Mobile phones are somewhat of a necessity in today’s world. With the increased demand to not only be in constant contact over the phone, but also over email and the internet, the majority of people have turned to smart phones. However, the mobile market is overwhelmed with devices and mobile service providers, making the decision to buy a new phone ever more complicated. Today we’re looking at a brief guide to all you need to know before buying a phone. If you’re on the lookout for a smart phone, then heed our warnings, they’ll make your shopping an awful lot easier…
Make Sure You Compare Mobile Phones…
You should never just walk into a shop and buy the first phone that you see. There’s a good reason why you need to compare mobile phones. With so many on the market, not all of them are created equal. And just because something’s popular, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily good or the right choice for you. Similarly, you can’t go by price range either, since with mobile’s you often pay a premium for brand or fashion, not necessarily for good functionality. There are plenty of online sites that will let you compare mobile phones by model, so you know how two phones hold up against each other. Whatever else happens, whichever deals you’re offered by mobile service providers, make sure that you first determine how good a model is and how it compares to other models before making a purchase. Otherwise you’re going to find yourself regretting that investment almost immediately.
Make Sure You Do the Maths…
From instalment plans to mobile operator contracts with free phones, make sure you do the maths before signing anything. You don’t get anything for free, and that includes phones. Particularly with mobile service provider contracts you will nearly always end up paying far more than the cost of the so called “free” phone by the time your two year contract has ended. A simple way to test how much extra you’re going to be paying is by finding out the retail cost of the phone, then finding out the monthly cost of the calling plan on the contract without the phone option. Multiply the monthly calling plan cost by the number of months in your contract (it’s generally twenty four months) and add the cost of the hand set. That’s the basic price that you’ll pay for service and phone. Now take the monthly price of the free phone deal that you’re being offered and multiply it by the number of months in your contract. You’ll find that the second number you come up with is higher than the first, and the difference is the extra money you’re paying for that phone. Free phone deals have their advantages; it does mean that you don’t have to pay for a phone up front, which can be convenient. But they nearly never mean that you’ll end up saving money. Instalment plans also tend to tack an added price onto the cost of a mobile, though that varies depending on where you buy your phone. Make sure that you compare the actual retail price of the phone to the monthly instalment costs multiplied by the number of instalments you need to make to find out just how much extra you’ll be paying.
Make Sure You Need (and can use) What You’re Buying…
Modern smart phones come with a whole host of great, snazzy features, and it’s easy to get drawn in to marketing and the cool factor. However, the truth is that the vast majority of people never use these special features. Beyond calling, texting, emailing and web surfing not that many of us use our phone for anything more. And if you’re paying big money for a top of the line mobile, then you’re probably just paying a lot extra for things that you’re never going to use. Look at your needs carefully before deciding which model to go for, and decide which features are important to you. On top of that, there are features that are offered that can’t actually be used by everyone. A good example of this is 4G. You’ll definitely pay extra for a 4G capable phone, but 4G isn’t available in all areas of the UK. In fact, some mobile service providers don’t even offer the option of 4G service. If you fall into this category, then investing in a 4G capable phone is nothing but a waste of money.
Make Sure You Consider All Your Options…
You certainly have a lot of options; just make sure that you’ve really considered them. You should look at a minimum of ten different handsets before you decide which one’s right for you. And when it comes to mobile service providers, you should compare all the options that are available to you. Just as phones themselves differ, so do service providers, so make sure you’re getting what you need out of a package rather than just what the provider wants to sell you. And it’s worth doing a quick check online for all the major service providers to see what kind of coverage they get in your area. Not all service providers have the same amount of coverage in the same areas, so you want to ensure that you’re going to have great reception before you sign anything.
Make Sure You’re Protected…
Particularly with something as fragile and expensive as a mobile phone, make sure that you look after it properly. That means buying a proper case and a screen protector. Make sure that you sign and send in any warranty or guarantee papers that come with your phone, and seriously consider getting some insurance. This is a huge investment for a lot of people, and a little insurance can go a long way. At the very least, once you’ve bought your smartphone try and download a security app that will use your phone’s GPS to track your phone if it’s lost or stolen. You don’t want to have to go through the whole shopping process a second time…
Phil Turner advises everyone who needs a new handset to compare mobile phones properly before signing a contract. Sites like uSwitch.com can show which networks are offering the best deals.