How to Buy a Cell Phone

Going online while you're waiting for the elevator is a cool idea, but most phones connect at slow speeds: only up to 115 kbps on a GPRS network and up to 384 kbps on EDGE; 3G networks, such as EvDO, provide faster connections at up to 2 mbps.

Coverage: The biggest nationwide carriers are Cingular, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Not all networks are created equal, however. Service can be erratic even if a carrier claims to have coverage in an area; the quality of the reception varies, too. One way to find out about a carrier's network reliability is to try out the service and one of its phones. Nearly all nationwide carriers offer a trial period of up to 30 days where you pay for only the minutes you use. You should also poll friends and colleagues about their experiences. Find out how good the phone signal is at your home, office, or anywhere else you'll need to use it.

Plan type: If you do a lot of cross-country traveling, signing up for a national phone plan is best because it will let you send and receive calls anywhere in the United States (and even in parts of Canada) at no extra charge. A local or regional plan limits the areas where you can originate a call and still pull from your monthly pool of minutes. If you have a world phone and plan to use it in other countries, choose service with international roaming.

Minutes: When choosing a plan, it's best to overestimate the number of minutes you'll be using for every sent and received call. Because one carrier's definition of off-peak may be different from another's, ask the carrier to specify the times for its peak, off-peak, and weekend hours. Other service charges include a data plan (for e-mail, photos, IM, and Web access), three-way calling, and downloads.

Contract: Virtually all carriers offer discounted service fees if you commit to a specified period of time, usually two years, though one year is sometimes available. The longer the contract period, the lower the rate. If you break the agreement, you'll incur hefty fees.

Other services: There's almost always a fee for activating service to your phone or switching the service from your old phone to a new one. Look into phone replacement plans or extended warranties, both of which typically entitle you to a new phone if yours is lost, stolen, or goes kaput.

The Specs Explained

While a cell phone can make your life easier, just getting one can be a huge hassle. When you look at handsets and service plans, the sales reps may bombard you with a ton of terms and restrictions.

The two most important questions to ask yourself before you decide on a phone and plan are "How much will I use the phone?" and "Where will I use it?" These two questions will help determine how many minutes you need and whether to go with a local, regional, national, or international plan.

The service meter starts running the minute you place and receive calls. The most common plans are national plans, which allow you to call from anywhere in the United States or from some parts of Canada without additional charges. You may also be able to sign up for a local service plan that allows you to make and receive calls from within your local area without so-called roaming charges being added; or for a regional plan that allows you to call from a wider area without incurring additional charges. If you travel overseas, look for an international plan that lets you use your world phone stateside and in several other countries.

Many companies require that you buy a phone from them when you sign up. Some offer great discounts when you do so. In some cases, you can buy the phone from a third party and sign up for service with the carrier of your choice.

If you're shopping for a low-end cell phone, you can expect to spend anywhere from nothing to about $149. Many low-end phones are free when you sign a contract with the service provider, or after a mail-in rebate. Also, a lot of cell phone companies offer great discounts when you purchase phones online. A typical cell phone costs anywhere from $150 to $299, while higher-end cell phones run $300 and up.

Because you'll be carrying the phone, its weight and size are fairly important factors to consider before you buy. Most cell phones weigh from 3 to 6 ounces; generally, the more expensive a phone is, the smaller and lighter it is. PDA phones are an exception to this rule; they tend to be bulkier and heavier than standard cell phones.

Battery life is another important factor, since it determines how long you can go without recharging the phone, and you don't want to be stranded with a dead battery. Talk-time battery life can range from little more than 1 hour to over 10 hours, depending on your handset. "Standby battery life" refers to battery life while phone is on but not in use. Vendors will estimate both talk-time and standby battery life, but their estimates do not always reflect real-world usage; for more on battery life, check out PC World's cell phone reviews .

Today's phones let you do more than just talk. You can send and receive instant messages and even listen to songs or watch videos after downloading them. You need to take into account what you'd like to do with your phone before you can decide on the right handset for you. Most low-end phones support sending and receiving text messages, handling basic e-mail chores, and doing limited Web surfing. If you want a built-in camera, faster or more-advanced Web access, video playback and recording, music playback, or GPS functionality, you'll probably have to spring for at least an average or higher-end cell phone. And if you're looking for a phone that will let you view and/or edit Office documents, consider a more-advanced PDA phone.

Deciding between single- and dual-mode phones is less critical. Dual-band phones work on both analog and digital networks. They provide far greater coverage because digital networks don't cover the entire nation. Sound quality on analog networks isn't as good, however, and you may have to pay additional fees if you use the analog network on a digital plan.

Similarly, choosing among single-, dual-, tri-, and quad-band phones isn't critical for most users. The more bands a phone supports, the more frequencies it picks up. Quad-band phones, as their name suggests, operate across four frequency bands. As a result, theoretically, they provide better coverage than tri-, dual-, or single-band phones.

Cell Phone Shopping Tips

Here arePC World's recommendations for cell phones and service plans that fit the needs of most users.

Get at least 150 anytime minutes: Unless you plan to use your phone only for emergencies, you'll quickly go through the minutes offered in a low-cost, low-minute plan--and get stuck paying exorbitant rates of 40 cents--or more--per minute for additional minutes.

Go national: Even if you don't travel extensively around the country, a national calling plan often offers the best mix of minutes, features, and cost. While local or regional plans may have more minutes included, most don't offer free long distance.

Get at least three to four hours of talk time: Make sure one battery charge on your phone covers at least that. This can save many headaches later.

Pick up a headset or earphone: Inexpensive hands-free ear-bud headsets let you safely converse while driving, working, or just walking. Some phones even allow you to set voice commands to dial frequently called numbers, so you rarely need to touch the keys.

Ask about E911: This is especially important if you are purchasing a cell phone to replace your home phone line. You should ask your provider if its emergency services can track a handset to its exact location. Enhanced 911 service is especially important if you intend to use the phone for emergencies.