| These days it is difficult to find someone without a | | | | As far as which cellular provider to use, one of the |
| cell phone, even the kids in schools. it is just plain out | | | | main criteria is to find out which carriers does a good |
| of the question to be out of touch, and with the | | | | job of providing cellular service in your area or the |
| younger generation, even considered rude. For the | | | | area where you would be using the phone the most. |
| business person, it allows them to be available to | | | | If you are in a major metro area, you can probably |
| their customers almost 24x7, which can be both a | | | | choose any of the "big four" national carriers; i.e., |
| blessing and a curse. The biggest problem faced by | | | | Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Cingular. |
| most today is what phone to choose and which | | | | If you are in a "less than metro" area, you need to |
| cellular service provider to use. | | | | find out which carrier provides the most reliable |
| Like anything else, you first need to determine what | | | | cellular service in that area. Watch for the specials |
| you are going to use the cell phone for. You use it | | | | from the carriers and choose a plan with the |
| for talking, obviously, right? Right and also wrong. | | | | features and number of minutes that suits your |
| Today's cell phones are electronic marvels in a small | | | | lifestyle and how you would plan to use your cell |
| package, and the fact that you can talk on it is just | | | | phone. |
| the tip of the iceberg with many of them. | | | | Is one of them better than anything, assuming that |
| Many cell phones are also MP3 players. The fact that | | | | multiple of them have good coverage in your service |
| the cell phone can handle MP3 files, in my mind, only | | | | area? Yes and no. In my experience, Sprint and |
| serves a single purpose, and that is the fact that you | | | | T-Mobile provide the highest levels of customer |
| can download songs to it and use the songs as | | | | service when you have a problem, and are also more |
| ringtones. So when your son calls from college, the | | | | than willing to credit you back minutes when you |
| phone would ring with the song "Money" because | | | | drop a call. If you are not really "techno savvy" and |
| that is undoubtedly what he is calling about. When | | | | would probably use customer service with your |
| your whacky neighbor calls and wants to talk with | | | | cellular carrier a lot, then Sprint or T-Mobile are good |
| you about the latest scheme he has uncovered, your | | | | bets. |
| phone could play the theme song from "Looney | | | | Cingular would be my next choice in terms of |
| Tunes". In this way, you can tell who is calling just | | | | customer service. They are not as good as Sprint |
| from the ringtone you have assigned to them, and | | | | and T-Mobile but their service has been improving and |
| you don't even need to look at your phone. | | | | Cingular would not be a bad choice. |
| But as far as using the cell phone as an MP3 player | | | | From a customer service perspective, Verizon has |
| so you can listen to tunes all day long, I cannot | | | | consistently been at the bottom of the barrel. Some |
| recommend getting a phone with that feature, or at | | | | have said that Verizon customer service would |
| least paying more for it if that feature is not already | | | | actually have to IMPROVE to be rated as high as |
| included. Using your phone all day long to listen to | | | | "bad". This is unfortunate since Verizon has wide |
| MP3 tunes that you have downloaded to it is going | | | | coverage nationwide, but the reputation for |
| to take a toll on your battery life, and the fidelity of | | | | extremely poor customer service is something that |
| the music is not going to be the greatest. If you | | | | Verizon seems unable, and even UNWILLING to |
| have a job where listening to tunes all day would | | | | rectify. |
| work out, you are much further ahead to get a | | | | Bottom line: choose your cell phone and your cellular |
| separate MP3 player or even an Ipod for that | | | | service provider based on how you plan to use your |
| purpose instead of using your cell phone for it. The | | | | phone, not based on the extra features that you |
| quality of the music will be better, and you won't be | | | | probably would not use after the novelty wears off! |
| draining the battery on your cell phone all day long. | | | | |