Category: Cell Phones

By John

Most Americans love the benefits that cell phones bring. Apparently cell phone ownership is somewhere north of 80%. They don’t much like what they have to pay for all those benefits, however – the average monthly bill is around $70, and the priciest phone/plan package is around $120 – and would love to see this reduced. It’s not all that hard, actually. There are a few conventional ways of achieving it – bundling and so on which we will get to later – but also a couple of little-appreciated tricks which you should try first to reduce your monthly cell phone bill.

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How Do You Use Your Cell Phone?

You can’t really pinpoint the areas where you can reduce your cell phone bill until you know how you use your phone. What proportion of the bill goes on calling, texting, and data? You should analyze your bills for a couple of months and note the averages.

Try These

Next you should try these:

• Calling. Use the free apps on all the major OS platforms that allow you to call and video-call for free over the internet, thus avoiding the cellular network. Of course, this only works if the person you are calling also has the app installed, but this tip can help them reduce their bills too!
• Texting. Again, use the free apps that provide instant messaging outside of the cellular network.
• Data. There is an app available for the major OS platforms that promises to reduce the amount of data you download by means of compression. You could learn how it works and see if you want to try it.

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After you have tried these for a couple of months, analyze your phone bill again and see what differences there are in the amounts you are paying for each element. Now you have a new usage profile, and can look at the conventional ways to reduce your bill further.

Bundle

You can get a substantial reduction by bundling your cell phone, landline and cable, internet and TV services with one provider. You can also get cheaper cell phone plans for a family ‘bundle’.

Find The Right Plan

Look for a cheaper plan that better fits your new usage profile.

Get Rid Of The Extras

You should ask yourself if you really need the special call waiting, caller ID, visual voicemail and other services. Cut them out for further reductions.

Switch To A Different Carrier

Smaller carriers, if available in your area, often have lower rates than the big ones.

Do You Need A Contract?

Providing the phone yourself and going with a reduced monthly plan can work out cheaper than taking a phone plus plan package, depending on the amounts of overage billing you incur. You will need to do your sums.

Click here to compare cell phone plans and save hundreds

Go With Wi-Fi

Unless you are a compulsive news junkie or live by email, you should be able to exist on wi-fi alone for your data needs. There are smartphone apps which automatically connect with public wi-fi when available, and all modern smartphones will remember hotspots that they have connected to before. Cutting or reducing the data element of your plan will reduce your bill considerably.

Reducing your monthly phone bill is comparatively easy, and the beauty is that, unlike making savings in other areas of your life, once it’s done, it’s done!

By David

If you have recently started trying to choose between cellular carriers, you may be having trouble figuring out what makes one carrier better than another. You have probably read several articles touting one or the other as the best of the cellular carriers, but how can you know they are the right one for you? In order to help you make a comparison for yourself, we have created a short three-step guide for choosing between cellular carriers.

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Check Coverage Area

The first thing you will want to do as you compare cellular carriers is to check each ones coverage area and make sure where you live and the places you frequent fall within it. While many of the major carriers boast a national coverage area, some of the smaller ones are more locally based. Regardless of which carrier you are talking about, each will have their coverage areas and more detailed information about their coverage available on one of their main pages. When looking at the smaller carriers, be sure that the coverage you are receiving is not from towers rented from other companies. This could lead you to be subject to additional charges for “roaming”

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Choose Plans and Services

At this point you will have likely narrowed down the list of contenders, so now it is time to look are the plans and services that each cellular carrier is offering. You will want to decide beforehand what features you would like to have (unlimited texting, or 3GB of data for instance) and build a plan on each carriers web site that includes these things. Keep in mind, especially when you know you do not need a great deal of one or two things on your plan, that it may be cheaper to choose a basic plan (500 minutes a month or something similar) and add to it the additional features you want through the use of services. Typically you do not get as much for your money this way, but why pay for unlimited minutes if you rarely talk on the phone more than 100 minutes a month? As you go, eliminate any companies that are not offering what you need.

Compare Prices

To make your final decision about which cellular carriers are going to be best for you, you will want to take a look at prices. Using the plans you built from the step above, go through and find the one with the best price. This is likely the best plan to go with as it is exactly what you want (having built it yourself for your needs) and it is the least expensive of the plans that provide you with what you want. If you have any plans that are equally good, other factors can come into play such as how many people you know currently use that carrier, or the quality of their customer service.

Regardless of what company you ultimately decide to go with, you can take comfort in the knowledge that using the above guide will help you find the right plan at the right price for your needs.

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By David

With all the options available these days, it can be difficult to determine which of the many cellular carriers has the best mobile network. Things change so frequently and what is considered the best one day may not be the next. Therefore, it is helpful to know how to determine for oneself which network is going to be the best for you.

Click here to compare mobile networks. Find the plan that is best for you. Free comparison tools.

Coverage Area

The first thing to look at when determining the best mobile network is that network’s coverage area. Pretty much any cellular provider you are interested in will have information about their network’s coverage area for you on their website. Typically, this will include a picture of the United States with large colored regions indicating where you can get coverage. Likely, you will find that you are covered where you live, but most networks still have some gaps especially out in the western regions of the United States. While these images are a handy reference tool, they will often not tell you everything you need to know about that network’s coverage and often times includes towers from other companies that can be used to access your carrier’s network, but with additional charges. Make sure you do not fall into one of these areas before you pick a network.

Click here to compare mobile networks. Find the plan that is best for you. Free comparison tools.

Connection Speed

While not terribly important when talking about phone calls or texting, for data users this is very important. When deciding who the best mobile network carrier is for your situation, be sure to compare the available connection speeds and where you can get access to them. Most networks offer a 3G network at this point in all but the most rural settings. This is a decent network speed for most tasks. Still, others offer the faster 4G networks though its availability is still largely restricted to the more heavily populated areas. If you need or want a network with these faster connection speeds check out the different networks that cover where you live, to see what is being offered in your area.

Mobile Phone Compatibility

Because different cellular networks use different technologies to accomplish their communications between phones and towers, you can run into compatibility issues with certain phones, especially those carried over from other networks. If you have an old phone that you still want to use or there is a specific model of phone that you would like to get, you may find that this limits your options to a degree. You will want to find out what type of network your phone is built to use, before making any decisions about what the best mobile network for you is going to be. Of course, as always, even if you find that the phone you have and network you want use compatible technologies, be sure to check with the carrier before assuming your phone will work on their network.

By following the steps above you can rule out those networks that just do not have what you need and find the best mobile network for your specific and unique personal situation.

Click here to compare mobile networks. Find the plan that is best for you. Free comparison tools.

By David

Many people are not sure how to get started when looking for the best mobile family plan. With all the options available, each with different features and rates, it can be confusing, especially to someone new to the world of cell phones. To help you find the best plan for your family here is a simple three-step guide to choosing the best mobile family plan.

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Coverage Area

The first thing to consider when shopping for the best mobile family plan is the coverage area of each company. Many of the companies may be offering great deals, but if their network does not work where you live or in places that you frequent then you should rule it out immediately. This way you can know that whatever plan you choose is going to work for all the members of your family.

Match Needs to Features

The next step in determining the best mobile family plan for your family is to determine what your needs are. If you have some long winded talkers in your family, you will want a plan with a great deal or even unlimited minutes, to avoid overage bills. If you or any family members texts a lot, perhaps look into unlimited texting, and if you like to do some web browsing on the go, you should be sure to include a data plan that will cover the whole family. You will also want to decide at this point on extra perks that you would like to have with your plan, but that are not absolutely vital. This could include things like free night and weekend minutes or free phones for each line on your plan. For this step you will want to consult with your family and determine what each person is going to need, add them all together, and try to find a plan that accommodates all of them. Once you have decided what you are looking for, rule out those companies that are not offering it and proceed to the last step.

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Compare Prices

The final step in finding the best mobile family plan is to compare prices on the plans that are still in the running. While this may seem like a fairly simple task, you will want to remember that some of the plans will offer those additional perks you’d like to have, but typically at a higher cost. Deciding if they are worth it to you is actually one of the most difficult parts of this process, but a necessary one to get you the best plan for the best price. Once you have a plan in mind, present it to your family to make sure that everyone is satisfied with what you are getting. If not, work with them to consider alternatives. If so just head to the chosen companies website and sign up for your new mobile family plan.

Now that you know how to find the best mobile family plan for your family, start your research, find, discuss, and decide on a plan with your family.

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By David

So the time has come for you to get a new phone. This is both a joyous and stressful time for many cellular users. Not only will getting a new phone require research, time, and review, but also possibly an expenditure of money. To help with this process, here are 3 tips for getting a new phone.

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Evaluate Necessity

The first step you will want to take when endeavoring to get a new phone is to seriously consider if you actually need a new one. Often times, our phones start running more slowly because we have too many applications installed, or perhaps we are irritated because the volume button only works half the time. Many common phone issues can either be fixed or lived with for just a bit longer, allowing you to get just a little more life out of your current phone and save up to get a new phone in the future that will be better than any you could get at the moment. Still if your old flip phone is only being held together by a thin cable connecting the two halves, and possibly your hope that it will make it a few more days until you can get a new one, that is probably a step you will want to take right away.

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Used Phone

If you do need a new phone right away, or want an upgrade from your old one, but do not want to pay a great deal for it, you can always take a look at getting a used phone. These come in two different varieties; used and factory refurbished. A used phone is exactly what it claims to be, a phone that has been used by another person that is still in good order, but is no longer needed typically due to replacement by a better phone. Often times these phones will have 1 or 2 minor issues (case cracks, damaged buttons, etc.) but nothing so major as to make them unusable. The benefit is the price. If you know where to look, you can find these “cutting edge technology of 2 years ago” smartphones for around $50. Alternatively you could opt for a factory refurbished phone. These are also used phones, but they were traded in toward the cost of an upgrade and sent back to the factory to repair any issues before being redistributed.

New Phone

By far the most expensive option for getting a new phone you can choose to get a brand new phone through the manufacturer or your cellular provider. Many providers will offer a discount on these new phones if your account is due for an upgrade. To get the discount you will likely have to agree to a contract extension (typically of about 2 years). Otherwise you will have to pay full price for your new phone

Now that you know what options are available to you, you can make an informed decision about when to get a new phone and what kind of phone to go with.

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By David

If you are shopping around for a new phone, you have probably noticed the large number of options available to you these days. However, you may be confused about how to tell what kind of phone is going to work best for you. To help you decide, here is a guide that will help you through this process:

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Type of phone

The first thing you will want to consider when doing a mobile comparison is what kind of phone you are looking to get. There are two main categories from which to choose: smartphones and regular phones. A regular phone is simply a device designed for talking, texting, and typically will include some basic applications (calculator, calendar, etc.). These types of phones are great for those who do not want to spend a great deal either on their phone or on their plan or who just do not have any interest in downloading and using apps. Smartphones on the other hand tend to be more expensive for both the unit and the plan as they are more data intensive, but their uses are, practically speaking, unlimited.

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Features

Next you will want to take a look at the different features each phone in your chosen category is offering. With a Smartphone you can download apps to make it do essentially whatever you want, so look for hardware features to compare as software can always be added later. Good metrics include processor speeds, ram size and speed, and internal storage. The more space you have available to store downloaded material or things created on the phone itself, the better off you will be. Other things to look for are wireless connection speeds, expandable memory slots, case options, warranty offers, and pc connectivity options.

Price

Once you have decided on a number of phones that have what you are looking for, you will want to take a look at price as the final step in your mobile comparison. As with most things in life, how much the phone will cost is likely going to be a deciding factor. If you are getting a phone or a discount on a phone as part of signing up for a new mobile service, you can probably go ahead and rule out many of the more economy options you have available as you will want to get the most phone you can with that offer. On the other hand, if you are fronting the money for your phone all on your own, go through your list one at a time and start removing phones from the list that just do not have quite enough for the price or are more expensive than a comparable model. Once you are down to just a few phones, you have to make the hard choices regarding how much you are willing to spend for those extra features.

Armed with the knowledge of how to begin doing a mobile comparison you will find that the task of picking what is to become your new mobile phone is not as hard as it initially seems.

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By David

Finding a cell phone plan that accommodates all your family members can be a daunting task, especially when you are trying to stick to a budget. With the average cell phone bill being around $70 per person these days, even a small family’s cell phone bills can add up quickly. There is hope to be found, however, in a family talk wireless plan offered through many of today’s best cellular providers.

Click here to compare family talk wireless plans and see how much you can save

Disadvantages

While the advantages of a family talk wireless plan are many, they do also have some inherent disadvantages as well.

1)      Not for Individuals – As the name of the plan implies these types of plans are poorly suited for individuals and will typically cost as much or more than a basic one person plan.

2)      Shared Features – Because you share the plan with a group of people you will also be sharing all your features. If you have unlimited everything that is not a big deal, but if you have a limit on your minutes, texts, or amount of data you can run into problems with certain members of your family if they exceed their share.

3)      Costly Upgrades – Many family plans still only do one upgrade at a time, meaning only one member of the family will typically get an upgrade at one time, unless you decide to purchase new phones for everyone.

Advantages

Now that we have addressed some of the disadvantages of a family talk wireless plan let’s take a look at the many advantages:

1)      Discounts on Additional Lines – The best advantage of a family plan is that you will get discounts on each line typically after the first couple. The price of each line tends to drop for every two you add by a significant margin so if you have a big family, you could manage to save quite a bit.

2)      Shared Features – Assuming you went with unlimited features, you can actually turn this disadvantage into an advantage. Though unlimited features will typically cost more, that expense is only paid once for all your lines, allowing you to split that expense amongst several people.

3)      Open Interpretation of “Family” – You may not be a “family” so to speak, but perhaps a close-knit group of friends instead. You could still take advantage of a family plan and share the expense equally in order to save money.

How to Sign Up

Click here to compare family talk wireless plans and see how much you can save

In order to sign your family up for a family talk wireless plan, just head to a cellular carrier’s website, choose a plan you like, and get started. You will be able to pick options and features to add along the way and you always have the option of shopping around on multiple sites to find the best and most affordable plans.

Now that you are familiar with family talk wireless plans and how they work, take a look at the different options that are available to you, decide what plans look the best, pick the plan that has what you want, and enjoy your new plan.

By David

If you have a large family, you are likely already familiar with the additional expenses that go along with it. Suddenly, a night on the town triples in price as you pay for additional meals, movie tickets, and snacks, or possibly a caretaker for younger children. Your search for the best family mobile plans does not have to be the same way. You can drastically reduce your costs by using a family mobile plan.

Click here to compare family mobile plans from all major carriers. Free tool allows you to compare and save.

Lower Bills

Using one of the many family mobile plans can in fact save you some money on your monthly bills. Typically, a family plan will charge a standard rate for the first two lines and then will offer a discount on every line added after those first two. So for instance, you might have a family of 5 whose cell phone bills would be around $70 each if you had an individual plan for each of them, adding up to $350 each month. A family plan for that same family would typically only be about $220 each month or around $44 per person.

Shared Features

The main reason for this additional savings beyond the reduced cost per line is the fact that you are sharing the features that you are paying for. For example let’s say that unlimited texting costs $10 a month. If unlimited texting is a service that each of your family members needs, it is going to be $10 for each family member on an individual plan, meaning a total of $50 each month just for texting. With any of the family mobile plans, however, it’s going to cost $10 for the whole family. This is the case for unlimited minutes as well, however data is almost always charged per line or per smartphone. This is because companies know how easy it is to go through your available data, especially when you are sharing it and thus they provide an individual pool to each user or smartphone on the plan to help ease the conflicts that can arise from trying to share resources.

Click here to compare family mobile plans from all major carriers

Bill Consolidation

One of the greatest features of family mobile plans is the automatic bill consolidation that naturally goes with it. If you are responsible for running your household, you are likely already managing several different accounts for utilities, various payments, and insurance. With so much already on your plate, the idea of paying 3, 4, or even more separate bills for individual cell phone plans just is not appealing. With family mobile plans you won’t have to. By their very nature they consolidate your potential cell phone bills down into one easy to manage payment that will add little more than a few extra minutes to your bill paying routine, saving both your time and your energy for other pursuits.

Now that you have been made aware of the advantages of family mobile plans, you can start looking for the best plans available on the market today and custom tailor one to fit the specific needs of you and your family.

Click here to compare family mobile plans from all major carriers

By David

If you have just recently gotten your hands on a smart phone, you are probably noticing that you use way more data than you imagined you would. It can be surprising to find out just how much data is used to stream even a single video or song from the internet. As such, you may be looking for an unlimited wireless data plan to offset some of those hefty overage fees. Fortunately, there are several options available to you.

Click here to compare unlimited wireless data plans and several other cell phone plans. Free phone with activation on select plans.

Change Plans

The first option open to you when seeking an unlimited wireless data plan is to switch to a different plan entirely. This allows you to get the unlimited data that you need and possibly some other features that you may want as well. Typically a plan that includes unlimited data will also have unlimited texting that comes with it, while others will offer unlimited minutes as well. These plans are great if you need unlimited on all these things as they are typically easy to find for an affordable rate. If you do not use all these features, you may wish to explore some of the other options.

Add or change Services

On many occasions cellular carriers will allow you to add additional services to your plan to help get you the things that you need. This is one of the best options for getting an unlimited wireless data plan without all the other stuff you won’t use. Assuming you already have a plan that works for you, just head over to the services section and tack on the unlimited data plan service to your current plan. This will cost an extra fee each month, but allows you to avoid paying for things you do not really need. Be sure to compare prices when changing plans, as there might be similarly priced plans that offer a bit more.

Click here to compare unlimited wireless data plans and several other cell phone plans. Free phone with activation on select plans.

Use a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Pretty much all smart phones these days are built with a wireless network adapter already hooked up and ready to go so you can access Wi-Fi hotspots at work, while getting coffee, or at home. Almost all carriers will forgo data charges as long as you are streaming your data from these wireless networks, allowing you to avoid data charges altogether. If you find yourself always or frequently being within range of one of these wireless networks you can use it as a truly unlimited wireless data plan that will not cost you anything extra and will not be subject to a speed reduction after using a certain amount of data. If you find that this is the option for you, you may still wish to add a limited data service to your plan to cover those brief times you find yourself outside the range of a wireless network.

Now that you have some strategies for gaining access to unlimited data with your smartphone, pick the one that is right for you, and start using your cool gadget for more than just calls and texts.

Click here to compare unlimited wireless data plans and several other cell phone plans. Free phone with activation on select plans.