)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/4 "2026-04-05T19:29:24Z")
I don’t know if you wear hearing aids or not but if you do Apple would be the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Henrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Henrius](https://community.clark.com/u/Henrius)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/5 "2026-04-05T20:25:52Z")
Thanks, but for the moment my hearing is fine. But I just thought how convenient it would be to unlock the phone by a fingerprint versus typing in a code. ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.clark.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/6 "2026-04-05T22:26:11Z")
> [@Henrius](#): > > But I just thought how convenient it would be to unlock the phone by a fingerprint versus typing in a code. My Pixel 7A unlocks with a finger print! It works pretty well! ---
**Author:** ![Nicki54](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@Nicki54](https://community.clark.com/u/Nicki54)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2026, 2:18am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/8 "2026-04-06T02:18:20Z")
You might look at Motorolas. Moto Play, G and Power are their lower end models and are sold unlocked. I’ve used the first and last. Solid phones that should do what you need. Cameras good but not great. The Motorola site currently has a number of phones under $200. ---
**Author:** ![biny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@biny](https://community.clark.com/u/biny)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/9 "2026-04-07T23:21:37Z")
If you have a micro center nearby, check their open box phones. I saw a samsung A16 8gb/256gb for 150. ---
**Author:** ![shoanwebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@shoanwebb](https://community.clark.com/u/shoanwebb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/10 "2026-04-08T04:18:59Z")
I have been buying Tracfones from QVC or HSN for 12 years and have NEVER ---
**Author:** ![shoanwebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@shoanwebb](https://community.clark.com/u/shoanwebb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 4:22am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/11 "2026-04-08T04:22:47Z")
paid a monthly bill or paid more than $100 per YEAR and get lots of free data, talking and texting. My latest is Moto G Play 24 and I love it. I don’t know why anybody who doesn’t live on their phone buys anything else. ---
**Author:** ![tekwrite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.clark.com/tekwrite/32/1118_2.png) [@tekwrite](https://community.clark.com/u/tekwrite)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/12 "2026-04-08T19:12:36Z")
I have a Samsung A25 and love it. Good price at walmart: [Samsung Galaxy A25 5G A Series 128GB Unlocked Android Smartphone, Desbloqueados SIM, 50MP Camera, Blue Black - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-Galaxy-A25-5G-A-Series-128GB-Unlocked-Android-Cell-Phone-with-50MP-Camera-US-Version-Blue-Black/5220228041) ---
**Author:** ![KimsArt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.clark.com/kimsart/32/4406_2.png) [@KimsArt](https://community.clark.com/u/KimsArt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 7:24am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/13 "2026-04-10T07:24:56Z")
I’ve a few different brands of smart phones and kept going back to Samsungs untill I bought my Pixel 8 Pro ❤. I’m an artist and wanted it for the camera. But this phone is AMAZING. I can do almost everything on it that I do on my laptop. It’s very secure. I’ve been building an app & business for the last 11 months and do most of my research, marketing, and so much more, from my phone. With Samsungs, sometimes the phones are bloated with so much software I didn’t need. But Pixel phones are pretty clean. I literally could go on and on. You can get a renewed or referbished pixel 8 or pixel 8 pro for under $350 and they still have something like 6 years of android updates. ---
**Author:** ![KimsArt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.clark.com/kimsart/32/4406_2.png) [@KimsArt](https://community.clark.com/u/KimsArt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 7:29am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/14 "2026-04-10T07:29:58Z")
My pixel 8 pro uses fingerprint or face biometrics. Google is up to Pixel 10 and has had face unlock options since pixel 4 in 2019 ---
**Author:** ![Wshrman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wshrman](https://community.clark.com/u/Wshrman)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/15 "2026-04-10T14:55:11Z")
I have an A16 for about 2 years. Has all the usual features except no “Always On” clock. ---
**Author:** ![tszefr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.clark.com/tszefr/32/131_2.png) [@tszefr](https://community.clark.com/u/tszefr)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/16 "2026-04-10T20:30:11Z")
Well, Doc, from your level of aptitute for fancy electronic stuff, I think you might be best off with the poster’s suggestion of tracfone. Those should be what we call “feature” phones, aka not “smart”. After all many things called smart are definitely not smart. When you move into the mainline phone realm these days, you are dealing with a computer in your hand, and there is a learning curve. New bride is pretty much in your camp, and I yearn for the days when a phone was a phone. But even a feature phone should routinely handle text messages. That would work similarly to the old pager. In “smart” phone land there are essentially two kinds. The most popular and generally cheaper will be the Android phone. One consideration is that Android is Google and google is evil. I have had and used a good handful of android phones, but moved to Apple a few years ago. As far as I am concerned, the biggest selling point is updates, which can be scarce with an android phone because they are often customized by the telco to include all manner of rubbish, and Telco don’t care if your software gets updated. **Somebody correct me if I am wrong on android phone updates!** In iPhone land, there are now lots of models. Being cheap, I stay away from current stuff and look for a nice refurbished one that is 2-3 years old. I also make sure they are carrier-unlocked so I can use whatever telco I want. Latest one I have is an iPhone 13 Mini. ---
**Author:** ![Henrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Henrius](https://community.clark.com/u/Henrius)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/17 "2026-04-10T21:42:28Z")
Well, thanks, but I took the advice of that Tekewrite and bought that Samsung A25 from Wall-Mart. It is cheap enough so if I want an improved phone later, $163 is no great loss. Not sure I like the Apple Company better than I like the Google company. Both support some bad causes. I am going to Copenhagen next month and hope I can figure out how to use it there for at least navigation. I am tired of navigating by Garmin GPS which is not that easy, as it always must see satellites to work. ---
**Author:** ![FurryKidsMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@FurryKidsMom](https://community.clark.com/u/FurryKidsMom)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/18 "2026-04-11T00:26:18Z")
After face recognition mistook our toy poodle for my husband, we stopped using it. ---
**Author:** ![Henrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Henrius](https://community.clark.com/u/Henrius)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/19 "2026-04-11T02:27:32Z")
I take it your aging husband has a white beard? ---
**Author:** ![FurryKidsMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@FurryKidsMom](https://community.clark.com/u/FurryKidsMom)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/20 "2026-04-11T12:26:55Z")
Actually, my husband has a mix of grey and black hair on his head and is clean shaven. The poodle, Marvin, is also clean shaven, but he is solid white. They both have normal sized heads for their species. Jeff is fairly good looking. Marvin is an excellent example of a well built toy poodle. It made no sense to me. On another note, I do not trust the voice recognition software brokerages have. So far there has not been one that would not accept my replies for my husband and say I was “voice verified” as him. ---
**Author:** ![tekwrite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.clark.com/tekwrite/32/1118_2.png) [@tekwrite](https://community.clark.com/u/tekwrite)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2026, 5:51pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/darn-it-i-have-to-buy-a-cell-phone-which-one/9141/21 "2026-04-24T17:51:31Z")
Glad I could help! Happy Travels!