The modern cell phone is so much more than a phone now. It used to be that the fancy phones came with a camera and some a few little games to be played on a very small screen. Now though, the most recent cell phones have Internet access and screens where you can actually answer emails and get some work done. People dont buy cell phones only to talk on them anymore.
Expensive mobile phones now can cost upwards of $400 and they come with all sorts of gadgets. The newest ones come with mp3 players, gps capabilities, tons of games, much bigger screens, and of course the Internet. The question is: do people really need all these things or are they paying for things they never use. Just because everyone else is getting the higher end phones, it seems there is more demand caused by peer pressure.
Adding to the confusion of what to get for a first time buyer is the question of what phones are available for what carriers. If you like a certain phone, can you get it with any carrier or is it made only for a specific one? Some phones are made by a manufacturer specifically for a certain carrier. In that case, you will have to use that carrier if you want their phone. Other phones though, are available for all carriers and all cell phone plans. It should be noted that in the case of phones made specifically for one carrier, people have found ways to unlock them and use them with other carriers.
Even after making your choice of phones, you have another choice that can be confusing of what type of plan to get. If you are getting a phone that goes with all carriers, you will have to decide which one to go with. There are even many different plans within each carrier that all have different limits on minutes and other little variations. It is difficult for any first time buyer to know what they want or might need and the salesman will of course try to sell you more than you probably want to spend.
In the end, first time phone buyers have many choices to make. There is a lot of competition between the phone companies and a lot of fierce advertising competition for your business. Each cell phone company hopes to get your business and lock you into a long terms contract that you wont want to break. You must do your share of research first so you both get what you want and not more than you need.
Tags: Phone Plans, cell phone, Little Games, MP3 Players
