Nokia Rectangular, Non-Flip Cell Phone Versus Samsung Flip Cell Phone

When choosing a cell phone plan, many customers are offered a choice between promotional phones. Because these phones often come with a two year contractual commitment, it is important to see how they perform over an extended period of time. Compared are the Nokia non-flip phone, which is also referred as a "candy bar" style phone, and a Samsung flip phone. Both phones reviewed were purchased during the same month and were tested under various conditions for a year. In the end, there was a clear-cut winner between the two phones. Here is how, after a year of dropping, banging, and scratching, both phones turned out.

Nokia - The Nokia cell phone was purchased along with a T-Mobile rate plan. Calls received were clear and free of background noise. The phone has a very easy adjustable volume feature and the display was very clear. It also had an excellent battery life and typically needed recharging about every five days. One of the problems that occurred with the Nokia phone was that the screen always needed a constant cleaning. Living in Florida, it is very humid and the display was always wet or messy. A simple wiping with alcohol was effective in preventing germs and also cleaned the screen without leaving any streaks.

Another problem with the Nokia phone was the rubber, circular-shaped button on the back of the phone that said, "Nokia." This button was always falling off and I was constantly having to retrace my steps in order to find it. I had to end up gluing it back on, and it still came off. Finally, with the help of some superglue, it has stayed in place for the past three months.

Proving it can stand the test of time, this phone has been passed to another user and has been reactivated with another SIM card. The Nokia phone performs today just as good as it did when it was purchased. All of the calls are still clear and undistorted and the battery life is still excellent. When passed to another user, I replaced it with the Nokia's current year model of the exact same phone and am very impressed with Nokia's commitment to quality. I am on my third Nokia non-flip phone and have never been disappointed.

Samsung - The Samsung flip phone was purchased with a Verizon rate plan. It was a nice, compact size and took up less room than the Nokia. What interested me about this style of phone was the ability to protect the screen display, due to the design of the phone. Unfortunately, the Samsung flip phone also had the same wetness and streakiness as the Nokia phone did with respect to the screen display. The Samsung also had a battery life that was not as strong as the Nokia.

Ultimately, the poor design of the Samsung phone's battery was the demise of the phone. Three months prior to the expiration of my contract with Verizon, the battery on the Samsung phone died. When plugged in, it could not hold a charge. Not wanting to renew my contract with Verizon, I had to pay an early termination fee because of an unreliable phone.

If a consumer is looking for a fairly durable and reliable cell phone, then the Nokia "candy bar" style phone is one of the best available. I upgraded and purchased the latest model of this phone and have had the same reliability and extended battery life as my previous Nokia. In fact, Nokia's cell phones keep improving with each model. My new Nokia only requires me to recharge it about once a week. One word of caution though: be sure to keep your Nokia away from any water or moisture, as it will leak into the display and cause it to fog up. The next time you are in the market for a phone, consider the Nokia's non-flip cell phones. You will be pleasantly surprised.