COMPARE CELLPHONES and PLANS!!!!!
After I read all the posts in the "So This is Your First Smartphone" Subject (Mystery Shopping Discussion), I realized that there are a number of people who might be interested in getting and using a "smartphone" for shops, but are not familiar with phones, plans, and carriers.
I was recently a smartphone novice, too, and I found comparing phones, plans and carriers to be daunting. Therefore, I have provided a bit of information and a few tips that helped me. Today, I cannot imagine doing mystery shops without my trusty phone, note taking software, and "QuickOffice,"(the smartphone version of MS Word & other MSOffice software.)
I surely hope this helps at least a few! Good Luck!
Teri
I. IF YOU PLAN TO GET A SMARTPHONE:
PLEASE do not pay for the phone. AT&T has several smart phones that are FREE. Of course, you have to agree to the 2 year contract, but many people do that anyway.
TODAY at the ATT site, I found these prices for a 2-year contract:
Apple iPhone 4 with 8GB = $0.99
LG Escape - $0.99
Morotola Atrix HD = $49.99
Pantech Pocket = $FREE
Pantect Burst = $0.01
Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate = $0.99
Samsung Galaxy Express = $0.99
Samsung Galaxy Note = $0.99
Sharp FX Plus = $FREE
II. COMPARE CELLPHONE CARRIERS AND PLANS
There are a few great sites that COMPARE CELLPHONE PLANS Try these:
1. [
www.myrateplan.com] ~ Scroll to about mid-page & click "Compare Rate Plans." In the grey box, choose individual or family plan, enter zipcode, & if desired, enter amount of your monthly bill.
2. [
www.cnet.com]
"True cost of a smartphone: Price plan comparison" CNET editors compare smartphone data plans offered by different carriers.
CNET is a very helpful website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics globally. I've used the information from several of their reviews and found the information to be reliable and helpful.
3. [
cell-phone-providers-review.toptenreviews.com]
You can't miss the colorful bar graph on this site's opening page. Entitled "2013 BEST CELL PHONE PROVIDER COMPARISONS AND REVIEWS," the graph compares 10 carriers using a 1 - 10 rating scale. Six topics are rated for each carrier. Topics are: PLANS, COVERAGE, PHONES/FEATURES, FEES, HELP & SUPPORT, and OVERALL RATING. Each topic is color coded, and all topics are combined into one "bar" for each company in the "Overall Rating" topic.