Cell phones

Cell phones in depth

Cell phone deals are getting cheaper and cheaper every month, offering everything from great free gifts to very keenly priced bundles of call minutes and texts. If you’re interested in a new cell phone, there’s never been a better time to invest.

Buying a cell phone:

The first thing you should consider when buying a cell phone is what you intend to use the phone for. For example, if you’re looking for a cell phone that doubles as a camera, you’re best off looking at camera-focussed cell phones, such as the Cybershot range from Sony Ericsson.

Conversely, if music is a priority, you’ll want a cellphone with a good music player built in. In which case, Apple's iPhones are arguably some of the best music phones in market and HTC's Beats by Dre branded handsets offer truly unparalleled sound quality.

However, if all you want to do is make calls, texts, then you may want to consider a simpler, less expensive cell phone that won’t come equipped with a lot of functions that you’re unlikely to use.

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Finding the right cell phone contract:

When selecting a cellphone contract, your usage is once again the most important factor to consider. If you’re a heavy texter, you’ll want a cell phone deal that allows you to send plenty of SMS messages every month. But if you’re the sort of person who prefers calling to texting, it’s probably advisable to choose a cell phone contract tariff with plenty of minutes. When choosing a call package, you should consider allowances for cross-network, landline and international minutes. Similarly, if you think you'll spend a lot of time surfing the web on your mobile, it'd be crazy to go for a tariff with a small data allowance.

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Cell phone deals and offers with free gifts:

Free gifts are an increasingly common feature of cell phone offers. Among the great incentives that cell phone networks offer new customers are:

• Mobile phones with free iPod
• Mobile phone and free Wii
• Mobile phones with free Laptop
• Mobile Phones and Free PS3
• Mobile phones with free Xbox

These deals are a great way of spreading payments for Christmas presents or just getting something for nothing. Either way, no one wants to miss out on a good offer, so it’s always worth checking out which cell phone free gift deals are available before committing to a purchase.

The best way to buy cell phones

Cell phone comparison tables are a brilliant way of seeing all the cell phone deals available in one place, so it's a great idea to use them before taking the plunge. Not only do comparison tables save you money, but they can save hours of time as well.

You may also wish to consider the coverage a cell phone network offers in your area, so that the call quality and reception you receive is as good as you’d expect. To help you, most cell phone networks provide coverage checkers on their website.

User reviews on uSwitch Mobile Phones can be helpful in this respect and let you read real customer testimonies to help you decide.

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What is the difference between a cell phone and a mobile phone

None at all. ‘Cell phones’ is simply an older term for mobile phones which is now rarely used in the UK. However, in the US the reverse is true, with most people referring to mobiles as cell phones.

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