So earlier this week, I decided I had had enough. The Sony Ericsson T616 was obviously having issues with its Bluetooth hardware, as it continued to drop connections with a brand-new Sony Ericsson Akono HBH-602 Bluetooth headset. It is very frustrating to be in the middle of a conversation with someone, then suddenly you can't hear them and they can barely hear you, because the phone dropped the Bluetooth connection with the headset, and picked up the call itself. And the phone is in one of the cargo pockets of your shorts.

I stopped by my local Cingular Wireless store, where I have always gotten excellent customer service, and the sales guys know what they're talking about. I extolled my tale of Bluetooth woe to one of the guys, and informed him I was in the market for a new phone.

First, the bad news:

The way Cingular works its contracts is that you are locked in to that contract. There's no coming in and getting a new phone with a new contract, unless you want to pay the termination fee, which runs between $125-200, if memory serves. Thanks, but no thanks. If I wanted a new phone, I would have to pay full price.

Now, the good news:

I have insurance on my phone. My phone is damaged. The Bluetooth hardware is flawed. I can file a claim, and for $50, receive, within two business days, a new, comparable phone. (Didn't I tell you these guys provide excellent customer service? Pity more wireless shops, including other Cingular stores, aren't this on top of things.)

I was told it was unlikely I would get another T616. The sales rep and I were both hopeful I would get a Sony Ericsson T637, which was the model replacement for the T616.

So Tuesday evening I called up the third-party insurance provider Cingular uses, filed my claim, agreed to the $50 charge to my next monthly statement, and was told they did not have any comparable Sony Ericsson phones available to ship. My heart began to sink. I was getting a Motorola v551, the most popular phone in Cingular's line-up, according to the rep on the phone.

The phone arrived at 3:30 PM CST on Wednesday. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, though the druthers I do have ensure I will not be getting another Moto phone in February, when I am "eligible to upgrade" with Cingular. (At the 21-month mark of a two-year contract, Cingular is then willing to sign you up for a new contract, and you can get a new phone.) Full impressions, and the aforementioned druthers, on the phone in an upcoming post.

No, not that MT. My pal Jon's MobileTracker celebrated its second year of publication today. Congratulations, Mr. Gales!

As you hearken back to yesteryear, longing for those good ol' Luddite days, please note that you too can build a rotary cell phone. [Via Lawson via Slashdot.]

So my wife decided to take the plunge, switched her phone service to the new Crackberry her employer purchased for her, and we now have a SIM card-less, Cingular-branded, Sony Ericsson T616 that no one is using. I realize it's an old phone, but will entertain offers before deciding to either donate it or keep it around as a spare to mine.

Increasingly, I am finding that it would be easier to have a Bluetooth headset for use with my Sony Ericsson T616. I'm currently leaning toward either the Motorola HS810, or the Sony Ericsson HBH-65. My wife uses the latter, and is happy with it. I would appreciate comments from BT headset users out there. (Get over the TypeKey registration, already. My comment spam has already dropped to nil.) I have yet to find overly negative reviews of either headset online, so unbiased comments from users are extremely valuable.

After months of leaked photos and specs, PalmOne has officially announced the Treo 650 smartphone, available some time in the coming months from various carriers. MacMinute has an overview of the new features. This is what I covet for my birthday and Christmas.

The coming months will bear fruit for those in the market for the latest and greatest in mobile phones, as evidenced by the n3rdling's look at upcoming phone releases in the U.S.

So at the end of May, my wife and I made the switch. With number portability well in hand, and no loyalty to Verizon Wireless since the parent company laid me off, I was looking for great coverage and a great phone. For me, a great phone meant one that I could sync with my Mac. I had hoped to purchase a Treo 600, but our finances dictated paring my desires. With a $100 rebate, and the phone only costing $100 with a 2-year contract, I went with my second choice, the Sony Ericsson T610. Our plan is pretty kick-butt: we share 800 minutes between two phones, no roaming, no long distance, unlimited mobile-to-mobile, unlimited nights and weekends. And I have a phone that syncs with my PowerBook via Bluetooth. I had my contact info and calendar synced to the phone about ten minutes after taking it out of the box. Drove my wife, a Windows user, crazy. My only druther with the T610 thus far is that the contact file only holds phone numbers. It would have been nice to get everything from my Address Book contacts in there, but thus far I'm not missing them that much. And they are in the iPod, which is nearly with me all the time any way. My wife added the Sony Ericsson HBH-65 Bluetooth headset, which has made her life much easier on the road, and I plan to obtain one soon as well. Finally, the decision to go with Cingular indirectly benefits my dad, who works for Bellsouth, and my uncle, who is retired from the same company. All in all, we're very happy with the decision thus far!