Tips For Choosing Your
Best Option For A Cell Phone and Cellular
Service
by Jon Arnold
Nobody likes to be out of touch, and with the prices
of cell phones and cellular service these days, being
out of touch is really only done by choice, and rarely
out of necessity. We like to communicate; we like to
know what is going on, whether it is something to do
with our jobs or something at home, we like to be on top
of things every minute. The fact that cellular service
allows this to happen is both a blessing and a curse.
One of the biggest decisions you need to make, even
before you decide which cellular service provide you
want to go with, is what cell phone to get. Your choices
in this area have never been more diverse. There is not
really a right or wrong choice, it is much more of what
you want to do with the cell phone. All people are
different, so be realistic about what you will use the
device for.
For example, many cell phones now double as an MP3
player and can store hours of music, especially if you
get the mini-SD cards that many of these cell phones can
accommodate. But you need to ask yourself if you will
really use that option? After the novelty wears off, the
answer might be no, in which case there is no sense in
paying extra for it. For me, if I want to listen to
music, I want it to be high fidelity and clear, not with
the much lower fidelity of a cell phone.
What kind of battery life does the phone have? If you
are on the go all the time and spend a lot of time on
the phone, there is nothing more irritating than noting
that you are almost out of battery power by 2pm in the
afternoon. If this is a concern and likelihood for how
you use your phone, you may want to opt for the optional
higher powered extended life battery, but be prepared to
shell out about $70 or more for that optional battery.
What about the "smart phones" that are also a PDA?
Again, it depends on the person. If you have never been
able to discipline yourself to keep a DayTimer updated
with each and every contact and appointment, or you
currently have a separate PDA device that is gathering
dust in the back of your office closet, then do not get
a smart phone. You will have exactly the same problems
of not keeping it updated if you have not already gotten
in the habit of doing so, even despite the best
intentions to get better at using it.
When you have narrowed down your list of possible
choices, check one more thing, and that is the fine
print or the caveat that comes with it. That super low
price may only be available if you sign a two year
agreement with the cellular provider. If you find out
that the cellular coverage in your area blows, you are
stuck.
Finally, decide which cellular provider you want to
use. Again, you have many plans and options at various
price levels. Your criteria should be based first on the
good coverage they can provide in the area where you
will be using your phone the most. For example, T-Mobile
provides great coverage in the areas they service, but
if you are not in one of those areas, you are going to
hate the service. Verizon provides great coverage, but
their reputation for extremely poor customer service
continues to haunt them. Sprint and Cingular are strong
contenders for your business, and you may want to review
the plans they have available.
Be TOTALLY aware of the service you are going to go
with and all the ramifications. Do you get unlimited
"night" minutes and unlimited "weekend" minutes? If so,
at what time does that carrier define "night" as
starting? When does the weekend start and end? As an
example, Sprint has options that allow "night" to start
at 7pm instead of the more typical 9pm, which can be
great if you live in eastern time zone and need to make
calls to mountain or pacific time during their business
hours.
About the Author
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Cellular Service Provider Comparisons please visit
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