Cell Phones and You: What You Need to Know

Posted by Alexandra C. | Wednesday August 17, 2011

There I was, 22 years old, a recent graduate, a busy gal interning with a few different companies and I’m still carrying a flip phone. Not even like a cool flip phone. An old school, President’s Choice cell phone. You didn’t even know President’s Choice had cell plans- did you? Well, they do and it’s super embarrassing to take out your lame flip phone at events or parties and have everyone stare at you and say, “you still have one of those?”

Needless to say, it was time for a new phone. I’m a pretty smart cookie so I set about doing my research and promptly gave up. My head was filled with MBs, GBs, data plans, Androids and iPhones. I knew what I liked and I knew what I wanted, only I didn’t know where to find it. Did this elusive ‘Mr. Right (cell phone plan)’ even exist?

In a good, supportive relationship, you share the same values and each partner provides the other with what they need. Think about what you value in a phone- do you text a lot or do you talk on the phone? Do you tweet or facebook? I knew I wanted a keyboard since I tend to be typo-ridden with touch screens and I knew that I needed email and social networking. If you decide on what you want, and what you need, then you can easily go to a company and ask what they have in terms of phones and plans that suit you.

Once you know what you're looking for, it is time to date around. Courting cell phone companies is like speed dating. You have to speak to what seems like a million people, each one giving you the same lines trying to butter you up into um… "signing" with them. When you speak to various companies (and I suggest that you do go in person to all the different companies) you need to be straightforward. Tell them what you are looking to get out of this relationship and then ask them plainly if they can provide you with what you’re looking for.

Seeing as I have an intense fear of commitment, imagine my chagrin when the cell phone company asked me to sign a contract for three whole years! The tab option appealed to me until I realized that going that route meant I would be tied to the phone, though not the plan, for six years. The tab means that you can get out if that relationship at any time- but, for the price of your phone. Think of a contract like a pre-nup, the phone is yours but you need to stay for a minimum of three years. If you leave before hand, you end up having to pay for the phone.

Like boyfriends, a better model is just around the corner. Soon after purchasing my new phone, the Blackberry 705 collection of a new Bold and two new Torches were released. You aren’t going to keep up, so don’t try. You’ll just end up losing money and time. Don’t be swayed by a fancy phone, promising you the moon and the stars. Chances are it won't deliver. Go with the stable, nice, reliable phone instead- make your mother happy.

Finally, always remember- sisters before misters. Girlfriends were invented for a reason- ask them for advice when buying a new phone. Ask what they use, how they like it, what they don't like about it. Ask about their plans, how they pay and how easy it is to deal with the company. You'd be surprised at the wealth of info they'll give you.

More by Alexandra C.
More on Gadgets, Media

Pin It

We asked, You Answered: D.I.Y...

Fall Hair Styles Tutorial: Long...

8 Comments

	on August 17, 2011 AlexJC 50 said: I've heard Wind has like CRAZY bad reception and service. My friend's ex-boyfriend had wind and their calls were constantly being dropped and cut off. Then she'd get super mad at him haha- probably why they broke up! Wind is to blame!!! (joking of course!)
	on August 17, 2011 jskim07 50 said: @Becky, I checked out Wind! We got it for my mom, because she works in downtown Toronto, but for a commuter like me, I don't think the signal would be strong enough :(! I'm still with Rogers, after several years, and after several complaints, they've started becoming desperate by offering me more things ontop of my plan. I'm definitely still leaving though!
	on August 17, 2011 TammyK 1,073 said: WHoa Becky...$40 for all that!?! I'm with Bell and I pay over $80 a month for Canada wide My 10. Damn. I am so going to check out Wind mobile now...well after my stupid contract ends with them. As for phones, I like the big brands like Rim and Apple so ya...Blackberry and Iphones for me.
	on August 17, 2011 Becky 13,128 said: Ohhh girlfriend welcome to the smart phone world!! :-D Lucky you, there are tons of options out there nowadays. You don't have to confine yourself to yay-long contracts, plans and your first born child. Robelus (rogers, bell, telus and all their sub-companies) is no longer the only option you have. I had a Telus pay as you go phone, way back when. After which I moved to Rogers and, jeez was that a mistake! But to my defense we didn't have much options back then. You can read about my rogers experience here: http://www.chickadvisor.com/chickchat/general/rant-on-my-cellphone-service/ and here: http://www.chickadvisor.com/item/rogers-service/ Finally after much ado, I'm with WIND and am loving it. No more haggling over the phone for being over charged, no more getting charged for calls that I'm already paying to make free, no more having to pay twice in the same bill for services like text messaging and unlimited incoming calls. Let me break it down for you: When I was with Rogers I had: Unlimited Local & International text messages, Unlimited incoming calls, My 5 (5 numbers I can make/receive calls from anyday anytime), call display, call waiting, voicemail, email and BBM (no internet). I paid on average $80 tax. With Wind I have: Unlimited incoming and outgoing Canada & US wide calling Unlimited local and international text messaging Unlimited mms text messaging Call display, call waiting, 3 way calling, voicemail, missed call text notifier Unlimited Internet (yes, unlimited internet. Unlimited) Which includes BBM, email, Facebook, Maps, and the use of any other conceivable application / website / service available online Umm...I think that's all. Oh yea my plan costs $40 tax. Yay me :-) Moral of the story is shop around. And go on google and read customer reviews for the companies (and phones) you're interested in to see what others have to say about it. Good luck :-)
	on August 17, 2011 AlexJC 50 said: @curlysue10 I went with virgin in the end too- it isn't the best plan ever- we still have some kinks to work out in our relationship, but it is pretty good so far. I am THE worst with touch screens takes me a about a month to type out a text haha! As far as my phone I went with the blackberry which I am liking but it tends to freeze a lot!
	on August 17, 2011 jskim07 50 said: ! I went through this when looking through plans, but I'm a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge (and I mean HUGE) cult-follower when it comes to technology brands, whether or not it fits my criteria!
	on August 17, 2011 curlysue10 7,326 said: I just went through this myself! I ended up with an android (the HTC Wildfire S to be specific) and LOVE IT. I am still getting used to the touch screen (versus the full keyboard that my old LG Rumor2 offered) but have had some practice with that from my beloved iPod touch. In terms of plan I went with Virgin Mobile and highly recommend them to everyone. They really don't have many (if any) hidden fees and are so ridiculously pleasant and reliable to deal with customer service wise.
	on August 17, 2011 mamaluv STAFF said: what a fun way to look at this topic! I am in the market for a new phone too and was quite daunted at the prospect.