Kyocera 2135 (Unlocked) Cellular Phone

I currently have 2 of these phones activated since 2002.

TO BEGIN WITH THIS MODEL IS NOT 911 COMPLIANT & IF FOR ANY & I MEAN ANY REASON THEY ARE DEACTIVATED, FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS REACTIVATION. Even if sent in for repairs.

GPS cannot track the 2135 like all 911 compliant cell phones can be. They can only triangulate between cell towers while a call is being placed or received to locate you.

I overhaul my own 2135 phones using parts from other EBay purchased phones (I have 15 extras) using a T6 Torx driver. They are built like a sandwich. The main meat (The activated circuit board) is in the middle, the display, keypad, speaker, mic and the outer covers surrounds and protects the activated board.

Because of my "Grandfathered" outdated Verizon service plan, I am able to plug a cable between the phone & my computer and have the internet for FREE. It comes off my minutes (NO DATA CHARGES) & I have free nights and weekends on my plan. The Kyocera 2135 only has extremely slow internet 14.4 kbpa -BUT- my Kyocera 2325 allows broadband speeds with no data charges. Each weekend allows me to download for 45 solid hours if I wanted to. Not the greatest system but it's mobile & FREE.

The Verizon computer program to do this is called "Verizon Mobile Office" and the Verizon technical people no longer have a clue what I'm talking about, so I must figure out on my own how to fix the problems as they arise. The program will not work with Vista but it should work with Windows 7 Ultimate with the old XP compatibility feature.

Very durable, I've dropped mine 100's of times & on-lookers couldn't believe their eyes as they have commented to me.

If you ever submerge one in water, don't push any buttons what so ever & pull the battery out immediately. Disassemble and carefully dry it with a blow dryer.

Less dropped calls than the newer phones. I can stand next to someone dropping a call & I have no problems. The 2135 even gets a better signal if I plug in my truckers external passive antenna.

My 51 year old eyes have difficulty seeing the display & the numbers quickly ware off the factory stock keypads. Then it's braille until I overhaul it again.

The batteries SUCK. They are old technology & run down pretty quickly. I keep extra charged batteries with me if I know I'm going to be using it much. I have 3 types of chargers. The gentle one that comes with the phone, a car & travel charger which forces a charge. The car and travel chargers will fry your battery if you continually charge with them. But, they do allow you to use your phone for non-stop use like an all weekend download while on the internet.

Bottom line; If you're using a 2135, keep it and don't get rid of it.

If you want one they can't be reactivated & are useless unless for calling 911 but it would take forever for the help to triangulate & zero in on where you're at & then they could be off by several miles. The batteries won't hold charge long so you would simply be out of luck again.

This pretty much covers it. If for any reason you might need additional information, my EBay user name is "atightwad2". (And I am.)

This phone is a great basic phone, however, it is not E911 Compliant and will not program. I would not recommend that anyone purchase this model of Kyocera phone to use with the Verizon network due to the phone not being e911 compliant.

I bought this used Kyocera phone because I liked the one I had, but had literally WORN IT OUT!
I accidentally took it into the shower in my gym shorts. I went to rinse them off and wring them out, when I found the wet phone in the pocket. I dried it out and it still works! I've dropped it off buildings, it flew off the roof of my truck into the highway. I replaced broken plastic case parts, but the phone keeps working. All my info still there when I retrieve it, newer phones have come and gone. They are too dainty for my absentmindedness. I bought this used one because I know how reliable they are. Got it going on my account, and it takes all the abuse that RUINS the new models, but like Timex claims about their watches, this model takes a heck of a beating, but always works when I need it!

Excellent starter.Doesn't have all the bells and whistles but is solid and dependable. Was able to get signal where more expensive phones couldn't. Good audio quality but needs a little more volume to earpiece. Has a very solid feel and easy to maneuver menu. Not the one if you need color screen, camera or other extras. Otherwise, a great deal.

this was an old review I had on phonescoop

Back when I purchased this phone in like 2002, I seldom texted, and I only played a couple of games.. never too extreme, but I did drop phones A LOT back then and that this phone was good for. I always seemed to drop this and it always worked when picked up. It is basic, so if you need basic and durability, go with this any day. I also considered this bigger upgrade, and it was SUPPOSED to be with my 2035a I owned before.