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Newbie looking for help with first Droid purchase

J

johnnie2130

Lurker
I just recently joined and posted in the introductory forum. I have been paralyzed from the chest down since 1983, so I have a few specific needs for a phone. I put my phone on the armrest of my wheelchair and use a couple of rubber bands to hold it there. I use a Bluetooth earpiece and pair it with the phone.

What I'm looking for is a phone preferably less than 4 inches in width. I also need one that will allow me a little space at the top and bottom for a rubber band to hold it on to my wheelchair arm. It would be nice if I could find a model that's pretty recent, but I really just need something that makes it easy to navigate and has good call quality even using the Bluetooth earpiece.

I've looked at numerous phones and it's pretty confusing. Could someone please recommend a droid that I could look at that might work for me? Thanks!
 
Ok, well im not very experienced, but just letting you know that when you say "Droid" most people think of specific Verizon phones. "Android Phones" are just phones that run android software. (Not sure if you already are on Verizon or not). I would recommend a phone except Im pretty much a newbie also, so I dont want to lead you down the wrong path.
 
Are you tied to a network at all? If not, do you know which has best coverage in your area? You're generally best to choose your provider, then choose your phone based on what they offer.

If you let us know, we can give you some pointers on some phones which might fit your criteria.
 
El Presidente said:
Are you tied to a network at all? If not, do you know which has best coverage in your area? You're generally best to choose your provider, then choose your phone based on what they offer.

If you let us know, we can give you some pointers on some phones which might fit your criteria.
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I have service through AT&T and it's part of a family plan, so I'm pretty much tied to AT&T.
 
Having looked at what AT&T offer, you could probably get away with the Samsung Galaxy S2. It's pretty wide, the dimensions are 4.96 x 2.60 x 0.35, but within your 4" limit and has fairly large spaces for the rubber bands. It's also a pretty good phone (probably a moot point for you, but still a bonus). Other phones worth a look in are the Captivate & potentially the Infuse, they're not as high spec, but they look to have adequate space for the bands.

You're probably best to go in to the store (if there is one locally) and have a feel for them though.

Does that help?
 
El Presidente said:
Having looked at what AT&T offer, you could probably get away with the Samsung Galaxy S2. It's pretty wide, the dimensions are 4.96 x 2.60 x 0.35, but within your 4" limit and has fairly large spaces for the rubber bands. It's also a pretty good phone (probably a moot point for you, but still a bonus). Other phones worth a look in are the Captivate & potentially the Infuse, they're not as high spec, but they look to have adequate space for the bands.

You're probably best to go in to the store (if there is one locally) and have a feel for them though.

Does that help?
Click to expand...
Yes, this does help me. It gives me an idea of some phones to look at that might work for me. I'll do some looking online at these models. You are right in that it will be best if I go in a store and try them before purchasing one. Fortunately, my local store is willing to work with me and let me try one for a little while to see if it will work. Unfortunately, it's a small store and they don't always get the newest models as quick as the bigger stores do. I plan on going in and checking them out though. Thanks so much for the information.
 
I'm in a wheelchair also-since 2002. Can't you use Velcro instead of rubberbands as it may be a little tough finding a phone that has much dead-space on top and bottom?
 
sleedeane said:
I'm in a wheelchair also-since 2002. Can't you use Velcro instead of rubberbands as it may be a little tough finding a phone that has much dead-space on top and bottom?
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I thought about velcro and it would be better, but I can't figure out how to cover the velcro up so my arm wouldn't rub against it when the phone is not in use. Any suggestions?
 
johnnie2130 said:
That might work. Also, I could get another piece of velcro to put over the piece on the chair when I'm not using it. Does that make sense?
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Sounds like an excellent idea. As an added bonus, that would help to keep "fuzzies" out of the Velcro when not using the phone. You could even super-glue a soft piece of fabric to the back of the cover piece for added comfort.

Best of luck finding a phone that works for you.
 
Maybe you could Velcro a silicone case (comfortable to rest your hand on) to your chair then just pop your phone in and out of that. I just hate having to restrict what phone you can use because of rubber bands.
 
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