Help a first-time cell phone buyer

In My Humble Opinion
1

I have never had a cell phone before and due to an upcoming relocation and new job am planning to replace my landline with a cell phone.

I have done some preliminary research and find I can get the actual phone for free (or in the case of an iphone, nearly free) but the cost of the monthly plans with contract are going to be higher than I usually spend on phone access and long distance per month.

I do not necessarily need something with all the bells and whistles but wouldn’t mind using it for internet and email on occasion and perhaps text (although I imagine that would be minimal.

What I need to know is if one plan provider is better than another and if I should be trying to save a few pennier per month with a lesser plan or just splurge on the unlitimed plans for everything.

My other question is if I purchase a phone and get a number will I be able to change that number when I move (because I would like to have the phone operable in transit)?

I realize I will come off as not very tech-savvy but hope that some can give some worthwhile advice.

Thanks in advance.

2

I’m posting mainly to subscribe to the thread, since for quite a while now I’ve been at the stage of “I really ought to get me one of them things, but I’m phone-illiterate, commitment-phobic, and need a ‘Cell Phones for Dummies’ level explanation.”

3

The basics are pretty similar across providers, but here are a couple of tips:

(1) If you don’t chat all day and night, just buy a plan with few minutes (maybe 400) + “rollover” (i.e., where any unused minutes keep building up until you have a jillion of them and you never have to think about minutes again.) You never want to run out of minutes, because the rate for overage usage is always very high (like $0.50/min), so if you have a plan without rollover minutes, you’ll want to make sure you have enough minutes on your plan to cover your expected monthly usage.

(2) If possible, verify coverage quality in your new location / home / office. Even in big cities, there can be significant carrier-dependent dead spots. Ideally you would have someone who uses the service provider you’re interested in come to your new place and see how good the signal is. But in practice, you may have only larger-scale data to go on.

(3) If you plan to use Internet and money isn’t too tight, I’d go for an unlimited data plan. (Once you start doing things like Google Maps + built-in GPS, you’ll never go back. It’s just too darn handy – but it eats up bandwidth.)

Note sure what you mean here. The concept of “long distance” doesn’t exist in cell phone land, so most people get a number (with whatever area code) and keep it forever. My cell number has a Chicago suburbian area code, but I’ve lived in New Jersey and now in California since then (and have switched providers in the interim, too.) You would be able to change the number, but I guess I’m missing why you would want to, since it means everyone has to learn a new number for you.

4

The main difference between providers is going to be coverage area. You might want to go somewhere like Craigslist or a location specific forum, and see how coverage is for different providers is in the area you’re moving to. Or, if you don’t mind telling us where you’re moving to, you could see if a few members here could help you out.

As for the plans, it really depends on how much you’re going to talk, and otherwise use your phone. If you don’t think you’re going to talk much, go for the lowest plan that includes rollover minutes, and whatever features you might like. Most providers are fairly flexible about being able to add more minutes, so that might be one of the things you ask about before signing up.

I can’t really tell you much about data plans, since I have a boring old phone that just makes calls and can send text messages. As for texting, it depends on who you know, and if they like to text or talk. I have a small texting plan that covers all I need for something like $5 a month extra. If nobody, or hardly anybody you know texts, though it wouldn’t be very convenient. Again, if you go without a texting plan at first, you should be able to add one on easily later on.

Be ware, though, the free/nearly free phones almost always come with a 2 year contract attached, which means if you get stuck with a provider you don’t like, you’re either stuck for 2 years, or have to pay a pretty hefty fee to get out of it.

5

Seconding this. Pretty much every cell phone plan doesn’t differentiate between local and long distance calling. Most people I know who’ve moved far away have still kept their old cell phone number. If you make lots of friends in your new area who are still on land lines and are worried about long distance, they can always call you first, and then you can call right back. Same amount for you regardless, and they save a few pennies.

That said, if you want to change numbers every time you move, I’m not sure what the procedure is for switching numbers if you’re mid-contract.

6

Moved Cafe Society --> IMHO.

7

I’m in Canada, but the cellphones here are pretty similar to those in the US, even if the carrier names are different. :slight_smile:

I found that the very basic unadorned plans covered local calls only from wherever you are, then there was a per-minute charge for long-distance. For not a lot per month more, I could add on so many minutes of Canada or Canada/US calling. It may be that the unlimited national calling area is standard now. Definitely check that out.

Text messages (also known as SMS, for Short Message Service) are not included in data plans. This is technically because text messages predate fast data connections and are transmitted in a different way than bulk data, but it boils down to paying 5 or ten cents a text message, or getting a plan that includes a certain number of text messages per month. You pay to send text messages, and sometimes to receive them, depending on the plan. Paying to receive has been a little contentious given that there were text-message spammers out there for a while. You can still sign up to receive various alerts by text message, so be careful.

Are you going to be using the phone as a modem for internet connectivity with a portable computer? If so, look for data plans that include “tethering”. Tethering allows you to connect a computer to the phone and let the computer use some of the phone’s data allowance.

8

My Wife and I and family are not cell phone users. The cell reception where we live sucks. But we do have them. It’s sorta necessary nowadays.

Due to my job, I had to get a phone with all the bells and whistles. Not for everyone, but you may not have much choice.

Anywho, most cell phones are now Personal Digital Assistants. PDA’s. I have a BB Storm and love it.

Yeah, who needs a PDA. But, it has and can do pretty much everything.

Music, GPS (one time download from Gamin, works great), Scheduler/Calendar(love it), a modem for my netbook(another download), OK camera/video, memos, sound recorder (used that to record an intermittent sound that was coming from my Wife’s car), internet (not so good but works in a pinch). It’s our travel clock and alarm, and I download and read books on it (!). And it’s hooked up to my personal email. That’s about half of it. The light for the video camera even works surprisingly well as a flashlight.

It’s stunning. OK as a phone, don’t really use that much though.
I think it may be worth it go with a PDA type phone. You may find that the other features are worth the upgrade.

It does not look like the iPhone is going to be able to use Verizon soon. From what I have seen Verizon has the best coverage.

9

Maybe I’m missing something, but wouldn’t you want to change your number when you move so that you have the same area code as everybody else locally? Otherwise, wouldn’t you have to dial the number with the area code if you called someone locally? And if a local contact wanted to call you, wouldn’t they have to dial your area code?

I realize that many large cities now require you to dial ten digits for a local call. I live in Tucson, where it is still only necessary to dial the customary seven. When I moved here in 2000 (520 area code) from Denver (303 area code), I did want a number with a local area code. I called my provider (Sprint at the time), told them I had moved, and requested a local number. They were only too happy to do it. I gave them my new billing address and they gave me a 520 number. I had to program it into my phone myself (this was in the day before SIM cards), but in no time I was up and running with a new number.

10

On a cell phone, you hardly ever dial numbers anymore. Usually, you enter it in one time into the address book and then you call people via name.

11

As Shalmanese notes, no one dials numbers in cell phone land much. And in my neck of the woods, the full 10-digit number is required anyway, so in the rare case that I do dial a local business or something, it’s no extra work.

All of my usual contacts have “modern” telco systems (cell phone or VoIP) and thus also never have to dial my number manually. My parents are a bit behind the times, but they live 2500 miles away, so it’d be 10-digits anyway from their land line.

12

I appreciate that, but like in every thing else, your mileage may vary. For people or businesses I’m dialing for the first time, or whom I don’t call often enough to make it worth putting in my address book, however, I do appreciate entering in seven numbers instead of 10. And I’m sure that people and businesses with landlines, such as my doctor, are dialing manually and also appreciate not having to dial 10 numbers. I like the convenience of my wireless phone having the same area code as all the other phones, landline and wireless, in my area, and don’t think I could get used to it being different. And besides, the wireless carriers are very accommodating if you wish to change your number.

If you have to dial 10 digits anyway, I’m sure there’s little difference, but if you can use seven digits for a local call, why not make it easier on yourself?

13

Clyde,

Much of your decision probably will (or at least should) be based on which carrier provides the best signal and service in your area.

I would choose your carrier first, and then your phone second—each carrier has a limited choice of phones. For example, if you have your heart set on an iPhone, the only carrier available is AT&T, at least for now. The Motorola Droid (which I have and love) is only available with Verizon.

Also, most of the “free” or “nearly free” phones you see is because you’ll be signing a two-year contract with the carrier, with a $175 fee to terminate early.

Also, what’s more important to you, price or coverage?

Everyone here will have their own opinion, but my experience is that Verizon has great coverage and good customer service, but is also the most expensive. (It’s what I have, and it’s worth it to me.) The opposite end would be Metro PCS. Limited coverage, limited selection of phones, but they’re very inexpensive and have unlimited minutes.

If you’re not ready for a two-year commitment, you could get a prepaid phone and see how you like it. Trac Phone seems to be the most popular. They have phones for around $10-20 and a bundle of “minutes” you can buy for I think as low as $30. Basicaly, for a $50 layout, you can get started with a phone today and see if it’s for you.

Also, as Electronic Chaos said, sure, you could sign up for a phone today, and then change your number after you move. But just like he/she said, almost no one pays more for “long distance” anymore, so none of your old friends from where you live now, or your new friends where you’re going, will particularly care what your area code is.

Whatever carrier you sign up for, just ask them if there’s a charge for changing your phone number later on—it will probably be free or very cheap.

P.S. Howard Forums (www.howardforums.com) is the Straight Dope of cell phones. Probably someone from your area can tell you which carrier has the best coverage—but expect to hear a lot of strong, passionate opinions.

14

These websites have some decent info on cost comparisons and coverage.

15

Would you mind if I sat quietly next to you and listened? Because I think we are clones.

16

Alternately - since I personally do get confused when given a cell phone number from a local person, when an area code elsewhere: look into whether the carrier would allow you to keep the old number for a bit, with a voicemail greeting saying “my number has changed, here’s the new one”.

Or you could mimic that by getting a cheap pay-as-you-go to use now and during the move, a “real” phone with a new local number when you arrive, and keep the pay-as-you go phone for a bit by adding 10 bucks every could of months - and put the voicemail on that number.

17

Yes, that’s no problem at all. There wasn’t a fee when I did it 10 years ago - and if there is when you do it, I can’t imagine it being more than $5. However, once you enter into Cell Phone Land, you should start getting in the habit of entering people’s numbers into your phone WITH the area code to prevent any issues in the future when you are calling people (like if you move). The one thing I would look into is to see if the carrier will do what Mama Zappa recommends:

There’s a good chance I’ll be at the mall today for lunch, so I’ll stop by the AT&T store to see if they know. Odds are they’ll look at me funny and say, “why would you want to chance your cell phone number?” :slight_smile:

Speaking as an iPhone user, I certainly recommend it. My 65 year old mother called me over the weekend, having used my stepfather’s iPhone for the first time, and couldn’t stop talking about how much *she *loved it. The biggest factor you’ll need to consider is the monthly cost of the plan. There are lots of reasons to get an iPhone, but if you don’t want to/can’t pay for it, there’s no reason to get it. A basic plan costs $70-80/month (if you’re not going to get a text plan, it’s closer to $70). Check to see if your employer or alumni association offers an additional discount with AT&T as well (usually $5).

18

If I never had to use a cellphone outside of the Omaha-Lincoln and Omaha- SiouxCity Corridors, I’d have stayed with Sprint. I’m with Verizon now and locally there’s no difference.Both give great service in Omaha.

But Sprint is spotty betweenSioux City and Sioux Falls and non-existent in the rest of So Dak. All my phone would do in So Dak west of SF was flash ROAM whenever a call was attempted. This is was as of 2007.

In sparsely populated areas Verizon is tops because Alltel, which Verizon recently bought, was stitched together of lots of small-time operators in the “sticks” and made up for the lack of population density in its service areas by cutting deals with Verizon so Verizon wouldn’t have to build their own infrastructure in small-town America. Someone in Verizon mgmt figured that owning was better than leasing so Alltel is no more.

19

If you don’t need a smartphone, or “all the bells and whistles,” you might want to go to WalMart or some other big-box store, and look at their “burner” phones. These are phones with prepaid minutes, and they roam or share multiple networks. The coverage is good, but the phones are pretty basic. My wife uses one of these, and it’s a slide phone with a full qwerty keyboard, but the web browsing is atrocious. All she needs is email, texting, and calls though. We had to buy the phone up front, which was $129 or so, but the monthly unlimited service (texts, calls, etc.) is $45, and reloading the phone online is a breeze.

For comparison, my last month’s iPhone bill was $340.

20

Yikes! Why was your iPhone bill so large? I’m thinking that 30 bucks for data, plus another 30-40 bucks for the voice plan, maybe a texting bundle, but overall certainly less than 100 bucks for the month. Did you have some sort of overages?