Hobby Phone Recommendations

Any suggestions, from either the guys or the ladies, on what phones you would recommend for a hobby phone?

Any particular carriers/phone service providers you would recommend?

Any you would suggest staying away from?

Need to shop for a new hobby phone/(phone) service provider, and looking for helpful suggestions. (Well, shopping for new service providers too....but there are lots of recommendations from the reviews to help with that issue ...lol)

I have a "pay as you go" phone from AT&T, no monthly bills the wife can open.

Google voice is a great service to get too.

Boost mobile is good

for those of you with iPhone money- try Line 2....

ive been thinking about google voice myself...
will need to look into it.

Tmobile, 1000 minutes for $100 and once you spend the $100 minutes last for a year and will not expire if you add $10 before their expiration date. You may also add smaller amountes but once you reach $100 spent, minutes will last a year.

Line 2 on the Iphone is the best bet if you have to have a hobby phone. The cost of not having to explain why you have a second phone is priceless. With Skype not being available on Android at this moment it leaves your options slim when it comes to consolidating to one device. Another option if you have T-mobile is their prepaid and just buy a dual sim card that lets you switch between your numbers when you call.

Google voice is great !

Google voice is a great service to get too. Originally Posted by Tara Evans

Oh yeah, I love my google voice! It has so many cool features/options, such as call screening and do not disturb.

I love being able to set my phone to do not disturb for the evening to avoid the crazies! I imagine that option would be priceless for the guys, set the phone to do not disturb unless you are actually setting up an appt.

Also it lets you set if someone is calling you if their number shows on your phones caller ID, or your own google voice number. I saved my google voice number to my phone, so now if a hobbyist calls and I am in "RL land" I know it is a hobby call and I can let it go to voice and avoid trying to juggle hobby calls at the grocery, in front of kids, etc.

Would seem to me a smart phone. Like iPhone or an android set would be ideal.

All text and calls through google voice. All web browsing through a 3rd party browser that can be locked down.

since this is thru Google, we know they store any and all data they have for future reference (this is in the fine print you agree to when signing up for any of their free services). While you can create an anonymous GV number with fake information, zip code, etc, eventually, you will want to forward all the hobby calls thru GV to your personal device.. ie. your cell or home phone. This creates a link between your personal cell/home number to the GV number, which I would think you would create/maintain your ATF SP's. Bear in mind pretty much anything you access and/or sign up for in the internet is traceable via your compute IP address.

Having said all the above, I don't mean to imply that GV is not a good alternative to a 2nd physical device, which is impractical for me at this time. I simply want to point out that if you have SO concerns.. you need to be a smart consumer/hobbyist and shore up any areas of exposure such as:

• Signing up for paperless statements with your device that you would fwd the GV to
• Don't share online access when it comes to your mobile phone web access since this have the date/time of your hobby calls via GV
• Make sure you place GV on Do Not Disturb when you are not hobbying

If you truly don't want to have a link with the hobby phone info with your personal devices, then the second device for hobbying would be the best option IMHO.

Just my $0.02

Hmm interesting thread I'm going to check out the google voice for myself. I know wolly world (Wal-mart) sells smart talk phones or straight talk phones, much like metro pcs, unlimited minutes/3-way/text/vm/call waiting/internet ranging around 50 bucks. If your a hobby guy it seems like just a pre paid phone would work good, unless you plan on using alot of the minutes to chit chat with the hot ladies lol

Thanks to all the lovely ladies and the guys for the great suggestions!

Sounds like GV is a winner for the ladies.... and a 2nd prepaid phone for the guys.