By: dave
Guide to buying a mobile phone
If you already have a mobile phone, you can switch to a different network and take your
phone number with you, although you may need a different handset. You could get a connection with a
new number, using your existing handset.
Networks
When you buy a phone you need to choose a network - O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-mobile are
mobile phone networks. Each network is a collection of radio towers all over the country, linked
together and transmitting people's conversations.
A mobile phone service usually comes as a package, made up of the phone itself and access to
a network. There are five main mobile phone networks in the UK - O2, T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone and
most recently '3' with its growing third generation network which can support mobile video. Other
operators such as Virgin and BT Mobile use the 5 main networks and there are many airtime resellers
dealing with one or all the networks. They offer two ways of using their services; by "pay as you
go" or by monthly line rental. If you do not intend to make a great number of calls from a mobile
phone, a pay as you go package may suffice but any reasonably regular use (especially during
business hours) probably warrants a monthly package - which package will depend on the volume of
calls you anticipate making.
You don't need to put pen to paper for most mobile phone contracts nowadays, but they are
still legally binding. Contracts can be 'signed' over a website or over the phone.
The network should be the first thing you choose when you're starting out. Your choice of
network will decide where you get good coverage, and how good the customer service is. Some
networks have better coverage in particular areas than others, but customer service varies from day
to day, depending on demand.
Price plans
Next, decide whether you want a pay as you go phone or a traditional contract arrangement.
Pre-pay, where you pay (usually by buying vouchers) before you make calls. There is no risk
of a high bill, but sometimes this is an expensive option, adding vouchers can be inconvenient and
you may run out of credit during an important call.
Pay as you go packages are useful if you only expect to use your mobile occasionally, and
are cost effective if you expect to receive a lot of calls, but not to make many. But you should be
aware that some companies set an expiry date on their credits, meaning that the credit must be used
in the time allocated.
Contract - where you get a bill each month, but the call charges are usually lower, and
there are more facilities offered.
With rental you pay a monthly fee in the same way as you would for a land line. Many monthly
rental packages include some inclusive call minutes or talktime
Monthly line rental costs from around £6, with a wide range of call-plans available. Look at
several to work out which is best for you, and to ensure you spend the least amount of money
relative to the use you expect to make of the service. Spending more on your monthly call-plan will
result in more inclusive minutes, and calls made with inclusive minutes tend to be cheaper then
calls made outside of the call-plan Generally, paying higher line rental gets you cheaper call
charges
Before you commit yourself, check whether you can change contracts later as your usage and
circumstances may change.
When you buy a phone, it is subsidised by the network or service provider, the higher your
monthly fees the cheaper the phone will be. A mobile phone can be included 'free' when bought as
part of a subsidised package, but without the subsidy even a basic model would cost at least £70,
and you could pay £300 or more for the latest models with WAP access, GPRS and Bluetooth or other
mobile data features. Expect to pay more for the handset with a pay as you go package because you
are also getting a line but without a monthly rental charge and minimum contract.
Choosing the handset
There are lots of different phones to choose between. Read the Handsets section before
deciding.
Once you have seen all the information here, and decided what you want, find a good mobile
phone shop mad4mobilephones.com offers excellent value, superb service, and provided you with this
information!
See the mad4mobilephones.com web site for information about the wide range of phones
available.
Some users are far more interested in gadgets than others, as a general rule you should get
a phone with as many feature as you think you will need. If you think you need lots of features
then there are plenty of mobile phones to suit you.
You should also be careful before opting for some of the pay-as-you go deals. Some use
phones that skimp on features for the sake of cost cutting.
Look for a phone with good battery life, the phone should get you easily through a full day
or weekend of normal use.
The most important thing is to choose a good mobile phone shop , mad4mobilephones.com can
provide you with some good deals, check out the site for more information.....
Article source: http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Guide-to-buying-a-mobile-phone/3783
