Mobile Phone Buying Guide - Factors to consider when buying.

Guide to Buying a Mobile Phone

This is a simple article that aims to offer some guidance in the purchasing of a mobile phone, we have also included some links to various retailers that sell mobile phones and between them offer every combination of handset and tariff package that you could possibly require. Please note that these are all sites that we are affiliatted to and have demonstrated in the past good customer service and a professional approach to serving the mobile phone market

Selecting the right network, tariff and mobile depends on your individual circumstances and requirements. The guidelines given here will help you assess your needs and hence should enable you to make the right connection. However it is your choice as to which network you select or the type of mobile and tariff best suits your specific needs.

Pay-as-you-Go or Contract?

There are two options available when purchasing a mobile phone. These are a contract deal, where you pay a line rental charge but can get inclusive call minutes, or a pay-as-you-go mobile, where you simply pay for the calls and no monthly line rental. It's important to choose wisely here, because each method has its pros and cons.

Contract as the name suggests means that you will be invoiced monthly for your calls and services. You will be required to commit to a contract that will bind you to a provider for a minimum of 12 months. These contracts are legally binding so make your decision with care. The handset discount offered using this method is normally very good, so even the latest models may be offered with a massive discount or even free.

Pay-As-You-Go, with this type of plan you buy credit for the phone, often directly from the network using a debit/credit card. You can also purchase credit in the form of vouchers, which gives you a code to enter into the phone which then registers the credit. There is very little network discount so the handsets will generally cost significantly more than with Contract. Calls are generally more expensive than those made with contract phones, nor do they have the advantage of inclusive free call minutes for weekend and evening use that is common with monthly deals. However, monthly deals may not be as economical as you would think. If you are a light user you may be better off on pre-pay, because you may not spend enough to justify the monthly line rental charges.

Sim Free , it is possible to buy a handset without a network connection. You may wish to do this if you are looking to purchase a new phone long before your contract expires and are therefore ineligible for an upgrade. In this case you will be buying the handset only and because you will be paying full price it is worth taking insurance on your new phone.

Tariffs

Although mobile phone costs are becoming increasingly cheaper, like all other bills if you're not careful they can really add up. It's important to ensure you don't pay over the odds for your phone and charges. This is where you must be careful in selecting a tariff that suits you and the type of calls you are likely to be making. Make certain focusing on the cheap rates that are advertised with the deal don't catch you out. A tariff offering cheap or free evening and weekend calls is all well and good but if you make the majority of your calls during the day this is of no use to you. Lifestyle is a big factor in this, and if you find yours changing then make sure you speak to your network and alter your tariff accordingly.

It is worth noting that cross-network charges are generally much higher than same-network, so it makes sense to coordinate with those you wish to make the most calls to.

Be warned that "inclusive minutes" in most cases only applies to same network or landline calls or calls made at certain times of the day. In general the more you pay in line rental the more free calls are available to you.

If you are concerned with controlling your costs then you should get your bills itemised so you can monitor your calls. This will highlight where most of your charges are coming from and by following your changing call patterns you will be better equipped to decide if a tariff change will be beneficial. Alternatively, the nature of pre-pay packages is such that you will never receive a bill.

Networks

There are four network operators in the UK providing mobile services. These are T-Mobile (One2one), Vodafone, O2 (Cellnet), and Orange. Each network provides UK wide coverage but services can vary depending upon your actual location.

1. Find out if you have good coverage in your area (Network operator or Dealer shops can help)
2. Compare network performances in your region using the report published by Oftel.
3. Check with your friends and families to find out which network they are connected with because call charges to other networks can be higher. This will also give you a chance to hear their views about the network they are using and the type of problem they've had (if any)

Handsets

Choosing the mobile handset mainly depends on the Network operator and tariff you have selected as each provider only offers their particular range of approved mobiles. Pay-as-you-go tariffs usually have a limited range of mobiles compared to Contract tariffs. Once you know which mobiles are available to you, then you can compare them based on price, functionality, performance and style.

1. Determine how much you want to spend on your mobile.
2. Obtain details of each mobile available with the network and tariff you have selected.
3. List all functionalities you require, some of the factors you may want to consider are below :

Display
With recent technological improvements some mobiles are equipped with colour display screens, with some offering photo-perfect quality (as many as 4096 colours). Indeed, some phones can support camera attachments for taking photos. Standard phones are generally backlit by a variety of different colours depending on the handset.

Tri-Band or Higher
The phone must support the same standard your provider supports. If you are planning on using your phone abroad you will need a Tri-Band or Quad Band phone or you will not be able to send or receive calls. When a phone is referred to as Dual-Band, this usually means that it supports both GSM 900 and GSM 1800 networks. This has the effect of improving network coverage, meaning better quality of sound and better network access.

Standby Time and Talk Time
Standby time is the period the batteries will last before needing to be recharged. It implies how long the battery will last with the phone switched on, but does not account for the drain on batteries whilst talking. The stand-by time depends very much on network settings. Manufacturers measure stand-by time in ideal conditions and it rarely can be reached at real phone usage. Some handsets can last two weeks and beyond in standby. The talk time of the phone is simply the length of time your battery will last while being used for making calls. Again, talk time depends on network settings. Manufacturers measure talk time in ideal conditions and it rarely can be reached at real phone usage.

Memory
Different handsets have different capabilities and memory. If you have many contacts you wish to add to your phone's address book it is important to ensure your phone has the facility to store them all. This is also important if you are keen to customise your mobile as this will determine what you can 'add on' to your phone in terms of ringtones etc

Vibrating alert
Most mobile phones come with vibrating call alert for incoming calls. This is very useful when you need to switch your ring signal off but still want to receive calls.

WAP
WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol, which enables users to access mobile internet content and services from a WAP mobile phone. This can be used for everything from finding a local restaurant, checking the weather and latest headlines, keeping up with the latest sports results and checking share prices, to sending an email and paying a bill - all done on the move, wherever you are, at anytime of the day or night., More and more mobile internet services are being developed daily and the benefits of WAP are growing at an amazing pace

There are numerous factors that need to be taken into account however personal preference and price range are more than likely to be your deciding purchasing factors, with specification often less important than style.

We all want that Must Have Mobile Phone after all.

Must Have Mobile Phones - One Stop Destination for all Things Mobile.

Guide to Buying a Mobile Phone

©2005 Must Have Mobile Phones