Before you upgrade your phone…

Evolution of Technology

Technology engulfs us both slowly and silently. We carry technology with us in our cell phone and sleep with it. Little do we know that this small piece of device is packed with many features that change our lifestyles. You know how to use a mobile phone but you just don't know how to make it works better for you.
Real life stories about expensive phone bills frighten many of us. To avoid paying more, many choose to terminate core features of the phone or disable these features to make sure they don't chalk up their bills. Essentially you just defeat the purpose of getting the latest phone in the market if your sole purpose is simply making voice calls and sending SMSs.
Some may argue that they "reserve" these features and will use them during critical moments. My question is how do you know if they are working during those moments and how much you know about using the application?
Many of my friends show off their new phones boosting many new features like GPS, WIFI, push mail, full QWERTY keys, LCD screen, vibrating touch and feel, 10M pixel camera, elegant look etc and etc… but they don't have a data plan. If you are happy driving a Ferrari in a congested car park, follow their footsteps. Many will laugh at you inside their heart if you notice the smile at the corner of their mouth.
So how can you avoid becoming the next clown?

Look into the eyes of Technology

If you confine yourself to making voice and sending SMS, Philips Xenium series is your best upgrade choice which boosts standby time of up to 30 days. It has no gimmicks like GPS, 3G or WIFI and squeezes its battery life to extend your calling time. So stop wasting time to shop around for other phones. Else, your 2G mobile is good enough till you are ready.
Now, if you are seriously wish to upgrade your phone and explore some new features, get ready to pay for data plan else read the earlier paragraph again. Many are tapping into data use and someone wrote about paying only US$23/month for iphone bill. So, the future is now.
I have earlier mentioned how to select a suitable mobile phone for broadband. Read about the technology and decide a phone which suits your lifestyle. Bear in mind the battery life and your budget in hand.
Next, do sign up for a suitable mobile broadband plan with your telco. You may wish to consider my earlier article on the BEST mobile broadband plan in Singapore. It is outdated but you may wish to read for your reference.

Myths on features in mobile phone

There are also many questions about the features which many are shy to ask around. I hope to disperse these myths which cloud your minds:

1. WIFI is chargeable
   WIFI is free if you connect to a network which is free. For example, when you are at home or when you have access to wireless@sg in McDonald etc. Many WIFI network are private which requires password authentication. For example, you are in a Malaysia hotel which they may charge you RM25/day for using WIFI. The limitation of WIFI is the range of up to 100m in open space and privacy related issues.
2. GPS is NOT FREE
   If you have a built-in GPS in your mobile phone, it is 100% FREE to use GPS above the sky and locate yourself anywhere in the world. You only need direct connection to the sky. If you wish to have more features such as navigation and locating friends, read my earlier post on installing a suitable GPS application on your mobile phone.
3. Data use is very expensive
   In the past, you are right to say so but with the revise of plans by telcos and the increasing amount of users, the charge is reasonable. For pure data users, you may wish to refer to my earlier post on the mobile broadband plans available in Singapore. In exhibition, you may enjoy 50% discount and pay only S$19.36/month for M1 V2 for unlimited data use. For data plan over your voice plan, the minimum is adding S$10 to your existing plan.

Will my monthly bill costs much more?

It depends on your lifestyle and the data plan you choose. In any case, you should not be charged more than S$37 for unlimited use in Singapore.
If you make frequent international calls, having a data plan may actually help you to save more. You can tap on into skype for voice calls, msn for messaging and push mail for email exchange. You buy time and accessibility with data plan while you are on-the-road. You need not rush back home or office to check email and you can reply messages via msn on the street.

5 critical considerations

1. If you are a business and serious user, select a 3.5G phone with 7.2Mbps instead of a 3G phone with only 0.384Mbps of transfer speed. 3G is nearly 20 times SLOWER than 3.5G. The latter usually come with S$0 plan catering for students and budget users. You just have to pay more for a 3.5G phone and S$0 phone expresses itself clearly on its price tag.
2. Next, get a phone with good battery life by comparing their standby and talk times. There is no point in having a phone with low juice unless you only wish to satisfy your ego by driving a Lamborghini for 10m.
3. You have to compare data plans offered by different operators as some are simply not suitable for you. Questions to ask yourself are: Are you able to afford unlimited data plan? What applications do I need in my new phone which requires data plan? For instance, real time push mail requires unlimited data plan for businessmen while normal user may stick to pop mail for a periodical mail download.
4. Bundled plan offers incentives for consumers. If most of your family members and friends are using M1, it makes sense to join M1 as you may enjoy 3 free call numbers. For starhub hubbers, you enjoy further discounts for your maxOnline, maxTV and mobile lines. For Singtel users, MIO may be attractive due to the overall package. No matter which plan you choose, there is a binding contract of 2 years else a heavy penalty will be imposed.
5. Lastly, omit those features that are not needed in a phone. For example, do you really need a 12M pixel camera phone? Get a Canon or Nixon DSLR camera at S$1,299 with tons of features to take great photos instead. After all, phone is for making call and not for photo shots. 3M or 5M pixel is good enough for an average Joe.