The Cell Phone Bible- How to Buy and What to Consider
May 16 '00
We are definitely living in an information savvy world and, therefore, in order to be "with it" you almost need to have a cell phone of some sort. How do you chose the one that is best for you? What are the most important options? What should you avoid when buying? The answers are different for everyone, but I have a few ideas that may help you make a decision.
1. NO HANDS, OR HANDS? One thing that has become increasingly annoying is that as cell phones have gotten better, they have also gotten smaller. Now, in regards to portability, this is a positive. But, in regards to functionality, this i not as positive. Have you tried talking on a cell phone while driving a manual automobile (More on that later)? Or while doing anything, or that matter?
The smaller phones make it virtually impossible to balance the phone between the ear and the shoulder while using your free hand to do anything. One way to combat the problem is to get a hands free option. All you need is a simple speaker hook up that fits onto your automobile's visor (Assuming you are driving). Once the speaker is in place your hands are free to man the steering wheel, stick shift and anything else you choose to handle.
2. WHAT OPTIONS DO YOU NEED/WANT? Again, as technology has advanced, so have the options that are available to cell phone users. In this day and age you can get/send email, retrieve voice mail, check stock quotes, browse websites....I could go on and on. What do you really need in order to stay in touch with the world?
Voice Mail: I would suggest getting this option since you will not always be around your phone. Voice mail also makes the phone more like one from home.
Email Options: Depending on how much money you want to spend on your phone, I would skip it. As of now, the option is limited and takes up a lot of memory for messages that can only be of a certain size. As for sending email, I seldom do it for the same reasons. Additionally, you will find typing on the phone touchpad is the epitomy of annoying. Skip it until the function improves.
Stock Quotes/News: I would suggest it if it is important to you. You typically will receive a message telling you that you have a message and then you can view a short text message that alerts you to the news. Handy, but also annoying when checking your messages and finding news all the time. As for the quotes, they are limited and delayed. In this day and age, a lot can happen in the fifteen minute delay.
Ringers: I am not talking about the sound that your phone makes when ringing. What I am talking about is how your phone alerts you to an incoming call. HUH? A number of the better phones provide the option of a setting that will vibrate when a call comes in. I find this very useful in loud environments and in situations where I do not want the phone ringing, but still want to receive a call.
Calendars/Phone Books: The calendar is useful, but is also annoying to use because of the problems with typing. I would highly recommend the phone book. Simply input all the names and numbers that you call frequently and you will be alerted to who is calling you and can find their numbers easily when placing a call.
Options and their usefulness vary greatly from person to person, but I would suggest thinking about what you want before buying a phone. A sure fire way to increase the cost of your phone is to get excess options that you do not utilize.
3. Brands: The best advice I can give is to find a name brand and stick with it. I would suggest Erriccson, Motorola, Nokia, or Qualcomm. However, keep in mind that your phone is only as good as the plan that it is on. A cliche, but one that is true.
4. Analog/Digital: Analog is being phased out, but is still viable. Digital, obviously, is the wave of the future. Digital phones provide you with clearer connections and many of the options I listed above. However, digital phones still lack full coverage. For more in depth information see the epinions on digital phones.
5. Price: Finally, an important question that we all wonder about- the price of the phone. Gone are the days when we could get a digital phone for free and purchase a service plan. Yes, you can still do it, but you will get an analog phone and you will find that your options are greatly limited. You will also find these plans hard to locate since the cell phone companies have found a way to make a decent profit on the phone itself.
Digital phones are not cheap, but if you want the options you will have to pay for them. Depending on what you want you can pay as little as $20 and as much as more than $500. I cannot provide a decent review when it comes to pricing since the options vary greatly and each company has a different pricing structure.
6. A pet peeve: If you are going to be operating an automobile, find a phone that permits you to do so without using your hands or pull over. More and more accidents are caused by people paying too much attention to their phones and not enough attention to the road. Additionally, a few towns have banned the use of cell phones while driving- expect this to become more commonplace as the problem becomes more widespread. Remember that you will be doing this not only for your own good, but for the good of others, as well.
In summary, how you choose a cell phone basically depends on what you are looking for. The options and the variability of everything is obviously great. Find a phone that suits your needs and be prepared to pay if those needs extend beyond the norm.
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