By Dan Tynan
Once upon a time, you carried a cell phone because you wanted to talk to other people without being tethered to a land line. Now the notion of merely talking while you're walking seems almost quaint. Today's top cell phones are more like pocket-size computers -- you can send e-mail, surf the Web, manage your schedule, snap photos, play games, and a whole lot more for just a few pennies a minute.
As a result, cell phones are no longer one-size-fits-all. They vary widely in features, functionality, and cost. So if you're thinking of swapping out your tired old mobile phone for a slick new cell, you've got to figure out exactly what type of phone user you really are.
To help you choose, we've divided the world into five types of mobile mavens, each of whom needs a slightly different kind of phone. But before you dive in, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Nearly all phones are exclusive to a particular carrier. For example, if you want the Blackberry 7520, you'll have to be a Nextel subscriber; Motorola Razr fans need to sign up with Cingular. (Notable exceptions: Aficionados of the Palm Treo 650 and Nokia N-Gage can order them from multiple carriers.)
In addition, prices for the same phone can vary wildly depending on where you buy it and what kind of plan you get, says Allan Keiter, president of MyRatePlan.com. Getting a phone with a two-year plan can knock 50 percent or more off the unit's retail price, but also locks you into technology that will quickly feel outdated. On the other hand, if you're upgrading your phone without also upgrading your plan, don't expect any discounts.
Prices for the same phone also vary depending on whether you buy directly from the wireless carrier, an independent dealer, or an online retailer. Sites like MyRatePlan.com, Phone Scoop, and Wirefly offer interactive guides that let you sort phones by features and find the cheapest sources for them.
Keiter advises consumers to find a carrier that offers good coverage in the areas where they're likely to use the phone, pick the phone they want, and then choose from the plans available for each phone.
Now, on to a healthy dose of self-reflection. What kind of phone user are you?
The Family Guy (or Gal)
Profile: You don't travel much, but you need to be reachable when you're away from the house. More important, you want to keep track of other family members -- like your spouse, kids, or aging parents -- so you will probably want multiple phones. In short, you're looking for a model that's like you: maybe not the most stylish or hippest thing on the block, but rock-solid, dependable, and affordable.
The features you want: You probably don't need a Web-enabled phone or one that checks e-mail, but if you've got teenage kids you'll want one that at least offers text messaging (virtually all phones do these days). A press-to-talk (walkie-talkie) feature comes in handy if you need to reach the kids when they're playing down the street or you want to find them in a crowded mall without using up your minutes.
If you're buying a phone for your parents -- or you're getting on in years yourself -- you may actually want a bigger model like the Nokia
6019i (through U.S. Cellular) or Audiovox SMT5600 (Cingular) with a screen that's easier to read and buttons that are easier to push. That argues against the more-expensive, though sexier, flip and slider models. Larger phones also tend to have slightly better reception, though your mileage may vary.Price range: $50 to $150
The plan for you: Look for a mobile-to-mobile plan that lets you call others on the same network for free. If you just want to use the phone in town, a local calling plan will probably give you more minutes for your money, but you can really rack up the charges if you use it on the road.
The Restless Commuter
Profile: You spend big chunks of each day waiting--for buses, cabs, trains; in grocery stores, hair salons, traffic. You're easily bored, but you don't want to carry six different devices in your pocket. What you want is a phone that doubles as an entertainment device.
The features you want: The kind of phone you get depends on how you like to waste -- er, spend -- your free time. If you want to surf while you wait, a full Web browser is essential--and fairly easy to find on most phones. Java-based phones typically come with a handful of games and the ability to download more, but serious players will want to take a gander at Nokia's N-Gage (Cingular, T-Mobile), which is essentially a handheld game machine with a phone inside. You can even play against other nearby N-Gage users via a Bluetooth connection.
Like to rock out? Motoro
Cingular, comes with a miniature IPod able to store 100 tunes. Generic MP3 players and FM radios are starting to show up in a wide range of mobile phones, and there's a slew of cells such as the LG Electronics VX9800 and Audiovox 8940 (both from Verizon) coming down the pike that feature multiple channels of TV content (see "Moving Pictures").
Price range: $150 and up
The plan for you: Look for a high-speed data plan for downloading games and Web surfing. Adding TV will generally run you another $10 a month.
The Raving Fashionista
Your profile: For you, style is substance. It doesn't matter what you say, as long as you look good saying it. And not only does your phone need to be sleek, small, and able to enhance your outfit, it also has to be fun to use. So when you're out at a rave, you want a phone that lets you send a text message, snap a picture, then e-mail it to a friend or post it to your mobile blog.
The features you want: There's probably no cooler gadget anywhere than the Motorola Razr V3 (Cingular). Just a half-inch thick, the Razr's top flips up to reveal a crisp, 2.2-inch color screen and a flat keypad outlined in neon blue. With LG's MM535 multimedia phone, available from Sprint, the screen slides up to reveal the keypad, while the Sony Ericsson S710a (Cingular) offers a unique swivel design. All offer relatively high-res 1.3-megapixel cameras that can capture still images or video, as well as messaging and e-mail programs.
Price range: $200 and up
The plan for you: Look for a low-cost media plan that lets you send a fixed number of text and picture messages for a flat monthly rate.
The Road Warrior
Your profile: You're a busy executive who needs to stay in constant touch. You spend your life going from meeting to meeting and airport to airport, but the world will stop turning if you're away from your cell phone or e-mail for more than half an hour. You need a phone that lets you be all thumbs -- but in a good way.
The features you want: For you, e-mail and messaging are more important than voice, so you've got to have a QWERTY keypad. This phone will do double duty as your personal data assistant, which means you'll need a sophisticated scheduler, a copious address book, a to-do list manager, full browser capabilities, and the ability to view and edit documents.
You won't need a camera, but you will need to sync with your PC via a USB or Bluetooth connection, and because such phones are awkward to talk into, you'll probably want a wireless Bluetooth headset. Style? Forget about it. These devices are really more like laptop substitutes. In short, you're looking for units like the Treo 650 (available from Cingular, Sprint, or Verizon), Audiovox 6600 (Sprint or Verizon), BlackBerry 7100g (Cingular), Samsung i730 (Verizon), or the T-Mobile Sidekick II.
Price range: $200 to $600
The plan for you: In addition to voice minutes, you'll want a heavy-duty high-speed data plan. They generally start at around $40 a month.
Your profile: You don't just go on trips, you go on expeditions. For you, "crossing the pond" is like taking a puddle jumper. Even if you remain largely in the continental United States, you spend more time in hotels than your average bellhop. You need a phone designed for the long haul.
The features you want: If you travel outside the United States, look for a GSM phone that switches between multiple frequencies, such as the 850-MHz band used in the United States and Canada, and the 900-,
1800-, and 1900-MHz bands used virtually everywhere else. T-Mobile's Motorola V330 and Cingular's HP iPaq 6510 both operate on all four frequencies.You'll likely go a long time before seeing an AC outlet, so you'll want a phone with longer battery life; for example, the Sony Ericsson S710a (Cingular) is rated at 420 minutes of talk time and 300 hours of standby. If you're constantly visiting new cities, or want people to be able to find you easily, consider a unit with a Global Positioning System transponder built in, such as the BlackBerry 7520 (Nextel), which can pinpoint your location on a map and provide driving directions.
Price range: $200 to $600
The plan for you: GPS services generally add $10 to $15 to your monthly bill. And take a good long look at those overseas long-distance charges -- you could end up paying more than a buck a minute in some places.
Award-winning journalist Dan Tynan writes the Gadget Freak column for PC World and TechSmart for Attache magazine. His new book,Computer Privacy Annoyances(O'Reilly Media 2005), may someday be available on your cell phone (but probably not).
Copyright 2005 Yahoo Tech Tuesday
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