Some people absolutely love their cell phone carrier and believe theirs is the best available. However, many factors go into selecting a cell phone, and there simply is no ONE best carrier.
The most important thing to look at
when selecting a carrier is your location. Every carrier will have “gaps,” with
no reception is certain specific areas. Look at a map of each company’s coverage to be
certain they have good coverage where you live and work. You may want to ask
your friends, family and neighbors who live in the area which carrier they use.
If you travel into different
countries, you should be sure the carrier supports GSM technology. There are devices to get around this if your
phone does not have GSM, but I won’t get into that here. Some companies strictly operate in the United
States or in other countries, not worldwide.
Because the smartphones we use
today, making phone calls is only one thing we use them for. So, you must consider data speeds which
enable your phone to download apps, send and receive emails, access the internet
and more. Like voice coverage, data
coverage too varies by location and strength.
Exactly how
you plan to use your cell will help you determine which plan you choose from
whichever carrier you decide upon. How
many calling minutes will you need? How much
data comes with the plan? Choose your
plan based on these factors, and be sure to consider price. Remember that taxes and fees will be added to
the plan. Don’t spend more than you can
afford or purchase a plan that offers more services than you will use.
Plan contracts
are still the norm for the moment, but prepaid carriers are just beginning to
expand. There is a possibility that the
major carriers will offer pre-paid service in the near future. With a contract, you usually receive a great
discount on the phone itself up front.
Keep in mind though that you’ll be paying for that plan for the contracted
amount of time – even if you decide later that you don’t like that particular
phone. I have also read that T-Mobile
has a hybrid that combines the two concepts. I don’t know all the details, but
it is another thing to consider.
Be sure to read the terms of
the plan’s contract. You may think you’re
getting unlimited calling, some companies actually limit when you can call or
charge more for calls made a certain days and times. The same applies for texting and data plans. So read the terms carefully.
There are phones that are
available only with one carrier. The iPhone
and Samsung Galaxy can be purchased from different carriers, but that does not
mean their customer service or plans will be the same. Don’t purchase a phone strictly because you
love it without considering the points above.
Customer service, unfortunately, is
unpredictable. Some people may have a
wonderful experience with one company about which someone else tells a horror
story. There really is no way to be
certain customer service will be good.
If it turns out to be poor service after you have signed your contract, be
your own advocate to acquire the service you expect.
Many people today have
eliminated land line phones from their homes.
It is rather interesting, because in decades past, we kept adding more
extension phones to our home lines to enable us to access our phones wherever
we are in our home. Apparently that is
no longer the case. I have heard,
however, that it is a good idea to keep a land line in case of emergencies. Cell phone services may not be available if
there is a disaster. Something else I
just read today is that during a crisis, if you have a cell phone that works,
send a text message to your loved ones to let them know you’re all right
instead of tying up cell service that first responders may need.
I’m sure there is a lot more we
want to consider when purchasing a new phone and carrier. This post is intended to address the
basics. I hope some readers find it
helpful.
