A Beginner's Guide to Cell Phones

Life without cell phones in today's day and age would make the world stop. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, somebody is on a cell phone. In some cases, cell phones have replaced the landline as a person's primary means of telephone use. Some households do not even use a landline anymore, they are strictly cell phone homes. If you do not have a cell phone and are not sure to jump on the bandwagon, this guide is for you.

A cell phone is a portable device that works just like a landline. It keeps you in constant contact with the world around you. By using satellites, you can be reached pretty much anywhere in the world. Cell phone service comes in a variety of plans that fit any budget. Even if you do not think a cell phone is affordable, chances are you can find a carrier and plan that works for you.

Cell phones do much more than just allow you to make and receive calls. Nowadays, a cell phone can act as an all-in-one device. They can play music, you can get streaming TV and even use it as a day planner. Depending on your needs, you can find the right cell phone, service and additional accessories to make the overall experience on you enjoy and find useful.

Smart phones act as an all-in-one PDA device.  They serve to replace the clunkier PDA that ruled the market as electronic day planners for so long.  Smart phones do everything a PDA does, plus act as a phone.  Such models as the Blackberry, the Palm Treo and the iPhone are considered smart phone devices and can be purchased at a variety of locations for everyday use.

There are two primary ways to get a cell phone depending on your credit. If you have a good credit, you may choose to go with an actual service provider and monthly contract. If you credit is damaged or you do not have any, you may start looking at pay as you go or no contract phones. Many service providers will require you to put down an initial deposit if you have poor credit, have never had cell phone service before or otherwise do not meet their minimum requirements for opening a contract.

By heading to a provider store or location, you can get an estimate on what the deposit would be and how much you would have to front before activating service. If this estimate is too much or you do not want to go that route, then you will know which way to go as far as with a service, pre-paid or pay as you go.

Pay as you go allows you to sign up with what is called a no contract cell phone. This means you have a phone, and you can associate a credit card with it so that as you use it during the month, you are only charged for that usage. This includes making or receiving calls, text messaging or other services, such as voicemail or call forwarding. This type of plan is for someone who does not use a cell phone very often as it can be expensive for someone whose phone habits change in a short course of time.

Prepaid means you have a similar set up as a pay as you go phone. However, you pay for minutes, text messaging and more upfront. You can either do this via credit card or by buying prepaid phone cards to "load" onto the phone. You can load these cards by calling an 800 number, by using your phone or by doing it online. It all depends on the service provider. Once you use up your minutes for the month, you will no longer be able to use the phone except to turn it on and off. Once you reload the phone, then your phone is usable again. For someone with a very set budget, this can be cost efficient and give you the opportunity to be reached on the go.

Finding a provider

Service with a cell phone provider requires you to sign a one, two or three year contract. Sometimes the contract might even be longer than that. You get a phone, the service contract and anything else you might need right then and there. You can always add features, upgrade your phone or even accessories any time you like but these things may or may not affect your initial service contract.

There are four major cell phone providers in the United States: Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. AT&T acquired Cingular and Sprint teamed up with Nextel, so those services now fall under the primary provider now. All four networks utilize the latest in 3G network technology and are available in most parts of the US. They can also add international services, too.

Verizon Wireless is known for having one of the most stable network areas in the continental US. You can get service with them practically everywhere. AT&T is known for their partnership with Apple and carries the iPhone exclusively under their banner. Sprint, along with Nextel, pioneered the mobile-to-mobile connection and introduced the chirping sound to America. T-Mobile introduced the Sidekick, along with other technological advances in cell phone technology and text messaging.

Finding the right service provider can be tricky. Since each provider offers different pros and cons, it really depends on what you are looking to get out of your cell phone experience. Before you begin shopping around, make a list of the top ten reasons you want a cell phone. From there, narrow down the most important features, functions and services you want from a cell phone provider. This should correlate to what you want out of your cell phone experience

Once you have this list, check out each of the four services and see what they can do for you and what you need. If more than one fit your needs, you can begin to do further researching by contacting those providers and seeing which would possibly be cheaper or better. From there, you can go about getting service through them. Nowadays, you can actually get service right in a store or sign up on a company's web site.

This type of relationship is long-term, so finding the right provider is important for both sides to get something meaningful out of cell phone service. If you do not understand the terms and conditions of your contract, do not sign up for service. Make sure all your questions are answered and you are ready to make the commitment. Most cell phone providers charge an early termination fee that is costly if you choose to go somewhere else during the duration of a contract. This is not normally explained upfront, so make sure to ask about it before you sign on the dotted line.

It is vitally important you are ready to make the leap to cell phone service otherwise you may be stuck there for awhile. Take the time to thoroughly research your options and find the right fit. If you are ready for a service cell phone, it can be a great way to get rid of your landline, be found on the go and have the world at your fingertips. There are a multitude of plans, features and add-ons that can make your cell phone your own. These can be researched as well while you are trying to find the right provider. They can usually be added on later, too if you are not ready to make the leap and just want to enjoy the cell phone itself for awhile.

Making the leap into owning your own cell phone can be a tough decision. Depending on your circumstance, what you want out of your phone and your budget, you may find one route a better path than another. Since there are so many options out there, you have to weigh the pros and cons of cell phone usage in your own life. If it is what you want to do, do it. Otherwise, you may be able to get away with just a landline for now.

However, since most people are connecting with a cell phone in today's world, it may be beneficial for you to have one in addition to a landline. Again, this depends on your set of circumstances and what you hope to get out of a cell phone. Take the time to ensure it is the right choice for you, and then join the world of cell phone users and see what you have been missing.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can always head into a wireless store to address them.  The sales associates can help determine if you are ready to make the purchase, what plan would fit your needs and what cell phone would be right for you.  This is also a great way to see what is out there and what you could be walking away with.  You can visit any cell phone store to have your questions answered before you make the choice to invest in one.