**UPDATE**No More Worries
Written: Aug 21 '00 (Updated Jun 25 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: small, durable, many options
Cons: need more options for covers!
The Bottom Line: Coupled with Tracfone, my Nokia 918 has been an asset to our family!
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| makelli3's Full Review: Nokia 918 Cell Phone |
**I was pleased to open my Wal-Mart flyer and find the Nokia 918 Tracfone is now for sale at their store! This is great news, as the unit cards will be much easier to pick up. No more special trips to truck stops for more units!
I purchased my Nokia 918 from Pilot Truck Stop in Tuscola, Illinois because my sister-in-law recommended it. She, an employee, knows all there is to know about these phones, and owns two herself. I purchased mine to be used as a TracFone. I don't necessarily have bad credit, just don't have any credit. So, when we tried to get a cellular phone, we were asked to pay a $600 deposit. Wrong! As a family of 5, we aren't going to pay a deposit as large on something that we don't NEED.
Nokia 918 TracFone was the answer.
I purchased my Nokia 918 in June of 1999. It cost me $100 for the phone, indoor charger, rapid car charger, sock phone cover, battery and 50 units. We picked the phone up on our way to Indiana for naughty things (the 4th was right around the corner). While in Indiana, we stopped at a pay phone, where I called the 800 number to activate the phone. This wasn't a great idea. We couldn't hear very well, so it took a little longer than necessary. The operator informed us that the phone must be fully charged to activate it or any unit cards. This isn't necessarily true. I have never called for activation with a charged battery. I plug it in, and do it that way. Works fine for me. For first activation, I had mine plugged into the car's cigarette lighter, and it worked just fine.
The information that the operator asked for was simple, a 4 digit pin, the Nokia 918 serial number,a codeword, name, home phone and address. This helps them to set up your account for the area you reside in and activates your phone using a tower near your home. After entering 3 series of numbers (they are long series, but the will go slower if you ask them too), you will enter another 3 series of numbers to activate your unit card.
After this is complete, the operator instructs you to turn the phone off and back on. At this time, you will read your phone number to her, she verifies that and the number of units your phone should have on it. The operator then tells the user how long it should take to activate it (not usually as long as they say) and how to check if it activated properly. (The Nokia 918 came with a user's guide, as well as a card to write your pin, phone number, serial number, etc. on for later reference.)
This done, I had nothing to use my phone for until it was activated. The operator informed us it could take Ameritech up to 72 hours to activate. So, my husband began to play with the phone's features. (Our phone was activated within 24 hours.)
The Nokia 918 is a small mobile phone that is also used as a cellular phone or a debit phone. (I believe I could later activate it with a cellular company, if I so choose, but I won't). Mine is dark gray (I've been told they come in other colors, but I haven't that option) with a lcd display on the front above the key pad. It's antenna fits into the phone and is very thin when pulled out. I sometimes don't even use the antenna, that's how great the reception is. The antenna is flexible, so it would take some doing to "accidentally" break it. The ear piece has 3 small holes in it and it is plenty loud enough. There is only one hole for the microphone, so when I talk into the phone, my voice is not muffled nor do the other people need to hear several repeats. (I've never heard that my voice is too loud either.)
The phone came with a stretchable black sock cover. It stretches over the back of the phone and the front, in two connected pieces. I lift the front cover over the back and fold under the bottom of the phone when I use it. It comes off easily, and to me seems a little cheesy, but my sister-in-law found a black leather cover that seems too masculine for my liking. So, I'll stick with this one, I have now decorated it with fabric paint and is at least attractive.
The power button is located in the upper right hand corner of the phone. A simple push and the phone comes on or off. It doesn't push too easily though, so you don't need to be concerned with accidentally ending the conversation. When the phone is turned on, the phone number, the *date you need to activate another unit card, signal, and battery power are all displayed. *A new unit card must be activated every 60 days or the phone will have to be reactivated, thus changing your number. Not a big deal, but it makes it a pain for those who write the number in their address books.
Below the display, is the key pad. The top four buttons are ABC, Menu, OK, and up and down arrow key. The ABC button is for changing the display from alphabet to numeric display. The menu button displays "view menu" and up and down arrows to choose from 16 menu options. The OK button is to tell the phone what your selection is or that you are done with an action. The arrow keys are used in the menu option.
Menu
1 Store to memory: You can enter phone numbers and names into your own personal directory. The ABC button is used in this feature.
2 Find Name: You push okay to this option and, using the up and down arrow key, you can find the name of anyone in your personal directory.
3 Erase Name: Self-explanatory. You okay this option and it asks "ERASE?" and gives you a name if you haven't already entered one. If you don't okay it, it doesn't erase.
4 Restrict Calls: You can select only incoming, all calls, memory only.
5 System Select: This is how you decide which tower to run off of for best reception and signal. There are the following selections: Home area, any, Home-Type B, and Non-Home Type A. Recently, TracFone has made all of the calls made from a TracFone account local calls. No more 1, 1 1/2 and 3 unit calls. The calls are all 1 1/2 units a minute (or so), no matter where you are in relativity to your home tower. (At least that's how I understand it, and I paid no roaming charges while in Wisconsin two weeks ago.)
6 Call Timers: This is neat, you can find out how long your last conversation was, the total amount of time you have used the phone for, the life (mine is 149:56), and you can clear these times any time and start over. This is a great option if you let someone borrow your phone or let the kids take it somewhere. This way, as long as they know not to clear it, you can monitor how often it's used.
7 Lights: On the display and under the key pad, on or off. The light shuts off after 30 seconds anyway, but comes right back on if you push a button
8 Keypad tones: This tells the phone if you want to hear a beep when you push a button. Mine is on, that way I know if I'm pushing a button while it's on my hip or in my purse.
9 Ringing Volume: High, Low, Silent Service
10 Ringing Type: There 5 types. 1 is a regular high pitched ring. 2 is a slower high pitched ring. 3 is a fast double ring. 4 is a short musical sound. And 5 (my personal ring) sounds like "Kelli's here to save the day" in a song.
11 Emergency Key 9 or you can just push the red number 9 until you hear a beep. This automatically calls the local 911 dispatcher. I have used it and it does work. This call uses no units. It is, as should be, a free call as long as you use the red 9 or this option when dialing.
12 Name Select: If I push this button, it tells me the phone number of the phone.
13 Calling Card: You are supposed to be able to use a calling card with these phones. You can enter calling card information into your phone and use it to place calls, instead of your purchased units. I haven't tried this.
14 Change Lockcode: Again, this option is explained in the booklet. My sister-in-law uses this option to lock out the keypad so that her husband won't dial the phone with his rear while driving down the road with the radio blaring. (Not fun when the other party answers the phone and opens up the line.) I personally can't remember my lock code, and can't change it without it.
15 Call Register will tell you how many calls (up to 10) you missed while away from the phone if it was turned on and it lists the last 10 numbers dialed from the phone. If it is off, you will never know. I don't use this option, because the display shows the number of calls missed if it is on anyway, and no one else uses my phone so I know who I call with it. I can see where this is useful though.
16 DEBIT: This option lets the TracFone user know how many units are available and when the card is due again. With this option, it is unnecessary to turn the phone of and on to find the number of units available (like I have been doing.) If you look at the display after a call, it lets you know how many minutes you used, and what the rate was for those minutes in units.
The menu can be accessed if you know the number of the option you wish to use and it can only be accessed this way for items 1-9. So, if I want to find someone in my directory, I would push the menu button and the number 2. This will take me to that menu without having to go through all of the options.
When I first got the phone, I didn't ask how much a minute. I didn't care because I knew that I wouldn't use it for idle chit chat. I have been informed that TracFone calls run as high as .50 a minute. That's high. But the more units you buy at one time, the lower the cost. There are several TracFone deals when buying these cards. Currently, if I go buy a $100/240 unit card (no sales tax added) I won't have to activate my phone in 60 days like usual, but instead, I will have 120 days before TracFone will shut me off for not activating another card.
Also, when you activate a unit card, you don't lose the units you have remaining on your phone. Once you pay for them, they are yours to use whenever you wish. So if you never use your phone, you could end up having A LOT of units on your phone by activating a $25 card every 60 days (that's 40 units).
I don't worry about a phone bill. I don't worry that someone is going to run me out of free minutes, or that I'm calling during off-peak time. There are always good deals to be found if you buy at the right times. There is a card to fit almost anyone's budget and purposes.
Obviously, it would be less expensive to use a cellular plan, for some people. I like that I can control how much I spend on my TracFone bills. There aren't bills. They don't call if I'm late, they just shut me off. When I call with a new card to make the phone work again, they give me a new number and no questions are asked of my credit because credit isn't relevant when paying up front for services.
A friend just encouraged her 18 year old to buy one of his own. All said and done, he has the same thing I do for $20 (prices do go down with time). He mailed in a cash rebate and got $20 refund. The phone included a 40 unit card, so now he just has to reactivate another card every 60 days. If he uses all of his units, he simply buys another card.
When the phone's units start to run low, at 10 units available, it will beep every 30 seconds you are on the phone. I let mine get as low as 8 units and couldn't finish the call. I got disconnected, but could still place another call. I won't let my phone get below 20 units before buying another card.
This thing is so convenient. I know several people who own them because they don't have to worry about a bill or a credit rating. It's easier than worrying about getting shut off and not being able to get turned back on until the bill is paid.
I bought my phone on a Friday morning. One week later, I used it for an emergency phone call to 911. I wish I could say that call saved the lives of the kids in the accident, but I did use the ^9^ feature and the call went through for help. I will never ride in a vehicle without my Nokia 918 TracFone along (I don't fly).
Our family bought one for Grandma Dorothy so that she'd only be a phone call away. It would be a great gift for anyone who doesn't own a cellular phone and doesn't want the extra bill!
***Great News! Tracfone has a website. What does this have to do with Nokia918? Now buying your prepaid airtime is much easier! The Nokia918 and various other phones are also available for purchase at Tracfone.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
makelli3
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Member: Kelli
Location: East Central Illinois
Reviews written: 141
Trusted by: 105 members
About Me:
I am a Mom and Wife and trying to be good at it.
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