Tips for Choosing the Right Mobile Phone For You

As with any fast moving industry, it is all too easy to get completely lost while looking at all the shiny new phones on display at the store. In this hub I intend to help you sift through all the features, understand most of the jargon and ultimately, find the right phone for you.

One of the biggest things that will determine what kind of phone you should get is who you are. Look inside yourself a moment and gauge your interests and habits. Are you a more technically inclined person? A business person who is constantly chasing work? A younger person just looking to play games and talk to friends? Every one of these highly effects which phone would fit you best, though these lines are all blurring more and more as the phones move along.

This one will tie in with who are. What do you do for work? Education, are you still in school of any sort? Will you use your phone more for pleasure or work? Since every person's application and use will be different, unfortunately, I cannot make blanket recommendations.

There are many types of cellular networks in use today. 3g and 4g are terms used to describe data networks of the 3rd and 4th Generation. Data networks allow internet access over your cell connection anywhere that connection exists - which is just about everywhere these days.

3g is the slower of the two, running on average 1-2Mbps. To put this into perspective, the average home internet connection in America is 10Mbps. Don't let this fool you though, most of the internet has a dumbed-down version specifically for mobile devices that is stripped of Ads and heavy-hitting code, making the pages render at times faster than your home computer would open them.

4g is the next step up, the International Telecommunications Union defines 4g as "any technology exceeding 3g speeds." There are two primary types of 4g as listed below:
"HSPA+", or High Speed Packet Access - Extended, is the slower of the two. HSPA+ does provide better battery consumption, though, because of the "weaker" radios required for it, and is available in more places than LTE.Typical HSPA+ speeds will be anywhere from 6Mbps through 16Mbps.
"LTE", or Long Term Evolution, is the faster version. Though not available everywhere as of yet, typical speeds will reach 16-30Mbps!

Data charges on most networks will be the same whether you choose a handset that utilizes primarily their 3g or 4g network, and all 4g handsets available are backwards compatible with the carrier's 3g network, so when 4g isn't available, you will still have a data connection.

Android is an open-source operating system and software package developed by Google and distributed by the "Open Handset Alliance," which consists of Google, HTC, Samsung, Motorola and LG.

Android is the number one mobile operating system on that market at this time, dominating over 40% of the US mobile market. With Android's premium handset offerings, its not hard to see why. Here are some common features found in Android phones:

• 4g capabilities on most newer models.
• "Gorilla Glass" - an ultra-tough, scratch-and-break-resistant glass used for displays.
• Larger displays, some reaching to 5.5inches!
• Premium hardware, with processors available reached 1.5Ghz Dual Cores, and 1GB of RAM.

With over 500,000 applications available on the Android App Market, there is almost nothing you'd want to do that you couldn't say, "There's an App for That."
With Android you will also get to experience a type of app called a "Widget." These applications allow you to place them onto your home screen streaming live information available at a glance.

Android is extremely flexible and carries endless potential for customization. Many people "root" their Android device, to allow them to have what would would equate to "System Admin" privileges on your computer. In such they can perform some more advanced user tasks such as overclocking their hardware and deleting "bloatware" or pre-installed apps that you normally wouldn't be able to delete.

Because of its open source nature there is a large community of "developers" whom will download the source code from Google and tinker with it. They will remove useless or strenuous bits of code and improve on what is already there. This goes a long way and has actually helped Android involve into what it is today - many of Android's current features were born this way. This will also help keep the corporations honest in that we can see every bit of code they put in our phones.

The iPhone is a product and brainchild of Apple Inc. It is known as a closed-source project and almost everything you do with the phone is in a proprietary manner.

iPhone is the number one selling individual phone on the planet and its operating system, iOS is the number 2 selling mobile-OS. The iPhone has a massive following due to its ease of use and its sleek looks. Apple's incredibly skilled marketing department didn't hurt, either. Here are a few features found in the iPhone:

• 3.5 inch display, standard glass
• 3g data connection (4g is not available at this time for iPhones)
• Great hardware, 1ghz Single core (iphone4) or 800mhz Dual core(iphone4s) processors, and either 512mb RAM(iphone4) or 1gb RAM(iphone4s)

Like the Android App Market, The Apple App Store has over 550,000 applications available for download. The main difference you will see is a slight increase in quality of Apps with Apple, as their terms are very strict toward the developers and every app must be individually reviewed and approved by Apple.
36% of Applications in the App Store are free, compared to Android's 78%.

iPhones are great for first time smartphone users, and those of lesser technical know-how. iPhones will do everything an Android could, but because of its closed source nature, If you don't care about customization or personalization, this could be the phone for you.

BlackBerry is probably the oldest smartphone contender we have here today. BlackBerry is a creation of Research In Motion, or RIM. Ever see those snazzy phones the business executive or lawyer is using in that movie? Its probably a BlackBerry. BlackBerry is the number choice for business-type people and companies worldwide. Its security and encryption are unparalleled by anyone. Some typical BlackBerry traits:

• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Some newer models will support 4g
• Hardware quality (performance) depends on the model.

Like the iPhone and Android, BlackBerry has its own "App World" to purchase apps from. On the down side, there are only about 30,000 to choose from. This is still quite a huge number, though.

The creation of Microsoft, Windows Phone is a rising beast. It was off to quite a slow start but its momentum is steadily increasing. Windows projects to be the number one mobile platform by 2015. Let's see if Google or Apple will that that sitting down. With its closed source platform, its a great thing its super simple and easy to use - you wont need any further customization than is already allowed. For physical features you can refer to Android's typical features, as most of the handset manufacturers cross territory between these handsets.

Windows is most known for its Live Tiles on your home screen. These tiles are customizable and could represent almost any app you choose, displaying live information streamed right to your fingertips. Pretty cool, eh?

These phones also allow syncronization with your Windows Live and Xbox Live accounts, allowing you to take your game or conversations anywhere you go. It will also remotely connect to your home computer running Windows 7 and enable you to access files and other activities as if you were actually there.

Windows Phones are the top choice for most professional cell phone companies as corporate phones. Both AT&T's corporate sales and Wireless Advocates commonly issue Windows Phones to employees eligible to company phones.

Finally we have the basic phones. Basic phones are made by almost every phone manufacturer and offer very few bells and whistles. Most will have a keypad or slide out keyboard, a basic camera and a screen.

Before you make your choice, or jump for a basic phone, ask yourself this:
"What benefit could I get from a smartphone?"
Would you truly benefit from being able to stay connected 24/7? Would it make life that much easier to have apps to help you with certain tasks or a GPS on your phone, anywhere you go?

If you're not the type to need to check your email or Facebook every 15 minutes, this may be the best choice for you. You could save a ton of money each month, without the requirement of a data plan looming over your head.

One of the biggest questions I encounter is whether a customer should consider a contract or just go with a prepaid phone service. There are many aspects of each - coverage, price and handset quality being the biggest things to consider.

Most prepaid carriers offer their services while "piggy-backing" on a bigger carrier's network. Often this will allow for cheaper service, but it has a cost. Typically a carrier will only lease out certain frequency bands for use in this way. The problem with this is that not all frequencies are supported in every market. Meaning AT&T's 1900Mhz frequency may be super prevalent in your home town, but if that's the only band your prepaid phone supports and you go out of town, you may be without coverage the entire time, or be "roaming" costing you a ton of extra money. The advantage here in my opinion goes to contract, every available frequency will be available for your use, providing the best service possible.

Handset quality is very much an issue, as stated above. Phone manufacturers are in it for the profit. Do you think they'd make more money securing the contract for their shiny new phone on Verizon, or on a lesser-populated carrier like Virgin Mobile? The good handsets are going to Verizon, no contest.

Price is also to be taken into consideration. The plan prices will almost always be lower with a prepaid service. But as shown above, you will get what you pay for in the long run, in terms of service and coverage. Also, you will have to pay more for a handset. Say there were two identical Androids available on both contract and prepaid. On contract the price would be 50 dollars, on prepaid you'd see something much more like 200 or possibly higher!

The largest complaint for contract phones I encounter has to be the fact that you are locked into a two year contract. This really isn't as bad as most people make it out to be. The prices are rising with time but your contract will stay the same price for as long as you keep it current! Even two years down the road when you "upgrade" or renew your contract, getting a new phone at a heavy discount may I add, you don't have to change anything on it at all. I know people that have the same plan and features they had almost 10 years ago. If you can't pay a few months, call customer service and have it suspended, you wont be charged anything but a small service fee (Typically 5 dollars).

Now that I've outlined a few benefits and features of each kind of phone, It is entirely up to you to figure which would work best for you. Remember to ask yourself "How would this help me?" and don't be afraid to ask for help or continue researching. You have to live with the choice you make for the next 2 years, be sure to make the choice the right one, the first time.

A few sites to help you:
PhoneScoop
GSMArena

I hope I've helped you on your path to the right phone!