I am attempting to switch phones. I have no doubt this attempt will be successful eventually, but getting there is harder than I thought. I considered myself pretty technologically savvy before I walked into the store. I found out I’m not. If you’re planning on getting a new phone but don’t know if the hassle will be worth it, consider these:
- Features you need – I orginally decided to switch for a number of reasons, and this was number one: I wanted a touch-screen because my fingers are fat. My soon-to-be old phone, like most of the phones I see, had little, tiny buttons that were designed to be used by Martians – or tiny babies. I also wanted a calendar that was easier to use, and the touch-screen makes that possible. However, I don’t want to watch TV on it – that’s why I have a TV. Other than short video podcasts I used to watch on my iPod before it died, I use my phone strictly for communication. I realize the company that makes the phone will try to sell me other features. We’ll see how long I hold out!
- Monthly vs. pay-as-you-go plans - I switched from a pay-as-you-go phone because it was costing me about what my new plan will, but I could never find the cards I needed to buy to put more minutes on my phone. I’m what I consider a casual user, so I’ll never go over the minutes that come with my particular plan, but I’ll come close, so I won’t waste minutes. If you have a monthly plan, however, and don’t use the phone very much, you might consider a pay-as-you-go phone – as long as the cards are widely available, or the phone is easy to refill.
- Sound quality – I mostly used the phone outdoors and away from home, and the speaker on my old phone was horrible. I’m not hard-of-hearing, but it seems like I couldn’t turn the volume up high enough to hear the person on the other end. You might consider where you’ll be using the phone before you get one, and hopefully, you can test it in the store to see what it sounds like.
Those are just a few of the points I considered when I got mine. I’m sure you’re situation is entirely different, so good luck. I’ll report back next year when I’m done entering my contacts into my new phone.
