Selecting a cell phone is no longer just about mobile communication ; it is now a lifestyle choice. If you don't select the phone that fits your personality, you won't be happy with it.

Are you in the market for a new cell phone? What should you avoid and what should you must look for when selecting a new cell phone? Learn the secrets to cellphone options and getting the best price.

Learn How to Select a Cell Phone

Deryck Richards

More Than Just a Phone

Choosing a cell phone is no longer just about mobile communication ; it is now a lifestyle choice. If you do not select the phone that fits your personality, you might not be happy with it in the long run.

Text messaging or texting is available as standard equipment on most cell phones. New models feature color screens, digital cameras, high-speed internet connections, multimedia games, and music playback. In case you were wondering, you can also use them to make phone calls. It's only a matter of time before everyone has these features on their cell phones. It is similar to instant messaging except that messages are sent and received by cell phones instead of computers. Multimedia text messaging allows you to send audio, video, and pictures as an attachment to a text message. Multimedia text messaging was once seen as entertainment, but is rapidly becoming valuable to the business world. Real estate agents take photos of houses with their cell phones and employment agencies may use camera phones to photograph job applicants ; all away from their office.

Dial Up The Options

Cellular phone service providers in the United States use either GSM or CDMA technology. When you buy a cell phone, it is tied to either GSM or CDMA cellular network, but cant be converted from one to the other. These types of networks are still being developed and are yet to be available everywhere. Look for higher speed networks to be much more common by 2006.

If you want to purchase a camera phone, consider what quality of photos you need to take.If you ever switch cellular providers, you may also need to switch phones. Most cellular providers now have high-speed data networks. These data networks work with high-end cell phones and special network cards you can purchase for laptops. Data networks usually transmit data slightly faster than a dialup internet connection. Most camera phones have less than a one megapixel resolution, which makes for low-quality images. If you need clearer photos, look into a camera phone with 3 or more megapixels.

Some new model cell phones are being designed with an emphasis on entertainment. They can be used to play music MP3 files, stored video and even movies, and video games. In general, the newer phones are all getting smarter and more specialized.

Voice Dialing and the all new Bluetooth are becoming standard in many phones to make it easier and safer for people to use their phones while driving. Voice Dialing allows you to speak a person's name into your phone, which will find the person in your address book and dial the number for you automatically. Bluetooth technology lets you connect a headset to your phone without wires. Some luxury cars are beginning to offer Bluetooth connectivity so that you can take calls in your car through the built-in speaker system.

After choosing the features that you want, don't neglect the practical aspects. Look at how often you will need to change the battery, whether the screen and keypad are too big and too small. Most cellular providers lock you into a one or two year contract agreements when you purchase a phone from them. If you cancel your service, they will charge you an early termination fee.

About The Author

Deryck Richards is the founder and managing partner of Desktronix. With an extensive educational background in computer information systems, Deryck currently manages hosting and data center operations for Desktronix. His areas of expertise include networking, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems and he is the author of The Guide to Technology for Small Business. For more information on Desktronix, visit www.desktronix.com. He also provides system administration and technical support directly to small businesses as he has since 2000.

Related Terms: cell phone technology - options - services - suppliers - manufacturers

Misspelled Words: cel - fone - foan - selct - bye - purchse