Choosing the Right Mobile Phone Package for You

Walking into a mobile phone retailer can be quite intimidating, especially when you’re suddenly surrounded by young people from the store trying to get you to buy what they claim to be “the best overall package”, even when you’re only going in to make an inquiry.

Sometimes you just want a standard mobile phone that you can use to make emergency calls and let your family know you've arrived at a destination safe and sound. On other occasions you might be looking for something a bit more modern, and you can’t get much more up to the minute than a smartphone. Everyone seems to have one these days, either texting, calling, emailing, playing games and browsing the Internet. But are they for you? 

Choosing a phone should involve choosing one that is right for you in every sense. If you’re unlikely to use all of the features incorporated into a smartphone, then a more traditional mobile option would be best, for instance. Similarly, having decided that you do want a smartphone, you’ll need to think about payment options as there are plenty of pay monthly, and no annual contract smartphones on the market. 

There are four things that you should consider before signing any agreement for a mobile phone, and doing your research beforehand can help you to narrow down your search.

Talking and Texting 

Your first consideration should be about how much time you plan to spend using your phone as, well, a phone. If you’re the kind of person who won’t be doing much text messaging, you don’t need to have 1,000 messages incorporated into your call plan. Similarly if you’re going to be using your phone for work, you might need plenty of minutes to stay in touch with the office. 

Business

That point leads me on nicely to business customers. A lot of networks have specialized packages tailor made for business users with web access and plenty of call time, giving you everything you need to do your job on the move for less in comparison to a standard call plan with business features “bolted on.” 

Technology 

Choosing a phone is like choosing any gadget, you want the one that’s filled with all of the technology that you need in your life. However, you don’t want to be paying extra for features that you’re never going to need. You can save a great deal of money by cutting the unnecessary factors out of your phone and going for a simpler option if that suits you. 

For example, if you feel as though you’re never going to get on with a touch screen keypad, you’re best off looking for a phone that comes with a more traditional QWERTY keyboard. Similarly if you’re not looking to use your phone to play music, look for one that doesn't have a built-in MP3 player or iPod that you’re paying for. 

Network 

Finally, you need to choose the network that best covers your area. While your friends and family might recommend one particular provider, they might have poor network coverage in your area. For that reason you can find out in-store how to get the best network for your call package, saving you the hassle of having to return your phone or buy out your contract to switch to a better provider.