Here are the top 5 regular cell phones to get if your getting a new cell phone for Verizon Wireless, in the “free with contract” to $250 price range. Ratings provided from the Editor reviews at www.cnet.com . Pricing information is provided from the Verizon website http://www.verizonwireless.com/ .  

1. LG VX8350 (flip phone based on the popular VX8300 just without the antennae, MP3 Player, EV-DO, V CAST, 1.3 Megapixel Camera, available in red or gray colors)

Rated 8.3 out of 10 on Cnet, Price is $49.99 when you buy online with 2 year contract.

LG VX8350 Red 

2T. Samsung SCH-U740 (dual flip phone, flip straight for standard phone, sideways for phone with a full keyboard, EV-DO, V Cast, 1.3 Megapixel Camera with flash, MP3 Player, available in black)

Rated 8.0 out of 10 on Cnet, Price is 129.99 online with 2 year contract.

Samsung SCH-U740 (Gold, though is now only black color listed on Verizon’s website)

2T. LG Chocolate (update on popular original Chocolate, slider phone, touch sensitive scroll wheel and menu buttons with vibration feedback, MP3 Player, V Cast, EV-DO, 1.3 Megapixel Camera, available in Blue Ice (light Blue), Blue Mint (dark Blue) , Black Cherry (dark Red), and Black.)

Rated 8.0 out of 10 on Cnet, price is $79.99 online with 2 year contract.

LG Chocolate (Blue Mint) 

2T. LG Venus (slider phone, update to LG Chocolate mentioned above, instead of scroll wheel and touch sensitive keys has a full touchscreen under first screen, MP3 Player, EV-DO, V Cast, 2 Megapixel Camera, available in pink or black)

Rated 8.0 out of 10 on Cnet, Price is $199.99 when bought online with a 2 year contract.

LG Venus (Black)

3. GzOne Type-S (durable, rugged flip phone, water, shock and dust resistant, VGA (resolution lower than an Megapixel) camera with flash, flashlight, available in blue or black colors).

Rated 7.7 out of 10 on Cnet, Price is $99.99 online with 2 year contract.

GzOne Type-S

Some notes…. There are many phones in the 7.6 rating range that are nice design and feature phones that should be looked at as well. Examples are Verizon’s Motorola Razr 2 V9m ($249.99), the flip version of the Shine the LG VX8700 ($179.99), and the Motorola Rizr Z6tv (slider phone with live TV ability, $179.99)…. another phone a person (especially heavy texters) should consider is the LG Voyager (like the enV, just one side full touchscreen, and inside full keyboard, also has EV-DO and Verizion Mobile TV). It was rated an 8.3 out of 10 on Cnet and is priced at $299.99 when bought online with a 2 year contract….

LG Voyager

Phones, prices, and ratings are of 12/17/07 and can change… If you are getting a cell phone now, you should try to wait till a little later in the month for all the Holiday sales to come out, a sale like that could bring the Voyager and other phones into the $250 or lower price range… Phones do not include”smartphones” like Windows Mobile, Blackberrys, and Palm…. Prices don’t include taxes and other services charges… Remember the phone you choose is up to you and that choice may vary on your budget, type of style for a phone, intent of use among anything else you take into account. This list is just here to give you an idea of the phone so you understand what your getting and so that your shopping experience will be easier (both for you and your parents).

For more information on Terms like EV-DO, Megapixel etc. see our Cell Phone Guide under Tech Terms: http://tech4teens.wordpress.com/category/tech-terms/. Any comments? Feel free to add them by clicking add a comment under the name of the post. Enjoy.

UPDATE:

I was looking through a circular in the paper today and saw that at Electronic Expo there is the LG Voyager on sale for $249.99. Anyone looking for a phone in the high end of the price ranges mentioned here should defintely consider going there to get it.