continued from page 2
page 3
Technology Features
Bluetooth - Bluetooth is a
wireless technology used to
create a Personal Area
Network (PAN) capable of
transmitting data between low-
power devices over a limited
range. Bluetooth has become
a popular technology in the
mobile phone world primarily
because it's perfect for
connecting a phone to a
wireless headset for hands-
free calling. The latest
Bluetooth protocols also
support stereo audio, which
means that next-generation
cell phones may include
digital audio players that
connect wirelessly to
Bluetooth stereo headsets.
Bluetooth is also used to
connect cell phones to PCs for
file transfers and software
upgrades, and to Bluetooth-
equipped cars for hands-free
calling over the car's audio
system.
Text Messaging - Most phones
and carriers support at least
the most basic form of text
messaging, Short Messaging
Service (SMS). SMS and its
more advanced siblings
(including Multimedia
Messaging Service or MMS)
allow cellular users to send
and receive text-based
messages using their cell
phones. Carriers usually
charge extra for SMS/MMS
messaging, either on a
monthly or per-message
basis. Text messaging has
become quite popular, mainly
because its less a intrusive
and conspicuous means of
communication than talking
on the phone. Additionally,
MMS services can now be
used to send cameraphone
pictures to other cell phone
users, via Email, and even to
Web-based blogs and photo
sharing sites.
High-Speed Data Services -
Certain advanced and
smartphones are capable of
using high-speed cellular data
networks for Email and Web
browsing functionality. These
services have become
popular mainly with mobile
executives and other
business users as they offer a
"mobile link to the office"
incorporating corporate email
services and ever-increasing
access to Internet-based data
and computer applications.
Carriers utilize different
protocols and names for their
high-speed data offerings,
including "EDGE," "GRPS,"
and "3G." A limited number of
smartphones are now also
incorporating 802.11 "WiFi"
connectivity for lower-cost
access to wireless computer
networks commonly found in
homes, businesses, and
public "hot spots" at coffee
shops, airports, and hotels
across the country and
worldwide.
Alltel
Overview: Recently acquired
Western Wireless making
Alltel the 5th largest carrier in
the U.S. Alltel operates the
largest carrier owned CDMA
network of towers and is
compatible with Verizon’s
network for full nationwide
coverage.
Pros: Good selection of
handsets and better than
average customer service
operations. Good variety of
local and nationwide calling
plans.
Cons: Somewhat more
expensive calling plans, new
service in only available in 33
states.
Cingular AT&T
Overview: After the 2004
merger with AT&T, Cingular
has become the largest
wireless carrier in the nation.
Cingular uses a nationwide
GSM network of cell towers
and is roaming partners with T-
Mobile, SunCom, and other
GSM providers operating GSM
systems. Cingular has more
than 54 million subscribers in
the U.S.
Pros: Cingular is the only
carrier offering “Roll Over”
minutes which allows you to
accumulate unused minutes
to future months. Very
competitive rate plans
including some of the best
pricing for Family plans.
Cingular also recently
launched a unique push-to-
talk system using a very nice
Instant Messenger type
interface, although only a few
phones are offered for this
service. Cingular’s service
has greatly improved over the
past 18 months and has one of
the largest coverage areas.
GSM is also compatible with
most overseas countries.
Cons: The phones offered by
Cingular and its GSM
manufactures sometimes are
not quite “unique” as those
offered by Verizon and Sprint.
Their Push-to-Talk system will
take some time to acquire
enough users to make it
worthwhile for many users.
Sprint/Nextel
Overview: Sprint acquired
Nextel in 2005 creating the 3rd
largest provider in the U.S..
Sprint (CDMA PCS) and Nextel
(iDen) use two separate
networks to service each
individual network. Sprint will
need to upgrade the older
Nextel/iDen network to fully
integrate its customer base
and rate plans.
Pros: Sprints Fair and Flexible
plans allow you to go over
your minutes without charging
the high-roaming rate. On the
Sprint side, the high-speed EV-
DO service network is being
introduced in 2006 which
allows for TV type streaming
content. The Nextel phones
are very rugged and they still
have the largest network of
push-to-talk customers.
Sprint offers many Sanyo
manufactured phones which
are the highest rated phones
from consumers according to
JD Power and Phone Dog
Cons: Sprint only uses the
1900 PCS network which is
not as widely available in
some parts of the country.
Sprint phones do not have the
capability to use analog
cellular networks in rural
areas. Sprint uses the CDMA
protocol which is not as
widely used overseas.
T-Mobile
Overview: T-Mobile is a very
popular carrier offering
service in 47 states using a
GSM network. When traveling
outside of a T-Mobile area,
customers are able to connect
using the other GSM networks
used by Cingular and others.
Pros: Very inexpensive
calling plans with a
reasonable amount of minutes
and a highly rated customer
service department. The GSM
network is also used by
Cingular which makes
coverage nationwide,
although roaming charges
may apply depending on the
plan.
Cons: T-Mobile’s doesn’t offer
unlimited nights and
weekends with all plans and
roaming charges are more
likely to apply than with
Cingular or Verizon plans.
While providing service in 47
states, T-Mobile doesn’t offer
new service in all cities in
many areas. T-Mobile doesn’t
offer the advanced data
features associated with some
of the larger carriers.
Verizon
Overview: Verizon
successfully transformed
itself from a local phone
company servicing the North
East United States to the #2
wireless provider in America.
Verizon operates the largest
CDMA cellular network in the
country and has generally
been the leader in updating its
network to include additional
data services.
Pros: The latest and most
advanced phones are usually
offered by Verizon before
other carriers. Large
selection of calling plans and
a recently introduced $9.99
add-a-lines for Family plans.
Extensive data network and
services.
Cons: Typically, more
expensive rate plans
compared to other providers.
CDMA roaming is only
available in 10 -15 overseas
countries.
Regional Carriers
Metro PCS
Overview: A small regional
carrier offering service in
parts of Georgia, Florida, and
California. Using CDMA as
their underlying technology
protocal.
Pros: No-contracts required
and plans which offer minute
packages similar to those
carriers who require term
agreements. Smaller
company offering more
personalized service.
Cons: Limited self-owned
coverage network requiring
shared use of other CDMA
networks, limited number of
phones.
SunCom
Overview: A regional carrier
servicing North and South
Carolina, SunCom is an
independent and popular
provider operating their own
GSM network throughout the
region.
Pros: A very popular
unlimited calling plan (Un-
Plan) for only $79/month, and
$10 add-a-lines for many
plans. Excellent coverage in
the Carolina’s and an
excellent variety of service
plans. Roaming on Cingular
or T-Mobiles GSM network
enables nationwide coverage.
Cons: Approval for service is
more stringent than most
carriers requiring good credit,
phone selection is good but
somewhat limited. A bit
behind in offering advanced
data services.
US Cellular
Overview: Chicago-based U.
S. Cellular is a super-regional
wireless company, serving
more than 5.2 million
customers in 149 markets in
25 states utilizing a CDMA
network.
Pros: Strong history of
excellent service, Consumer
Reports rated Cellular One #1
for the least customer
complaints. Great selection of
phones.
Cons: New service is only
available in 25 states.
Specialty Carriers
Amp’d Mobile
Overview: Launched in late
2005, Amp'd is a VMNO
operating on Verizon's CMDA
network. Amp'd is geared
towards the youth market,
transmitting audio and visual
entertainment over high-
speed cellular networks to
their custom-branded
multimedia phones. Initial
offerings included a wide
variety of digital music on
demand, focused largely on
Alt Rock and Hip-Hop, and
video on demand broadcasts
including extreme sports and
other action and adventure
programming. Amp'd is
funded in part through a
partnership with MTV
Networks.
Pros: Cutting edge
entertainment offerings,
reasonably priced "all you can
eat" data plans, uses
Verizon's extensive and
reliable network.
Cons: Entertainment offerings
and branding will appeal
strongly to some, and repel
others away. Limited
selection of phones available;
phone features are somewhat
disappointing for "cutting
edge" multimedia devices.
Helio
Overview: Launched in Spring
2006, Helio is Amp'd Mobile's
first direct competitor, offering
multimedia entertainment and
interactive features designed
to appeal to the youth market.
A joint venture between
Earthlink and SK Telecom (a
major cellular service
provider in Korea), Helio
leases CMDA network
capacity from Sprint and is
offering a wide variety of
media services including
integration with the popular
websites Yahoo! and
MySpace, streaming video
from major broadcast and
cable TV networks, and a
large selection of games
available for purchase and
download.
Pros: Cutting edge
entertainment offerings
surpass those of Amp'd with
big name Web and TV
offerings; state of the art
phones; "gifting and begging"
options allow users to buy
games and other data
services for friends; flat rate
and a la carte data plans allow
flexibility.
Cons: Like Amp'd, the youth-
targeted entertainment
offerings aren't for everyone;
if you don't like them, you'll
wind up paying a premium for
nothing; Limited selection of
high-end only phones.
ESPN Mobile
Overview: Launched in 2006,
ESPN Mobile is an MVNO from
the cable television sports
network of the same name.
As you might have guessed,
ESPN Mobile is geared
towards the sports nut,
offering real-time scores,
statistics, video highlights and
interactive sports-related
content via high-speed
cellular service leased from
Sprint.
Pros: Real-time sports news,
highlights, polls, games, etc.
will appeal to the die-hard
sports fan; Service includes
subscription to ESPN
Magazine and other ESPN
content.
Cons: If you don't love sports,
this isn't the service for you;
Only one phone available as
of launch.
When shopping for a deal on
cellular service, the first thing
to remember is that carriers
set their monthly rate plan
prices, and those prices don't
change from dealer to dealer.
Whether shopping online or at
a local dealer, you will always
pay the same monthly service
fee for the rate plan.
However, the initial phone
cost can vary significantly
depending on where the
purchase is made. There are
essentially three (3) different
channels open to you when
buying your phone and plan…
1. Buying direct from the
carrier’s corporate store or
website – The carrier almost
always charges more for your
initial phone purchase when
compared to a local dealer or
online website. Some
consumers feel that the extra
cost is worth the convenience
and security of knowing they
can take the phone back to the
store should any problems
arise.
2. Find an independent
local dealer – Local
dealerships are located on
almost every street corner in
most larger towns and cities.
You can expect the same or
slightly better pricing on the
phones compared to the
carrier direct route.
Independent dealers get paid
by carriers for each new
customer they sign up, so
some dealers (particularly
those in metropolitan or other
competitive locales) will offer
free or heavily discounted
phones to entice customers to
sign one or two year contracts.
3. Shop at an online
merchant – Online merchants
usually offer the best pricing.
While you may notice
hundreds of websites
claiming to sell phones
directly, only four online
merchants, Amazon,
FonCentral, Lets Talk, and
WireFly.com are authorized by
the carriers to sell online.
Every other site uses one of
these merchants to ship the
phone directly to you.
PhoneDog.com is the only site
that lists all of these
merchants using our unique
Comparison Pricing Grid.
Cell Phones have become
such a way of life — and even
extensions of our
personalities — that people
are often looking to replace a
broken phone, or upgrade to
latest and greatest phone
without switching carriers.
We’ve become so used to
getting our phones
inexpensively or for free with
a new service activation that it’
s hard for many people to
justify paying a lot to upgrade
to a new phone.
Unfortunately, if your phone is
fairly new you’ll find it’s tough
to find a reasonably priced
replacement phone.
Tips for replacing your phone
1. Your current cellular
carrier may offer a discount
on a replacement phone if you
always pay your bill on time
and you’ve had your current
phone for more than a year. If
you are truly a good
customer, you may be able to
negotiate your way to an even
better deal.
2. If your contract is
expired, you may want to
consider switching to another
carrier. You’ll be able to
"port" your current number to
your new service, and since
you're a new to that provider
you’ll qualify for the best
deals that are always
reserved for new customers.
Though you might think that
the carriers would offer the
best deals to long term
customers, but this is
generally not the case.
3. If you aren’t able to take
advantage of the first or
second scenario described
above, your best option may
be buying a phone from
someone on eBay. You are
likely to pay less on eBay than
buying direct through a carrier
or dealer, but don’t expect
significant savings. The
phone manufacturers and
carriers have done an
amazing job of controlling the
availability of new phones in
the marketplace, so the only
bargains to be had are
generally on "yesterday's"
phones. Before making a
purchase, make sure that your
phone is compatible with the
U.S. network and your carrier’
s technology. See “Chapter
10 – Understanding Cellular
Technology and Frequencies”
Pre-paid/no-contract services
are available from many
independent providers and
from the major carriers
themselves. There are many
reasons why some people will
benefit from a pre-paid
service - particularly if you
need a temporary additional
phone number, or foresee
using the phone in spurts over
the course of several months
but not on a regular basis. Be
aware, however, that you’re
likely to pay a higher per-
minute rate as compared to a
contracted plan and you likely
won’t receive a discount on
the purchase of a new phone
with pre-paid service.
Cons of using Pre-paid
services
1. Higher per-minute rates
2. Service and Coverage Area
may not be as good as a post-
paid plan
3. Higher purchase price when
purchasing the phone handset
4. Need to re-charge your
phone when your minutes are
exhausted.
5. Possible surcharges for
inactivity, read the fine print.
When should I use a Pre-Paid
service?
1. Your credit is unsatisfactory
and you don’t qualify for a
post-paid plan.
2. You are uncomfortable
committing to a term contract.
3. You only use your phone
for emergencies and you have
no need to pay a significant
fee every month.
4. You are visiting the U.S. for
a short period of time and you
need a cell phone while you’
re in the states.
5. You are in the military and
you may need to disconnect
service while serving
overseas
continue to page 4
see more products or see guide menu
page 3
Technology Features
Bluetooth - Bluetooth is a
wireless technology used to
create a Personal Area
Network (PAN) capable of
transmitting data between low-
power devices over a limited
range. Bluetooth has become
a popular technology in the
mobile phone world primarily
because it's perfect for
connecting a phone to a
wireless headset for hands-
free calling. The latest
Bluetooth protocols also
support stereo audio, which
means that next-generation
cell phones may include
digital audio players that
connect wirelessly to
Bluetooth stereo headsets.
Bluetooth is also used to
connect cell phones to PCs for
file transfers and software
upgrades, and to Bluetooth-
equipped cars for hands-free
calling over the car's audio
system.
Text Messaging - Most phones
and carriers support at least
the most basic form of text
messaging, Short Messaging
Service (SMS). SMS and its
more advanced siblings
(including Multimedia
Messaging Service or MMS)
allow cellular users to send
and receive text-based
messages using their cell
phones. Carriers usually
charge extra for SMS/MMS
messaging, either on a
monthly or per-message
basis. Text messaging has
become quite popular, mainly
because its less a intrusive
and conspicuous means of
communication than talking
on the phone. Additionally,
MMS services can now be
used to send cameraphone
pictures to other cell phone
users, via Email, and even to
Web-based blogs and photo
sharing sites.
High-Speed Data Services -
Certain advanced and
smartphones are capable of
using high-speed cellular data
networks for Email and Web
browsing functionality. These
services have become
popular mainly with mobile
executives and other
business users as they offer a
"mobile link to the office"
incorporating corporate email
services and ever-increasing
access to Internet-based data
and computer applications.
Carriers utilize different
protocols and names for their
high-speed data offerings,
including "EDGE," "GRPS,"
and "3G." A limited number of
smartphones are now also
incorporating 802.11 "WiFi"
connectivity for lower-cost
access to wireless computer
networks commonly found in
homes, businesses, and
public "hot spots" at coffee
shops, airports, and hotels
across the country and
worldwide.
Alltel
Overview: Recently acquired
Western Wireless making
Alltel the 5th largest carrier in
the U.S. Alltel operates the
largest carrier owned CDMA
network of towers and is
compatible with Verizon’s
network for full nationwide
coverage.
Pros: Good selection of
handsets and better than
average customer service
operations. Good variety of
local and nationwide calling
plans.
Cons: Somewhat more
expensive calling plans, new
service in only available in 33
states.
Cingular AT&T
Overview: After the 2004
merger with AT&T, Cingular
has become the largest
wireless carrier in the nation.
Cingular uses a nationwide
GSM network of cell towers
and is roaming partners with T-
Mobile, SunCom, and other
GSM providers operating GSM
systems. Cingular has more
than 54 million subscribers in
the U.S.
Pros: Cingular is the only
carrier offering “Roll Over”
minutes which allows you to
accumulate unused minutes
to future months. Very
competitive rate plans
including some of the best
pricing for Family plans.
Cingular also recently
launched a unique push-to-
talk system using a very nice
Instant Messenger type
interface, although only a few
phones are offered for this
service. Cingular’s service
has greatly improved over the
past 18 months and has one of
the largest coverage areas.
GSM is also compatible with
most overseas countries.
Cons: The phones offered by
Cingular and its GSM
manufactures sometimes are
not quite “unique” as those
offered by Verizon and Sprint.
Their Push-to-Talk system will
take some time to acquire
enough users to make it
worthwhile for many users.
Sprint/Nextel
Overview: Sprint acquired
Nextel in 2005 creating the 3rd
largest provider in the U.S..
Sprint (CDMA PCS) and Nextel
(iDen) use two separate
networks to service each
individual network. Sprint will
need to upgrade the older
Nextel/iDen network to fully
integrate its customer base
and rate plans.
Pros: Sprints Fair and Flexible
plans allow you to go over
your minutes without charging
the high-roaming rate. On the
Sprint side, the high-speed EV-
DO service network is being
introduced in 2006 which
allows for TV type streaming
content. The Nextel phones
are very rugged and they still
have the largest network of
push-to-talk customers.
Sprint offers many Sanyo
manufactured phones which
are the highest rated phones
from consumers according to
JD Power and Phone Dog
Cons: Sprint only uses the
1900 PCS network which is
not as widely available in
some parts of the country.
Sprint phones do not have the
capability to use analog
cellular networks in rural
areas. Sprint uses the CDMA
protocol which is not as
widely used overseas.
T-Mobile
Overview: T-Mobile is a very
popular carrier offering
service in 47 states using a
GSM network. When traveling
outside of a T-Mobile area,
customers are able to connect
using the other GSM networks
used by Cingular and others.
Pros: Very inexpensive
calling plans with a
reasonable amount of minutes
and a highly rated customer
service department. The GSM
network is also used by
Cingular which makes
coverage nationwide,
although roaming charges
may apply depending on the
plan.
Cons: T-Mobile’s doesn’t offer
unlimited nights and
weekends with all plans and
roaming charges are more
likely to apply than with
Cingular or Verizon plans.
While providing service in 47
states, T-Mobile doesn’t offer
new service in all cities in
many areas. T-Mobile doesn’t
offer the advanced data
features associated with some
of the larger carriers.
Verizon
Overview: Verizon
successfully transformed
itself from a local phone
company servicing the North
East United States to the #2
wireless provider in America.
Verizon operates the largest
CDMA cellular network in the
country and has generally
been the leader in updating its
network to include additional
data services.
Pros: The latest and most
advanced phones are usually
offered by Verizon before
other carriers. Large
selection of calling plans and
a recently introduced $9.99
add-a-lines for Family plans.
Extensive data network and
services.
Cons: Typically, more
expensive rate plans
compared to other providers.
CDMA roaming is only
available in 10 -15 overseas
countries.
Regional Carriers
Metro PCS
Overview: A small regional
carrier offering service in
parts of Georgia, Florida, and
California. Using CDMA as
their underlying technology
protocal.
Pros: No-contracts required
and plans which offer minute
packages similar to those
carriers who require term
agreements. Smaller
company offering more
personalized service.
Cons: Limited self-owned
coverage network requiring
shared use of other CDMA
networks, limited number of
phones.
SunCom
Overview: A regional carrier
servicing North and South
Carolina, SunCom is an
independent and popular
provider operating their own
GSM network throughout the
region.
Pros: A very popular
unlimited calling plan (Un-
Plan) for only $79/month, and
$10 add-a-lines for many
plans. Excellent coverage in
the Carolina’s and an
excellent variety of service
plans. Roaming on Cingular
or T-Mobiles GSM network
enables nationwide coverage.
Cons: Approval for service is
more stringent than most
carriers requiring good credit,
phone selection is good but
somewhat limited. A bit
behind in offering advanced
data services.
US Cellular
Overview: Chicago-based U.
S. Cellular is a super-regional
wireless company, serving
more than 5.2 million
customers in 149 markets in
25 states utilizing a CDMA
network.
Pros: Strong history of
excellent service, Consumer
Reports rated Cellular One #1
for the least customer
complaints. Great selection of
phones.
Cons: New service is only
available in 25 states.
Specialty Carriers
Amp’d Mobile
Overview: Launched in late
2005, Amp'd is a VMNO
operating on Verizon's CMDA
network. Amp'd is geared
towards the youth market,
transmitting audio and visual
entertainment over high-
speed cellular networks to
their custom-branded
multimedia phones. Initial
offerings included a wide
variety of digital music on
demand, focused largely on
Alt Rock and Hip-Hop, and
video on demand broadcasts
including extreme sports and
other action and adventure
programming. Amp'd is
funded in part through a
partnership with MTV
Networks.
Pros: Cutting edge
entertainment offerings,
reasonably priced "all you can
eat" data plans, uses
Verizon's extensive and
reliable network.
Cons: Entertainment offerings
and branding will appeal
strongly to some, and repel
others away. Limited
selection of phones available;
phone features are somewhat
disappointing for "cutting
edge" multimedia devices.
Helio
Overview: Launched in Spring
2006, Helio is Amp'd Mobile's
first direct competitor, offering
multimedia entertainment and
interactive features designed
to appeal to the youth market.
A joint venture between
Earthlink and SK Telecom (a
major cellular service
provider in Korea), Helio
leases CMDA network
capacity from Sprint and is
offering a wide variety of
media services including
integration with the popular
websites Yahoo! and
MySpace, streaming video
from major broadcast and
cable TV networks, and a
large selection of games
available for purchase and
download.
Pros: Cutting edge
entertainment offerings
surpass those of Amp'd with
big name Web and TV
offerings; state of the art
phones; "gifting and begging"
options allow users to buy
games and other data
services for friends; flat rate
and a la carte data plans allow
flexibility.
Cons: Like Amp'd, the youth-
targeted entertainment
offerings aren't for everyone;
if you don't like them, you'll
wind up paying a premium for
nothing; Limited selection of
high-end only phones.
ESPN Mobile
Overview: Launched in 2006,
ESPN Mobile is an MVNO from
the cable television sports
network of the same name.
As you might have guessed,
ESPN Mobile is geared
towards the sports nut,
offering real-time scores,
statistics, video highlights and
interactive sports-related
content via high-speed
cellular service leased from
Sprint.
Pros: Real-time sports news,
highlights, polls, games, etc.
will appeal to the die-hard
sports fan; Service includes
subscription to ESPN
Magazine and other ESPN
content.
Cons: If you don't love sports,
this isn't the service for you;
Only one phone available as
of launch.
When shopping for a deal on
cellular service, the first thing
to remember is that carriers
set their monthly rate plan
prices, and those prices don't
change from dealer to dealer.
Whether shopping online or at
a local dealer, you will always
pay the same monthly service
fee for the rate plan.
However, the initial phone
cost can vary significantly
depending on where the
purchase is made. There are
essentially three (3) different
channels open to you when
buying your phone and plan…
1. Buying direct from the
carrier’s corporate store or
website – The carrier almost
always charges more for your
initial phone purchase when
compared to a local dealer or
online website. Some
consumers feel that the extra
cost is worth the convenience
and security of knowing they
can take the phone back to the
store should any problems
arise.
2. Find an independent
local dealer – Local
dealerships are located on
almost every street corner in
most larger towns and cities.
You can expect the same or
slightly better pricing on the
phones compared to the
carrier direct route.
Independent dealers get paid
by carriers for each new
customer they sign up, so
some dealers (particularly
those in metropolitan or other
competitive locales) will offer
free or heavily discounted
phones to entice customers to
sign one or two year contracts.
3. Shop at an online
merchant – Online merchants
usually offer the best pricing.
While you may notice
hundreds of websites
claiming to sell phones
directly, only four online
merchants, Amazon,
FonCentral, Lets Talk, and
WireFly.com are authorized by
the carriers to sell online.
Every other site uses one of
these merchants to ship the
phone directly to you.
PhoneDog.com is the only site
that lists all of these
merchants using our unique
Comparison Pricing Grid.
Cell Phones have become
such a way of life — and even
extensions of our
personalities — that people
are often looking to replace a
broken phone, or upgrade to
latest and greatest phone
without switching carriers.
We’ve become so used to
getting our phones
inexpensively or for free with
a new service activation that it’
s hard for many people to
justify paying a lot to upgrade
to a new phone.
Unfortunately, if your phone is
fairly new you’ll find it’s tough
to find a reasonably priced
replacement phone.
Tips for replacing your phone
1. Your current cellular
carrier may offer a discount
on a replacement phone if you
always pay your bill on time
and you’ve had your current
phone for more than a year. If
you are truly a good
customer, you may be able to
negotiate your way to an even
better deal.
2. If your contract is
expired, you may want to
consider switching to another
carrier. You’ll be able to
"port" your current number to
your new service, and since
you're a new to that provider
you’ll qualify for the best
deals that are always
reserved for new customers.
Though you might think that
the carriers would offer the
best deals to long term
customers, but this is
generally not the case.
3. If you aren’t able to take
advantage of the first or
second scenario described
above, your best option may
be buying a phone from
someone on eBay. You are
likely to pay less on eBay than
buying direct through a carrier
or dealer, but don’t expect
significant savings. The
phone manufacturers and
carriers have done an
amazing job of controlling the
availability of new phones in
the marketplace, so the only
bargains to be had are
generally on "yesterday's"
phones. Before making a
purchase, make sure that your
phone is compatible with the
U.S. network and your carrier’
s technology. See “Chapter
10 – Understanding Cellular
Technology and Frequencies”
Pre-paid/no-contract services
are available from many
independent providers and
from the major carriers
themselves. There are many
reasons why some people will
benefit from a pre-paid
service - particularly if you
need a temporary additional
phone number, or foresee
using the phone in spurts over
the course of several months
but not on a regular basis. Be
aware, however, that you’re
likely to pay a higher per-
minute rate as compared to a
contracted plan and you likely
won’t receive a discount on
the purchase of a new phone
with pre-paid service.
Cons of using Pre-paid
services
1. Higher per-minute rates
2. Service and Coverage Area
may not be as good as a post-
paid plan
3. Higher purchase price when
purchasing the phone handset
4. Need to re-charge your
phone when your minutes are
exhausted.
5. Possible surcharges for
inactivity, read the fine print.
When should I use a Pre-Paid
service?
1. Your credit is unsatisfactory
and you don’t qualify for a
post-paid plan.
2. You are uncomfortable
committing to a term contract.
3. You only use your phone
for emergencies and you have
no need to pay a significant
fee every month.
4. You are visiting the U.S. for
a short period of time and you
need a cell phone while you’
re in the states.
5. You are in the military and
you may need to disconnect
service while serving
overseas
continue to page 4
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BUYER Tip!
Our Site is
updated hourly.
Visit us daily to
get the best deals!