Choosing a Mobile Phone - 2/8

To skip directly to the other parts of this guide click on the links below:

When deciding to buy a mobile phone the first thing to determine is what you expect your new mobile phone to provide. There are varying levels of expectation from each user, from those who simply want to make calls at their convenience or in case of an emergency, to those who expect a mobile phone to be almost a micro version of their business.

What do you want from your mobile phone?

Here are some things to consider when deciding on the right phone for you:

• How much will you use your phone?
• What time of day will you make your calls?
• Which network do your contacts use?
• What additional services do you require?
• Does the network get good service in your area

What type of mobile phone user are you?

Answering those questions will help you decide broadly which type of user you are and help you get the right deal.

• Basic – Do you just want to make and take calls? If so you can get the most basic handset while still having access to text messaging, voicemail, etc. Even the most basic could offer some additional services and will certainly include a clock, address book, calendar and alarm clock.
• Sophisticated – You may wish to take advantage of the numerous technological features now available including camera phones, full colour screens and multimedia messaging.
• Office – A mobile phone can now act in a similar vein to a laptop if you need to connect back to the office with internet access, video services as well as connections to your computer. All of this comes at a cost with specific content charges or fees based on data transferred.
• What additional services do you require?
• Does the network get good service in your area?

So what exactly do you want from your phone? Once you have decided on your needs you can move on to part three to examine the different mobile phone tariffs available.