CHOOSING A MOBILE PHONE

Do I need a Mobile Phone ?

The answer to this question could easily be no since we have for many years managed without them, but the same could be said about a car, about a watch, in fact about any other tool that we have adopted over the last 100 years.

Mobile Phones are not essential to our existence, but they do make our lives easier, and they will get us out of a hole a whole lot quicker than if we did not have one.

Have you ever broken down in a car and had to walk miles to find a phone ? Have you ever had to wait for hours for a pickup because you have been unable to contact your friend until he was home next to a phone ? If you have endured any such situation you will surely agree that we would all be better off if we all always carried a mobile phone with us.

Even discounting such exceptional circumstances, mobile phones do make our lives a lot easier, so if you still haven't got one there is no best time than the present to do so.

»Top

What phone shall I get ?

This could be a much more difficult question to answer because the choice is massive, because there are so many manufacturers and suppliers of phones, because the price differences are so great, and because mobile phones today include a multitude of other functions.

What else would I like the phone to do ?

The first question we need to address is do we want the phone to do more than simply make and receive calls ? And if so, what do we want it to do ? What other functions are possible with mobiles today ?

The following list, which covers most of the functions found in mobile phones today, may help you decide what is best for you:-

»Top

Package or Separate Contracts ?

The second matter requiring your attention is whether you go for a package from a service provider, which includes a phone at a discounted price, or whether you keep the call usuage contract separate from the purchase of the phone. The package option may appeal to some as the easiest route, but you are then limited to the few handsets on offer, and it does have the problem that you might like the phone but hate the service or visa versa.

The current trend, which gives you a significantly greater choice of handset, is to purchase an unlocked phone separately, allowing you also to make the most suitable choice of service provider avoiding the longer type of contract to which you would be subjected with the packages. This then gives you greater freedom to change provider if you are unhappy with the service provided.

The mobile phone has to some extent already become a status symbol, with many people willing to pay high prices for the latest phones, changing their phones periodically, owning more than one handset and using different ones depending on the occasion.

»Top

Service Contract

Whether or not you go for a package, you will always need a service contract and finding the one that best suits you is something you need to do yourself.

The following list covers the type of questions you need to get answers for before you select a service provider.

How long is the contract ?
Is there a monthly fee ? What does this include ?
On what basis is any excess arrived at and charged ?
What are the local call charges ? Peak times ? Off Peak ?
What about long distance charges ?
Are there any discounts I can take advantage of ?
Any free calls ?
Are unused minutes carried over from one month to another ?
Will I be charged roaming fees ? How is this calculated ?

»Top

Network Compatibility

One important factor before you go any further is to ensure you only choose from phones that are compatible in your country or area, and in the countries or areas that you expect to be travelling to.

Every country uses at least one of the four GSM frequencies, namely 850 Mhz, 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, and 1900 Mhz. We are not aware of single band phones being offered for sale but if you do come across any, discard them.

Dual Band phones use two of the four GSM frequencies, almost always 900 Mhz and 1800 Mhz. These phones work fine in Europe, Russia and Australia, but not the USA or Canada.

Tri-band phones, normally 900, 1800 and 1900 Mhz, generally work in most countries, the 1900 Mhz frequency being the most common in the USA and Canada. But please note that for some areas in those countries you will require the 850 Mhz frequency.

To be sure of a worldwide connection you need a Quad Band phone, and nowadays it should be possible to get such phones without having to pay a higher price.

»Top

Where to buy

Every Shopping centre (or mall) will have one or more shops where you can purchase mobile phones, but if price is an important consideration you are probably better off buying on the internet where you will find prices free from the "Retail Outlet" needs to cover rents, salaries and other overheads.

Another advantage of searching on the internet is that you can checkout a lot more phones in significantly less time, and in the comfort of your home.

»Top

Choosing a Handset

Once you have decided on the additional functions you want, and the band requirement, you need to narrow your search further to the handsets that have the phone features you consider important. The following list may help you in making this decision:-

»Top

Final Choice

You can spend a lot of time searching for the best phone for you, but at the end of the day you will never be 100% sure until you make the purchase and try it out. It is thus most important that you have access to full specifications and images of the product before you make the commitment.

If you are not sure which handset is right for you, perhaps a good place to start would be to browse our website. We do our best to provide all the information you need to make an informed choice and we welcome any suggestions for further improvement.

For most of us the price we pay is a primary consideration and for this reason we strongly recommend a couple of our lower priced quadband phones which we ourselves use.