M1 vs 8400 vs. 7050 compared to VI2300 reception

[cowgirl05]

We've had VI2300s for the last 2 years and loved them. Great reception, hardly ever went into roaming. But we are due for new phones, and rural life isn't easy on them. Though they were well taken care of. We got new SCP 3100s and it seems like they don't get as good a reception. Or is Sprint going through something? We've had some dropped calls, missed some calls when we were in places where the VI2300 got them, and it seems like we don't have the signal strength we did with the VI2300. They said we had 30 days with these phones, and since we are considering dropping our house phone line we want really dependable phones. Of the 3 choices M1, 8400 and 7050 which would get the good reception like the VI 2300 did? We have to have ready link. I miss being able to use bitpim, but according to the bitpim web site, none of these phones are really supported yet as far as transferring ringers and wallpaper. We can't keep trading phones, the really nice people at our sprint store will hate us, so am hoping for some personal experience here.

Thanks so much for any advice you could share. :wavey:

[BrettW]

you say your in a rural area, the fact that the vi2300 is a tri-band phone may explain why it got good service and the 3100 does not, you may be in an area where the 3rd (now dropped by almost every sprint phone) frequency is the strongest and in that case none of the phones you listed will give you the signal strength you got with your trusty vi2300

i know thats the problem i have at my grandpas ranch (the 1 area where i live where cell signal is near non existant) ever since i moved past my N400 to subsequent phones (treo 600, a920, a900, ppc6700, q, treo700p all of which are dual band) its near impossible to get a call out where my n400 never had a problem

[cowgirl05]

Thanks for the kindness of your reply BrettW. Hope you had a nice holiday. Ok, your answer makes sense to me, but not the reason. I thought as time went by technology was suppose to make it better. I thought that when we got phones this time, it would be even better. I don't understand why sprint or sanyo would take a step backwards as far as communication with service getting worse. sigh.........ok, thanks for helping me figure out what the deal was.

[Cheatachu72]

fyi it seems like the following phones were the last sanyo's that are tri-mode

mm5600 (9000 is dual mode)
mm8300 (8400 is dual mode)
spc7000 (7050 is dual mode)
mm7400 (7500 is dual mode)
sanyo katana

as far as ready link goes...i dont know off hand if those phone do/dont have it...hope that helps

[BrettW]

yes the technology does make it better because with the newer dual mode phones you get somewhat better battery life, and more clarity, plus with the current cdma frequencies you can make a call on as low as 1 bar (at least from my experience) and have no problems

[cowgirl05]

Ok, so in prowling the other threads I ran across a thing that said analog technology is being phased out by Feb (I think) 2008. so is the analog portion what made the phones a tri-band? If so, we are never in analog out here, it just seems the 3100 isn't getting calls. Like the first I will know someone called is when my voice mail tone goes off. Also we seem to break up when talking to each other in places we didn't with the VI-2300. So, since I read the thing about Analog, now I am all hopeful again that maybe M1 or 8400 does better on reception than the 3100. I know they cost more, but do they get better reception for the money? What say you? I guess we kind of limit ourselves on choices by wanting ready link, but we use it so much, and it has really helped us out more than once.
Thanks so much for your time and input. It would be hard to make good choices without this forum, since the VI2300 was the first and only sprint phone we've had till the 3100. :wavey:

[Goodgyrl]

Well I can tell you I live in a rural area and the 8400 will have about the same amount of reception that the 3100 has. The 3100 was the phone that I had before I got the 8400 and I switched thinking I'd have better reception.

[james2K]

i thought the 3100 was tri-mode?

[Goodgyrl]

it is

[cowgirl05]

maybe there is a difference between mode and band? BrettW said the VI2300 was a tri band, the 3100 is a duel band tri mode. I dunno. I was in town last night, antenna up and dropped a call. A street I drive up all the time and have never dropped a call there. I don't know what else to do but try a different phone, we're still in our 30 days, so we have 2 years left with these phones and am scared one of us will get hurt out here and not be able to get hold of the other one. It's happened before to me, and I really don't want to go through it again. Worse, if it happened to my husband and he couldn't get hold of me. The 8400 is no better GoodGrl? sigh.........

[Goodgyrl]

since you are still in your 30 days I would try a new phone.

[cowgirl05]

OH MY GOODNESS! I know it is really to early to say much, I just traded yesterday evening, but this 8400 is the most wonderful phone! I called Mom's cell phone on the way home and we held the call the whole 45 MINUTES it took me to get home! I called my cousin from my office in the house and it held a crisp clear call for over an HOUR, no dropped signal, no breaking up! We tried them this morning from different places on the farm, no dropped calls, no faded signal. Ready link has worked everywhere we've tried so far. Tomorrow will be a good test, I work one of my jobs where I am driving all over, so can test it's signal a lot of different places, including the street where the 3100 dropped the call. I don't know enough about technology to say what the difference could be due to, I just know I am staying connected with a clear connection. Yeah, well, I know, it's been less than 24 hours..........and I really haven't gone anyplace with it yet, but after tomorrow evening I will try to say how driving all over with it went. But I love it, it's the most beauuuuutiful phone, I love it's little lavender face, I love it's little penguin screen saver (I use Linux, it's perfect) I love it's little changeable clocks, I love it's pull up antenna (I really do love those, they help us) I love it's little display, did I mention I get ALL my phone calls! I love it's little emergency flashlight I read about, did I mention I am getting ALL my voicemail? I haven't tried the camera yet, I love it's speaker phone, did I mention I haven't MISSED a call yet? I love the little SD card (even though I haven't figured out what to do with it yet in terms of personalization) Did I mention it hasn't DROPPED a call yet? Gee I know it's really to soon to think serious but I am considering taking the plastic off of it's little sub LCD front screen. I mean I am thinking LONG term with this phone. It might do as well as our beloved VI2300s. Now if only bitpim..............but this little beauty seems to work..........I really like this phone. Big test will be tomorrow and this weekend, when we will see how it does in a big arena. We almost never go anyplace like that, so it will be a good chance to see what she can do! Thanks to everyone so much for helping us out with this.

[Goodgyrl]

LOL well I'm happy you love this phone.

[bikedogrun]

Yup ... I live in rural Oregon and the 8400 has been wonderful for me as well! Excellent signal way out in the boonies, up mountain roads, in the forest etc.

Let us know how your "tests" go this weekend ...

/BD

[cowgirl05]

WOWZA!!!!!!!!!! What a difference in phones! In an arena, tons of concrete all around 4000 screaming Parelli Horsemanship fans and I could still hear the phone ring, I could hear the caller, I am amazed I even GOT the call. This phone has worked EVERYWHERE, I have not missed one call, I can hear all conversations, the ready link works everywhere, it is just the most incredible phone! My husband is hard of hearing, and he can hear his 8400 ring as well, and hear the conversations too. That is really good. We are so happy with our 8400s that I wrote Sprint and the store manager where we got them both letters of thanks.
I am so glad you suggested I go ahead and give the 8400 a try GoodGrl, they are wonderful, I'm not worried about making it two years with these phones, I think they are going to be just wonderful. Sprint really is kind to it's customers.
Thank you all who helped us out, we sure do appreciate it! :clap:

[Goodgyrl]

glad I could help