Pros Cons of Free Cell Phones

By FreeCellPhoneGuy


Finding a free cell phone is easy but finding the right cell phone is not. If you are looking for a free cell phone or a replacement cell phone then you are in the right place. Compare the best cell phone deals and cheap cell phone plans right online. When you have found a phone with the features you need then search for the carrier who offers the best coverage and reception services in your area. Comparison shopping for cell phones has never been this easy.

The hottest new cell phones include the Apple iPhone, Palm, Razr and Smartphone PDAs like the Treo and Blackberry. These cell phones include tons of new features unheard of only a few years ago like built in cameras, video recorders and players, voice recorders, MP3 players, walkie talkie instant connection, pagers, SMS text messaging and high speed Internet access.

When choosing a new cell phone or pre-owned cell phone, it is important that your cell phone has the features that are right for you. There are many styles of cell phones including basic flip and bar style cell phones, smartphones and PDAs, camera and video phones, GPS, and MP3 phones. Choosing the right cell phone brand is also important and the most popular include Audiovox, Hitachi, RIM, Apple, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Palm, Firefly, Panasonic, LG, Sanyo, Samsung and Kyocera. Many free cell phone offers include free shipping but calling plans that include free long distance, free roaming, free night and weekends minutes will probably save you more money over the life of your contract. Other standard calling features that are usually free include voice mail, caller ID, 3 way cenferencing and call waiting.

Naturally, "free" cell phones aren't really free and you'll end up paying for the cell phone over the lifetime of your cellular contract. Even so, free cell phones can save you a lot of money and let you start cell phone service for little or no money down. Most of these free cell phone offers are found online as online agents have less overhead to support then regular brick and mortar stores. Shopping for a free cell phone online can save you a lot of money but you will have to wait a few days before you get your cell phone. The calling plans offered by every cell phone retailer are exactly the same but sometimes there are additional plan features that only one type of dealer can offer so it pays to shop around before deciding on where you buy your cell phone and not just taking the first offer you see.

Not all cell phone providers use the same cellular technology and there are pros and cons for each network. Analog networks will work with older, but in some cases more reliable, basic phones while the newer digital networks allow you to use all the latest bells and whistles even if you never use them. The coverage area of the different networks will also vary with the more advanced digital networks usually found in more populated areas. This also means that you won't be able to roam in a network that has different technology than your handset. However, no matter what cell phone network you choose to use, there is always going to be a low cost or free cell phone offer that will work for you. Many of these free cell phone offers even include no credit card or no credit check applications and come with free accessory kits that include everything you need to use you cell phone. Many times these accessory kits will include just a basic wall charger but other times may include car chargers, headsets and leather cases. These accessory kits can be huge money saver for you considering that you would probably just end up buying them anyway.

GSM: Short for Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM is the most widespread standard for cell phones networks in the world. If you're a jetsetter who likes keeping in touch during your far-flung travels, you should go with a GSM-enabled phone, and here in the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile are both GSM carriers. CDMA: Short for Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA originally came from the military and all calls are actually scrambled with 64-bit encryption. Verizon, Sprint and AllTell use CDMA here in the US and these networks include the high speed digital access that many premium customers desire. As these networks use different technolgies, phones from one network will not work on a different network and this could be a problem for people who travel frequently.

Prepaid plans for cell phones, also known as "pay as you go" plans, allow you to buy your minutes as you use them. With a prepaid cell phone you have control over how much you spend each month, without having to worry about getting hit with overage charges from your cell phone company. Prepaid phones and plans are also great for those without enough good credit to qualify for a wireless contract -- or individuals who just don't need all the minutes offered by a standard cell phone plan. However, there are also drawbacks to using a pre-paid plans. The minutes are much more expensive than they are with regular monthly plans for one thing. Another problem is that the minutes are only good for a specific period of time and usually expire after 60-90 days. But if your credit is less than perfect, a pre-paid phone may be just the answer for you especially if you can't afford to pay the hefty deposit that the regular monthly service will probably require.

See a hot new cell phone that you just have to get? Want to add another line of service? If you have completed your original service contract then it may be time to contact your carrier and see what kind of deals they'll make on a new cell phone or contract. And if another carrier has a better deal, make sure that you let your service provider know about it. If they don't match the offer, then ask to speak with a supervisor and threaten to leave. It's costs the cell phone companies upwards of $150 to secure a new customer so the last thing they want to do is lose you to a competitor. In the cell phone industry this is known as "customer churn" and the cell phone carriers will do almost most anything to prevent this.

About the Author:
Since 1999, FreeCellPhoneGuy.com is your online source for free cell phones and the best free cell phone deals from all national carriers.