What to look for in a new mobile phone

Amidst an age of rapid technological advancement, it can be hard to know what you need in a mobile phone. If you're not a technology obsessive (or a teenager) you might find yourself feeling a little at sea understanding a mobile phone's more complex aspects. With mobile phone features improving and expanding at an exponential rate, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with the Joneses. However, if you don't feel comfortable chatting about gigabytes, megapixels and bandwidth, fear not, Phone Buddy is here to give you the basics.

Mobile phone features: Stuff you actually need

Some mobile phones have more features packed into them than a Swiss army knife. While a phone with a lot of functions can be handy when you're waiting for your tardy mate to turn up, it's a good idea to sort the stuff that's cool (but largely unnecessary) from the stuff you need. Useful basics include:

Clear screen,
Easy to use keypad (for dialling and texting), and:
Good volume control (in a logical place that's easy to locate is ideal).

It's a good idea to find out what accessories are included in the sale too – be sure to ask your sales rep what you're actually paying for before parting with any cash.

Mobile phone features: The fun extras

Not wishing to neglect the extra stuff you may find useful (but that is by no means a necessity), the Net surfing ringtone fan will probably want:

High quality display colours
Ring-tone quality (if you like irritating people on the bus – look for 16 bit polyphonic)
Attractive design

For the mobile phone user wishing their mobile to be almost literally an all-in-one device, chances are that requirements will also include:

Excellent Internet connectivity options (3G essential, with additional wireless capability a big bonus)
Bluetooth (for fast, free wireless file sending between devices – and wireless headset connection)
Long battery life (an increasingly rare commodity these days)
Camera with high megapixel capability (5MP and above is common on higher quality phones)
Large data storage (for photos and videos, and especially if phone is to be used regularly as an mp3 player)

If you just want a phone for calling and texting, the above features (with the possible exception of battery life) are likely to be largely unnecessary. Chances are that your phone will be bundled with at least some of them, since many features previously considered surplus to requirements are now expected as standard.

Mobile plan: Prepaid or contract?

Not wishing to be tied down to a long contract, some people opt for prepaid mobile phones for the freedom it allows them. Prepaid mobile users prefer the spending discipline that the “pay as you go” model brings. Whilst long contracts (24 months is common) are still the norm, mobile phone plans are more flexible now than ever, with a range of options and offers available from most providers. This allows for much easier managing of spend, making contract plans more appealing to users.

If you decide to go with a contract plan however, be sure to read that fine print. Most mobile phone plans offer a phone with $0 up front, allowing you to pay off the price of the phone over the course of the contract along with your usage bill. Your monthly bill will be a set amount plus your usage charges and if you opt out of the contract before the end date there will be a penalty charge (although sometimes this is just paying out the remaining months of your contract).

Consider the pros and cons of both options and how they'll impact on your financial situation before making your final choice. If you hate the idea of being under contract 12 or 24 months from now, the decision to go for Prepaid Mobile is probably already made up.

Size matters: Choosing the look & feel of your phone

Personal taste is a big factor for anything you buy, but increasingly (for right or wrong) we seem defined by our choice of mobile. Some of the more stylish phones sacrifice features for looks; sometimes the smaller the phone, the smaller the buttons, displays and keyboard, which can make using the phone less than practical. A pretty but frustrating phone won't help with convenient, speedy communication – and what is a mobile phone for, after all?

Finally, once you've made your choice, ask your sales rep about after sales service. This will vary between retailers so be sure you know what's on offer before making a purchase at a particular outlet.