I get these questions every day. “You get like a new phone every month… blah, blah, blah. What should I get?” Well, believe it or not, the same phone isn’t perfect for everyone. There are things YOU need to analyze:

  • CARRIER
  • PRICE
  • FEATURES

Carrier:

In America we have four major carriers. Chances are you have either AT&T, SPRINT, T-MOBILE, or VERIZON. Some phones are only available on certain carriers or exclusive to one carrier. Which means you can’t get an iPhone on T-MOBILE, VERIZON, or SPRINT. Unless you want to pay a cancellation fee, you’ll have to stick with a phone available for your carrier.

Price:

Just because a phone is expensive does not necessarily mean it’s the best. Honestly, my favorite phone only cost me $160 off contract. It is only $20 on contract. Set a budget for yourself! Another thing to note is cost of a monthly plan. As everybody’s needs differ, the cost of plans on vary. My advice is to go to billshrink; they’ll help you pick out a great plan according to your individual needs. If you’re wondering, I’m on T-MOBILE and pay $135 monthly for 2 lines, 1000 minutes, wireless insurance, unlimited messaging, and unlimited data (for both lines).

Features:

This is probably the most important factor. Phones today have so many features. It is all about what you intend to use your phone for. If you only use your phone for calling and the occasional text message, there is no need to buy the hottest phone and spend a small fortune doing so. It’s like buying an oven and only using it to make TV dinners. Makes no sense, right?

Next, you have to make sure the phone’s form factor is right for you. There are three major form factors: flip, bar, slider. Bar phones tend to be the most sturdy, then flips, then sliders. If you’re driving and talking, which I do not condone, sliders and flips are probably your best option. I have a G1, which is a big phone. The size and the qwerty full keyboard is perfect for me because I have big fingers/big hands. Don’t be afraid to go to the store to just try out the phones. The way they look online as opposed to the way they actually look can be quite shocking.

Almost every phone has messaging and a camera on it, so don’t worry about that. Do you intend to use your phone as an mp3 player? Get a music phone. Do you intend to use your phone as your primary camera? Get a phone with a great camera. Do you intend to use your phone for extensive messaging? Get a Blackberry. Do you want a phone that is aesthetically pleasing? Get a cute phone. It’s simple really. Go to the stores and play around! Use my damn guide, yeah?

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