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With the countless cell phone service providers available, choosing a cell phone plan may seem like a daunting task but it doesn't have to be. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to choose a cell phone plan quickly and effortlessly.
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With the countless cell phone service providers available, choosing a cell phone plan may seem like a daunting task but it doesn't have to be. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to choose a cell phone plan quickly and effortlessly.
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Introduction
- Choosing a cell phone plan has become a necessary part of life. Finding the best deal is often difficult due to numerous service providers offering various technologies and services. To find the right cell phone plan, you will need to consider your cell phone needs, the carrier's services, the coverage and the cost of the plan.
Step 1: Research Service Plans
- The first step is to think about your typical cell phone usage. Ask yourself:
- How many calls you do make?
- How many minutes do you use?
- Will it be beneficial to choose a plan with plenty of Anytime minutes? Or are you more likely to use Night and Weekend minutes?
- Remember, going over your minutes will increase your monthly cell phone bill.
- Do you need Internet access?
- Do you make long distance calls? Or just local calls?
- Are you a texting machine?
- If you text a lot, you may want a plan that includes unlimited texting.
- Don't forget about picture messaging and multimedia messaging.
Type of Plans
- Next research the types of plans available to you. Types of service plans include:
- Pre-paid.
- You pay for the service ahead of time.
- Usually, you are not required to sign a contract.
- This plan may be beneficial if you have bad credit.
- Individual.
- Usually requires you to sign a contract.
- Family.
- A family plan allows you to share your monthly minutes with additional lines.
- Data.
- Data plans allow access to email, web browsing, text messaging and multimedia messaging.
- Data plans are great for a PDA, Blackberry or other data phones.
- Data plans can usually be purchased as an additional service for other plans.
Step 2: Research Service Providers
- Now that you know your cell phone needs, you can decide which company will be the best for you.
- Compare coverage maps.
- You want to make sure you can receive a signal in your area.
- Compare contracts. Consider:
- The length of the contract.
- A contract will bind you to a provider for one or two years.
- Check to see if you will be charged a fee for terminating the contract early.
- The cost.
- How much will you be charge a month?
- How much is the early termination fee?
- Are there extra fees?
- If there is a grace period.
- When off-peak hours begin and end.
- The length of the contract.
- Call the Attorney General's Office or the Better Business Bureau and check if there are any complaints filed against the company.
- Read online reviews.
- Ask your friends, family and acquaintances for their experiences.
Step 3: Choose Your Phone
- Now it's time to research cell phones to find the perfect one for you. If the provider of your choice does not have an acceptable cell phone, you may want to try a different provider. With the multitude of cell phones available, shopping for one may be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to get you started.
- Think about what features you will want, such as:
- Camera.
- Web browser.
- MP3 player.
- PDA.
- Think about the design, including
- Shape:
- Flip phones.
- Swivel phones.
- Candy bar phones.
- Color.
- Size:
- Thickness.
- Length.
- Placement of buttons.
- Screen.
- Can you see the text clearly?
- Do you want a touch screen?
- Shape:
- Ask about the phone's battery life.
- Test out the phone.
- It should be easy to navigate.
- Read online reviews.
- Compare cell phone manufacturer warranties.
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