29th July, 2010 - Posted by joanne - Leave A Comment
In this day and age it is absolutely essential to have a cell phone. Gone are the days when people were unreachable for periods of time – now it seems like everyone needs to be available at any given moment in order to successfully function in society. The problem is that cell phones are small, compact and often quite expensive – and when you lose one your service provider often makes you pay exorbitant fees and/or makes you sign a new contract before getting connected once again. Thankfully there’s a loophole.
Many outlets sell used cell phones and mobile devices catered to your interest. There are a few things you should know when buying a used cell phone in order to get the most bang for your buck. Online vendors such as eBay are a popular place to find used models of cell phones. One very important thing to do is to ask questions. See if the phones are ‘unlocked,’ meaning they work with any service provider. Oftentimes phones are specific to a certain carrier, such as the Android with Verizon or the iPhone with AT&T.
Make sure you are buying a phone that will work with your service plan. Be sure to ask other standard questions too – like why the phone is being sold, if there are any damages, what features it might have, etc. Be aware that if you purchase a phone such as a BlackBerry or an iPhone you will likely have to add a data plan to your cell phone bill in the long run. It is also important to ask about a return policy. Your phone might work just fine right out of the gate, but falter a few days afterward and you’ll have wasted your money. See if you can return it for a refund or exchange it for a new model before committing to any purchase – and be sure to keep all receipts and copies of the transaction when dealing with online vendors.
Used cell phones can range anywhere from $10 to $150 depending on what you are buying. Phones that are more in demand, such as iPhones, Androids and the latest Blackberry models, will undoubtedly cost a bit more.
Be sure to go over a few of these helpful tips when making your decision about purchasing a used cell phone, and you should be on your way to getting the best possible product you could ask for. Don’t miss out on this great money-saving opportunity.
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25th July, 2010 - Posted by joanne - Leave A Comment
Buying a mobile phone used to be a very big decision, however as costs have come down there are many cheaper alternatives that you can think about when choosing what phone you want. This article will look into some of the basic factors you should consider when looking for cheap cell phones for you or your family.
When thinking about the expense of a phone you should first make the decision regarding the payment model you will choose. Typically, there are two models you can choose from, (1) pay as you go and (2) a contract plan. These two models differ in the way that you pay the telecommunications companies quite dramatically.
With a pay as you go phone, you are paying for the phone itself outright and them just paying for the actual cost of ever call you make. To top up you credit you can buy top-up cards over the counter and newsagents, or you can use an automated system that will allow you to charge up credit using your standard credit or debit card. Call costs using a pay as you go phone are usually slightly higher.
A contract plan involves you having an agreement with a telecommunications company like AT&T or Verizon to spend a minimum amount of money every month. Depending on what that minimum fee is, the phone company will subsidize the cost of the phone handset and give you a certain number of minutes of calls and text messages each month included as part of the package. If you use more that your allotted number of minutes or messages, you will be charged an additional fee.
Do not be fooled into thinking a contract will allow you to get a better handset, ultimately you are still paying for the handset it is just that you are spreading out the payments over the term of the contract, usually one or two years. Your decision should be based on how much you will likely use the phone.
If you are likely to use the phone quite a lot and would easily exceed the number of included minutes within a contract it is probably better to choose a contract with lower call costs. If you rarely make phone calls, a pay as you go strategy is probably best. There are a number of very inexpensive prepaid models under the $50 prices tag such as the Samsung U350 and the Nokia 2720 that would suit the needs of an infrequent user.
The key to purchasing a good inexpensive phone is to first clearly understand your own calling habits and requirements and then investigate the total cost of ownership over a one or two year time frame.
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23rd July, 2010 - Posted by joanne - Leave A Comment
Ever wondered what bit of your phone actually connects to your network, stores all your numbers and details and allows you internet access? It’s actually one of the smallest components, and it’s called a SIM (security identity module) card. The reason why you may not know what one looks like is that for the most part, contract phones come all set up and ready to go, with a 3G SIM already installed which never needs to be changed or replaced.
These small cards hold all the data about your number, which network you’re accessing, your data usage and dozens of other bits of information. It is becoming easier to buy a SIM card and a handset separately to avoid the high tariff contracts charged by most phone companies. Buying a 3G SIM card is incredibly simple and very cheap, so the main difficulty is knowing what offers are out there, and what represents good value for you.
An important task before setting out to buy a SIM card is to work out how many minutes you use currently, how many text messages you send and how much internet data you use, as these are the most common numbers that companies will wage price war with. Once you’ve worked those out, it’s time to go shopping. Each of the major phone companies (AT&T, Cingular, Verizon) offer one of two offers when it comes to SIM cards; a free SIM with a short term cheap contract, or you buy a pre-paid SIM, which has a certain amount of minutes and data attached, and then you top it up with more money once that initial lot has run out. Both can represent good value, depending on how you like to pay, and on what offers on minutes and data you can get.
Average prices from the big 3 companies mentioned about come in at around $20 a month for the first kind, which gives you 300 minutes and 250MB of internet data. It is possible to spend less, but the chances of over-running your credit means that you’ll probably end up paying more in excess data and minutes.
For the pre-paid SIM, you shouldn’t be paying more than $10, but these will only get you 100 minutes and 100MB of data, both of which run out fairly quickly. The pre-pay SIMs are better value for people who want a phone just for an emergency, or to get their children started. The contract SIMs represent better value to the average cell user.
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