Purchasing a smartphone is a big deal. Handsets can be extremely costly, and if you can’t afford to fork out a large sum up front for a device, it’s likely you’ll be tying yourself in to a lengthy contract. Although this is a viable option because you can spread the cost out over your monthly bill, it’s vital to make sure you choose the correct device and price plan to prevent the racking up of further costs.
Whether you’re considering taking out a contract with Orange, Vodafone or any other network, there are a few things you should consider before you sign up…
How much can you afford to spend each month?
Before you begin to search for devices you like the look of, it’s wise to set yourself a realistic limit of how much you can afford to spend each month. This way you’ll know which mobiles are out of your price range, and it will help you to avoid being tempted by more expensive devices.
How many minutes/texts/data will you require?
If you’re not sure how many texts, minutes and megabytes of you use per month, smartphone operating systems such as Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Android Jelly Bean, Windows Phone 8 and iOS keep a record. The exact location of this info will differ depending on your software, but it will generally be found somewhere within the Settings menu. Reset the counter, use your smartphone as normal and then check the figures again after a month to get an estimated monthly usage. Alternatively, if you don’t have a device that runs any of the platforms listed above, you can download an app such as Data Monitor and use it to track your usage.
Once you know how many minutes and texts, and how much data you use each month then you can check out price plans that cover what you use. It’s best to get a little more than you need as a buffer, however, there’s no point paying an extra £10 a month for unlimited minutes if you mainly communicate via text and social networks.
Is the latest flagship phone necessarily the best?
For those more concerned with software rather than hardware, it may be possible to get the same new flagship experience on an older or mid-range handset. For example, the HTC 8X and HTC 8S both offer a Windows Phone 8 experience that is very similar, it’s just the HTC 8S has slightly a lower specced camera and processor.
Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a soon to be released flagship smartphone in the UK. However, its predecessor, the Galaxy S III, looks very similar and both have quad-core processors. The two devices also feature Google’s Android Jelly Bean operating system. No doubt price plans for the Galaxy S III will be a lot cheaper than the S4, making the older flagship the more affordable choice but yet offering a very similar user experience.
Which carrier offers the best coverage in your area?
If you struggle to makes calls or connect to the internet because of poor network coverage in your area, you might want to consider changing your network provider. Different locations will have different levels of coverage, so check with network providers about coverage levels and ask friends and family who live locally for advice on which carriers offer the strongest signals.
When will you want to upgrade?
If you’re the kind of person that likes to change their mobile as much as they change their knickers, a 24 month contract may not be ideal for you. There are however contracts available that allow you to change your device more frequently, such as JUMP from Phones 4u. A 24 month JUMP contract is split so you pay one amount per month for your device, and a separate monthly amount for the price plan provided by the network. You can swap your handset after 6 months of the JUMP contract has elapsed, so you’ll be able to switch to the latest technology more often without having to fork out up front for a new handset.
So, before you make any rash decisions when choosing a mobile, make sure you’ve considered all of the above – then you can have some fun selecting the smartphone that suits your personality and lifestyle the most.
