Review: Blackberry Curve
The Blackberry Curve is one of the most popular smartphones. Of course, its main purpose is to make and receive phone calls. However, it is not limited to that application.
It allows you to access the internet, receive and send email, sends text messages and has a host of other features. There are games, calendar, address book, camera and is, in essence, a way to stay connected, at all times. While other smartphones may have more applications, the Blackberry is the smartphone of choice for business users. The average price is $150.00, but although it’s not one of the cheap smartphones, there are many special promotions where you can buy one and get one free with activation.
There are many versions of the Blackberry, but the Curve continues to be the leader. The Blackberry is reliable and the technology has proven to have few blackouts and missed calls. It is compact and easy to carry. It has great notification features, so that you always know when you have missed a call or have a text message waiting. You can select from a wide variety of ring tones and select identifying ring tones to identify specific callers. The battery life is terrific and the best way to keep it charged is to use the car charger. However, you can also charge it at home.
The screen is easy to see and the volume adjustments make hearing acceptable even in a nosy environment. The ability to always be able to check breaking news, stay in touch, be accessible to others make it essential to one’s daily life. You can get a variety of covers for it. Some offer more protection from breakage and others just add to the appearance.
One of the best things about the Blackberry is you can send emails and texts while in a meeting or in a situation where you cannot use a phone. It is very small and discreet. Smartphones are almost essential for emergencies. You can even sign up for GPS Service and have access to business, entertainment and other venues that you might want to access when you are out. You can access maps and directions, as well. If you are in an accident, you can use the camera to copy the license plate and the phone to call for emergency assistance. It is comforting to know that you have immediate access at all times. Another version of the Blackberry is the Pearl, but the Curve remains the gold standard.
Tags: battery life, blackberry, blackberry curve, car charger, phone calls, ring tones, smartphone, smartphones, text message, text messagesRelated posts
Cheap Cell Phones
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.
Tags: cell phone, Cheap Cell Phones, mobile phone, Nokia, pay as you go phone, phone handset, text messages, verizonRelated posts
3G SIM Card
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.
Tags: 3g, 3G SIM Card, cingular, sim card, sim cards, text messages