This could make a great senior citizen emergency-only phone. But, the manual provided by Woot says that you long-press the red cross button to dial 911. I wonder if this also turns the phone on? If a senior citizen with poor eyesight first has to press the little power button, then listen for beeps that they can’t hear, then press the other button, it really limits the usefulness for that market.
Dang… Doesn’t work in Japan. Pass :-/
Moving the SIM card from your main phone to this may not be easy. First, you have the issue of the 3 main SIM card sizes (mini, micro and nano). Your phone’s SIM card may not work in the SpareOne. Second, you have the challenge of getting your SIM card out of your main phone. Some are easy, some like the iPhone, are much harder and need the right size “tool” to get to the SIM card.
wow, its the cinco phone, it’s finally here. i just hope it comes with cooling gel.
http://video.adultswim.com/tim-and-eric-awesome-show-great-job/cinco-fone.html
Isn’t there a federal law or something that even cellphones without active service must be able to call 911? If I wanted something like this, I’d just use one of my old phones instead of paying fifty bucks(!) for this. None of my phones have ever cost fifty bucks. Why would I spend that on an emergency-only phone?
thank you for the advice, but i didn’t need my statement changed. thanks
Just sayin… If you look at the pictures and don’t even read anything, you’ll see that it comes with a SIM card adapter for micro sim and it has an iPhone sim removal tool. (picture 3).
If this was 100% waterproof I might consider it. But I keep a old Nokia 232 candy bar phone in the console of both mine and my wife’s cars. When you leave the battery removed it will hold about 80% charge for a year! Any deactivated phone will dial 911.
Wish I could find a coverage map for this phone.
I actually do not own a cell phone (except for a pay-as-you-go phone which I just keep in the glove compartment of my car…with a cigarette charger). But it has terrible map coverage and is close to worthless for much of the areas I go to (I backpack a lot). If I get off a major interstate anywhere in Utah it will not work (or much of the West for that matter). So I doubt that this phone could offer me anything that I do not already have.
If you use it to call 911 - the phone is locatable - means emergency folks can use to find where you are. This function is included at no charge and does NOT require a SIM card. Nothing except the battery.
General location services, plus the ability to send a map etc, are extra features that cost $29 .
Finally there are two versions - this one is discontinued, the new one is the plus model. Note disclaimer from manufacturer: Locate and alert services are only available and compatible with SpareOne Plus, not the previous generation SpareOne models or any other manufacturer’s phone devices. The service pack is an optional item that must be purchased and activated via computer, before functionality can occur.
Wouldn’t that 5$ Double-AA Phone Recharger for your actual phone be more ideal than this? GSM Is in pretty much all phones these days and you can make it with zero reception
o sim…I guess maybe this would be something to stash in your storm cellar for “just in case” stuff.
Does this work internationally? Will it contact the closest emergency number, or is it programmed specifically with 9-1-1?
Not true. GSM is not going away - it is the technology used by AT&T, T-Mobile and 75% of global carriers to deliver wireless service. (The other 25%, like Verizon, use CDMA technology) The referenced article is simply covering ATT’s decision to phase out their old 2G network. Their 3G, 4G HSPA+ & 4G LTE networks will continue to use GSM technology.
I have several small backup power cells, but even the smallest is not convenient for everyday carry. A car charger is more useful.
You should read it again… Along with more informed sources.
They are HOPING to shut down the network…in FIVE years. The realities may be entirely different though, as we saw with the absolute, no exceptions, no changes death of analog TV. which was extended…TWICE…
$50 for five years of resting just a little easier isn’t a bad rate.
if you are hiding, and being silent, you can’t talk on the phone. I don’t think this phone is designed for the scenario you described, it’s not a primary phone.
The real advantage to this is that it runs off a plain AA battery, and can hold a charge for a long time. No special charger or adapter required. So you might leave this in your car in case you have an emergency and your regular cell phone is dead.
For coverage, for emergency access it will access any available GSM network, so its AT&T + T-Moblie’s coverage, plus whatever minor carriers might be around.
with the locator service, this might be a good deal for a car tracker. My car was stolen recently, if I had a cell phone hidden in the thing I could have tracked it down. Even using the pre-paid sim card method will cost you at least 10 dollars every 90 days without the fancy mapping option. With a long lasting battery like this, you have more options on where to hide it.
What about that “I-Go” Charger thingy that Woot has had on a few times? Wouldn’t having that work?
Reputable seller on EBay has sold 2 of these phones new for $29.99 and free shipping in the past month. The Spareone Plus which has a siren and the location service is $79.99 with free shipping.