Choosing Your Mobile Phone

1. Choose Your Purpose
Besides the basic function of calling and receiving calls, what other functions do you need (or want) in your mobile phone ? WAP ? Voice dialing ? EFR ? Infra-red ? Games ? MP3 player ? Consider only those that you really need as you are only wasting resources if you don't intend to fully utilize those functions.

2. Choosing The Brand And Model You Like
Some brands, like Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola, are more established than the others. Thus people have more confidence in some brands than the others, as they feel that the technology and after sales service is better, although the reverse may be true! In addition, different models are targeted at different types of lifestyles and age groups. An example is the Ericsson A2618 phone that is aimed at teens through its cartoon screen, while the T28, Motorola V8088, Nokia 8850 and 8210, are targeted at the young adults and working class through their functions and aesthetics. The functions also differ from brands to brands.

3. Functions
Functions seem to be one of the most important thing to consider when people choose a mobile phone. Besides calling and receiving calls, people are demanding more out of their mobile phones. To keep themselves amused while waiting for anything, they expect a phone to come with more and more games. For those who drive, phones that come with voice dialing and voice answering seem to be popular as they can keep their hands off the mobile phone while driving but still be in touch.

Want to calculate your shopping bill at the supermarket before checking out? Calculators are also installed to give the shoppers a helping hand if you do not fancy carrying a calculator around all the time. For the busier, less organized users, a mobile phone must come with digital diary functions like an appointments calendar, various alarms and to-do reminder functions. Anything more sophisticated and you'll need a separate PDA, but otherwise, a mobile phone may be all you need to stay organized.

Thus when choosing a mobile phone it is important to note what functions you need so that the mobile phone contributes more than just being mobile.

4. Design And Form Factor
As the teens become more affluent, carrying a mobile phone is not only for the adults. Teenagers are carrying mobile phones not only as a form of contact, but also using it as a form of enhancement for their appearance. Hence you can see them changing the casing of their phones to suit their personality and their clothing. From here we can see that when buying a mobile phone it is important to buy one of great appearance so that you will look good when you are using it. You will also not want to change your phone just because you don't like the design.

5. Accessories
Besides the standard package of a battery and a travel charger that come with a new mobile phone, it is important to note the other accessories that may come with it. Is there a spare battery? An ear piece or leather casing ? Desktop charger, antenna, neck strap, cables and so on...?

Such items may be optional, and if you need them, they contribute to hidden costs. Also, while you may not need the optional items immediately and can afford to get them at a later time, do make sure that such accessories for the model you want are already available. This can be a problem when you are the first on the block to get a spanking new model, only to find that it was launched before other accessories could be produced for the market.

In addition, the availability of compatible (third party) accessories can help users save money. These are cheaper than name-brand accessories, although many people believe in the myth that the quality of third party accessories are inferior in quality. This is not always true, and even if that is the case, some buyers wouldn't mind, because half the fun is in choosing another dirt-cheap replacement in another color and design not available from the original manufacturer!

6. Price
The most important factor of all is of course, pricing. Buy a mobile phone that is within your budget. Don't force yourself to indulge in a month of austerity just so you can buy yourself a very expensive top-model phone which is US$100 more expensive than the next lower model but doesn't even pack any extra or useful features over its siblings!

7. After Sales Service
What happens when your mobile phone breaks down? Where can you get it serviced? Will you be loaned a phone in the meantime? Make sure these questions are answered satisfactorily before you choose the outlet that will supply you the phone.