SCH-U450 Intensity not receiving texts/ calls from 1 contact

[mathens]

Hello,

I have an SCH-U450 Intensity by Samsung. It is three years old. I have a friend who has T-mobile and lives/works in Manhattan/Bridgeport, CT. We always have issues receiving/sending texts and calling each other. I am trying to troubleshoot why. I think it is on my end because when I use Google Chat to send texts / call, it seems to work better (call quality wise, my contact receiving my texts, etc.).

I am considering buying a new phone. I do not want to do the free upgrade I am eligible for because if it is indeed the service and not the phone, I do not want to extend my family plan another 2 years. My priorities are signal strength and call quality. Could anyone recommend one? I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thank you!

Best,

Matthew