Cellphones and Other Wireless

[Replaced_Texan]

So my cell phone is almost dead. It works in that it functions perfectly when it's charged, but the port is fucked and it no longer charges nor can it connect via port to any other system. I'm waiting for an external battery charger to arrive so I can recharge and send all the crap on it over to Verizon's website.

Then I have a few choices.

I'm out of contract with Verizon, and I'm kinda happy that way. I generally use my phone for talk and text, but I'm not adverse to advancing with the rest of the human race to a smart phone.

Until the "no longer charges the battery" issue came up with my phone, my plan was to limp along on with the talk and text until Apple announced its deal with Verizon and then jump on the Verizon iphone. I figured this was probably going to happen in late 2010/early 2011 based off of reading wild internet conjecture. Everyone I know with an AT&T iphone is impossible to get in touch with via telephone because of the crappy coverage around here. OTOH, they all love all the other crap that comes with the iPhone, so maybe telephone part is irrelevant. Work compatibility doesn't really factor into this as I refuse to sync my phone with work e-mail.

Important note: RT is stubbornly cheap about these sorts of things.

My options, as I see them now, are

1. Grab the (relatively new at the time) Verizon phone my dad dumped the second the iphone came out, plug in my SIM card, and continue with original plan of stubbornly waiting for the Verizon iPhone.

2. Get a free LG Ally Droid with another 2 year contract with Verizon and suck up the full replacement cost whenever the Verizon iphone comes out, and hell, that might actually be two years and I may be out of contract again by that point.

3. Join the rest of civilized society, pay the $99 and get an iPhone through AT&T, enduring dropped calls and crappy customer service.

Anyone have any sources of wisdom to help inform this indecision?