Cell Phone Plans – Choices Abound!
The Future Is Flexible
Gone are the days when the only way you could afford a cell
phone was to buy into a lengthy cell phone plan. In those early
days, a cell phone plan included a seemingly ironclad contract
that lasted a minimum of three years. There simply were no
choices. If you wanted a cell phone you had to buy the phone and
commit to being tied to a contract; like it or lump it.
Thankfully those days are over and today because of the number
of service providers, choices abound! Today’s cell phone plans
are designed with the consumer and their multitude of choices in
mind. The wireless customer can choose an affordable cell phone
with many choices and combinations of cell phone plans. That’s
the good news! There is bad news though, with the large volume
of information available today, where does a person start to
look and how do they decide what to choose?
Choices, Choices, Choices
That’s the reason for this article. My goal is to help guide you
through the myriad of choices that are available and to
introduce you to the world of prepaid cell phones, family plans
and shared plans for multiple cell phones. I’ll be giving you
some suggestions on how to match the best cell phone plan for
you and your lifestyle. I’ll also be giving you an idea where to
find some ratings and reviews.
There are a few things to consider when making a decision. Once
that’s done you can look into the various reviews on what’s
currently available. Some internet sites provide ratings for the
cell phone plans they advertise and are always striving to
inform the customer about their newest offerings and hottest
deals.
Decision Helpers
- Hardware & Software.
- What’s Available?
- The prepaid cell phone – Diamonds
& Dust. - Contracts – Bundles of Bargains.
- Companies you can count on.
- What’s your
style?
Hardware And Software
The Hardware When it all comes down to it, isn’t it all
about the phone? This is primarily one of the first of the
decision making factors because it determines what kind of phone
you’ll get. This is especially true when you are looking at what
can be a very expensive purchase.
Almost every cell phone company provides the most simple or the
most complex cell phones with their prepaid cell phone packages.
Companies such as Verizon, Cricket, and Nextel all offer easy
consumer friendly “pay as you go” options.
If you chose a contract, there seems to be a formula but some
companies have very enticing offers especially if you are
changing service providers. The basic rule of thumb seems to be:
- $50.00 price reduction for a one year contract.
- $100.00 price reduction for a two year contract.
- $150.00 price reduction for a three year contract.
As mentioned above some service providers offer up to a 75%
discounted price for a top of the line cell phone in exchange
for a three year contract. As a particularly good salesman told
me “you can always get out of a contract these days, you just
have to pay it out”. Because the cell phones offered by most
service providers are top of the line items from Motorola and
Nokia and the contract is so consumer friendly it will be easy
for you to stick with a contract for three years.
The Software The service provider is the most important
software factor when choosing between a prepaid cell phone and
cell phone plan contract. This is an important issue because
even the best phone is only as good as its signal.
Buyers beware however; some service providers’ piggyback on top
of more established lines. If it’s a case of first come; first
serve and your service provider piggybacks, you could be the
first one off. This results in dropped calls and unreliable air
space. Not a good outcome to your purchase. So do your research
diligently.
What’s Available?
Because it’s all about the phone, ask yourself the following
questions. What kind of phone do you want? Do you want one that
is bare bones or one that has it all? Does the cell phone
company or service provider offer a phone that comes with family
or shared plans? If you chose a family plan, are both phones
equally efficient? Do you want a cell phone that doubles as a
palm pilot or perhaps you want a
cell phone camera?
All these questions will determine where you want to look when
making your choice between a contract and a prepaid cell phone
plan. There may be some features that you can live without.
Knowing this upfront will help you determine what is best for
you. There are numerous websites that provide ratings and
reviews of what is currently available. Surf the web and
research Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, Nextel, Cricket and Cingular.
The most popular plans these days are shared plans or family
plans. Family plans are useful to the small business because
each employee can have a cell phone and the company receives
just one invoice. This is a good way of keeping track of
communication expenses. This applies to a small business but one
invoice is a good way to monitor family budgets as well.
Prepaid Cell Phones…Diamonds & Dust
Diamonds
- Prepaid minutes can be less expensive
than contract minutes. - No Credit checks, no
hassles! - No monthly bill, you’ve paid upfront.
- No service fees.
Dust
- Extras costs
more, long distance and roaming fees can be very expensive. - Not all services are included, you may not be able to surf
the web. - Your phone only works in analog areas (quite
common in more remote areas). - Prepaid minutes can be
more expensive on a minute by minute basis. Read the fine
print.
Contracts – Bundles Of Bargains
The most attractive feature about cell phone contracts is the
bundle concept. There are numerous cell phone plans to make it
easy for you to adhere to a contract and get a bundle of great
deals. You can get special “add ons” like three way calling and
call display. You can purchase a relatively nice cell phone at a
reasonable price. As mentioned above contracts are not the iron
clad document they used to be. If need be you can get released
from them and you do get nicer phones!
Companies You Can Count On
Tried & True There are so many cell phone companies and
service providers these days, who can you, count on? For the
best hardware (the phone) and the best software (airtime and air
quality), you could choose cell phone companies that have been
in the communication business for a long time. Verizon is one of
these companies. They have a long standing tradition of superior
customer service and product dependability. AT&T is also a long
established communications company with impeccable standards.
Up & Coming There are also some new cell phone companies
and service providers who are making a good name for themselves
because of the attention to quality as well. Check out new
companies such as Nextel (a proud sponsor of NASCAR), T-Mobile,
Cingular and Cricket.
There are reviews you can read about the latest and newest
technology about all of the above companies so go to each
company’s websites and check out how their phones rate against
each other.
What’s Your Style?
Truly today, it is all about you and your unique lifestyle. This
is the most important decision making factor of all. You know
what you need in a cell phone plan. The key is finding the best
one that will serve your needs best. Don’t be intimidated or
overwhelmed by the number of choices out there. Just keep in
mind; it’s all about your unique communication needs. Read these
two short scenarios. They will help to show you what could be
right for you.
Your job takes you all over the world. Your friends have a
hard time keeping track of you because you are always on the
move. You pay your bills on the internet and phone your family
periodically just to let them know you’re “OK”.
OR
You’re still in school and living at home. Your parents want
you to keep in touch but you’re sick of pay phones. Borrowing
your friend’s cell phone is getting old but you still need to
check in.
The first scenario indicates that a prepaid cell phone would
suit your lifestyle well. Make sure you prepay your minutes and
avoid those pricey extra airtime costs. Use an international
company such as AT&T so that you receive global coverage.
The second scenario indicates that your family needs a shared
plan like the family plans currently available. Surf the web and
research companies like Verizon and AT&T.
The Bottom Line – Choices Do Abound!
So there you have it, the future is flexible and choices do
abound. I hope you have found this article helpful as you make
that choice between a prepaid cell phone and a cell phone
contract. Keep in touch!
