What do you use your phone for? I am aware that I have already hit on this several times before, but I am so excited about the myriad ways that a cell phone can increase effectiveness, both scholastically and personally, that there is but a slim chance that I am going to shut up about it anytime soon!
I have only had my cell phone for about two years, and I have kept my original one (no upgrades or disasters yet). However, many of my friends employ the “grass is greener” outlook when it comes to their phone, always hoping for a faster, sleeker, button-ier model to come along and sweep them off their feet. Still, taking an example from their quick turnover rate I have learned to extract all the “awesome” from my phone and harness it for good, rather than evil.
Some important things to consider before you get your phone. First, who are you going to be talking to? The two major phone providers, Cingular/AT&T and Verizon allow you to talk for free to people within their network. They typically also offer free or diminished weekend rates, starting around nine PM on Fridays. So, from a student perspective I would look around your “group” suss out which network they subscribe to and pick the biggest pool. The free weekend minutes are handy for calling home or keeping up with long distance relationships. For a business person or for a graduate prowling for a job the choice may be simpler. The company or organization that you work for may provide you with a phone and network, or you may simply keep your phone from college. Then it can be used more for networking and interviews than pizza ordering and late night plans.
Next, what phone are you going to go with? There has been a lot of buzz centered on the new iPhone, especially with the decreased pricing and huge ad campaign. According to one of my fellow Twitteroos, Kent Callison, the Marketing Director for Decosimo CPA who just landed the new iPhone:
“Beautiful design, paradigm shifting interface and every communication
tool you will ever need - that's iPhone. No other phone comes close.”
First you might want to actually look at the service providers behind the phone. Cingular/AT&T powers the Blackberry (phone/day planner/everything but the kitchen sink) which has been embraced by many as a feasible way to bring work and entertainment with them wherever, whenever. They are also the provider for the much celebrated iPhone which promotes the thought that perhaps AT&T is geared more towards the serious business person or tech geek.
Then you look at Verizon, which has launched Vcast, a service that allows users to download mp3 music to their phones and listen to it wherever they go. Also, it is constantly premiering swank new phones with luscious colors and extra gadgets, and perhaps serves a more youth oriented, edgy “in today out tomorrow, looking for the next big thing” kind of service. Both services offer detailed coverage maps, so I suggest making sure you can actually “hear me now” with whichever plan you end up with. I chose Verizon because I had a little signal on the mountain I grew up on and also because most of my friends subscribe to the same network.
There are of course more than two networks to choose from, Sprint, T-mobile and Cricket to name a few, but AT&T and Verizon are the most recognized and used, and also the two I am most familiar with. And now that I have (hopefully) lain the necessary groundwork, we can go on to the myriad uses and entertainments your phone has to offer, be it a lowly flip phone, or the exalted iPhone!
See you on the “flip” side…
Hana
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