Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Good Question: When buying a cell phone, look for features you'll use

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 18:02:10 -0500

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Good Question: When buying a cell phone, look for features you'll use

Sunday, November 17, 2002
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, Associated Press

Q. When I went to shop for a cell phone, the sales assistant kept guiding me toward models that cost close to $200. With so many mobile phones available for really low prices — even for free when rebates are factored in — is it worth spending more on the feature-laden models?

A. If all you want to do with the phone is talk, then no.

If you are attracted to new features such as messaging, e-mail and digital pictures, you probably will get enough use out of them to justify the increased cost of many new phones equipped with such services.

But think carefully about what services you really think you'll use, and which ones will sit idle after the novelty wears off.

Cell phone design has improved so much in recent years that for people who mainly want to use them to gab, even the least expensive models compare nicely with versions on higher price rungs.

For example, for $150 AT&T Wireless will sell you the Nokia 8265, which is quite compact and weighs less than 4 ounces. It lets you list 250 contacts in your phone book and supports several new data functions.

But for free, after a rebate, you can also get the Nokia 1260, which is no slouch. It's slightly bigger and 40 percent heavier than its more expensive sibling, but its battery life is twice as long. The phone book holds a still-hefty 200 contacts and the device offers some messaging capabilities, too.

The freebie can't vibrate in lieu of ringing out loud, but for $30, you can get a Nokia that does. Cingular Wireless sells a vibrating Motorola phone for just $20, and it also has text messaging and Internet functions.

T-Mobile will give you a free Motorola phone that can send and receive America Online instant messages. Even getting on Nextel's unique "Direct Connect" service, which turns its phones into supercharged walkie-talkies, can be done with a $50 handset.

Another reason to think carefully about the more expensive cell phones: If you switch providers after your contract is up — because you think the customer service is lousy or you want more minutes for less money — you very likely will have to switch phones, too.

But if you do decide you want color screens, better games and all the cool Web-connected powers of the "next generation" of cell phones, there are some intriguing value options.

After a rebate, you can get a Sanyo phone that's "Vision-enabled" — Sprint PCS's buzz-phrase for the colorful new data-rich handsets — for $130. And for $150, Verizon Wireless sells a handset by LG Mobile Phones that supports its new "Get It Now" downloadable games service.

So don't feel like you're missing out if you just grab the least expensive cell phone that makes you happy. The sales assistant will understand.

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