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Advice for first-time buyers, text messaging online, and the hunt for a universal provider By Joni Blecher (10/10/02) Senior Editor Joni Blecher, a.k.a. the Cell Phone Diva, wants to answer all your questions about cell phones, service plans, and wireless connectivity. Send her a question! Keep me texting Q: I've heard that Cingular lets you send text messages from the Internet. Do other services let you do that? --Marielle9 A: Just about every service provider that offers text messaging to customers provides a way to send SMS messages from the Internet. But if you're interested in only text messaging, try Upoc, TextAmerica, or even ICQ. Keep in mind that you'll most likely have to register to use these services, and the person on the receiving end will often have to pay to view the message if it's not already included with the service. One world, one number? Q: I travel a lot between America and the United Kingdom. Currently, I have two pay-as-you-go SIM cards: one for the States and one for England. Actually, I have another one for Ireland, but that's a different story! Anyway, is it possible to have one phone number that I can use no matter where I am? I've heard of such a service, but I can't seem to find information about it on the Net. I spend most of my time in London and San Francisco but occasionally go to Florida and Dublin. Thank you. --Chris A: You sure can. Since you have two pay-as-you-go SIM cards, I'm guessing you already have a phone that works in America and Europe. If that's the case, your battle is half won. Now, you just have to decide if you want your one number to be based in Europe or America. If you decide on Europe, I'd check with carriers such as Orange or O2 (formerly BT Cellnet). If you'd prefer a U.S.-based number, check out T-Mobile's or AT&T Wireless's international plans. But remember that once you have one number and one service provider in one place, you'll be paying dearly for the calls you make to another country. If your number is based in England and you come to the States and call locally, chances are you'll be paying international fees for those calls. Do the math, and ask yourself how much having one number is worth to you. Taking the plunge Q: It's hard to believe in this day and age, but I'm an engineer who has been holding off on getting a cell phone because I don't really call people too often and don't feel that the technology is mature and stable enough. But now I've decided to take the plunge. I'm doing my research, and I've asked my friends about their experiences with their service providers. How do I best evaluate and choose a rate plan? I wouldn't mind paying for the phone--I just want a compact one with good features (3G technology and a color LCD would be nice), but how do I know if a phone is good? It seems like I would find out only by trying, but without the same test situation, it really makes it impossible to be objective. I've also noticed that phone selection is pretty much limited by the service provider (for example, T-Mobile, AT&T, and so on). --juet A: I understand your frustration. Buying a phone is not an easy process, especially if this is your first time around the block. Your best bet is to talk to neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family to find out which carrier they use and whether they're satisfied. As you've already noticed, you can't buy a phone without first picking a service provider, so word of mouth in your local area is your best source of advice. You can also check out message boards, but just verify that you're getting local information about a provider. Once you've picked a carrier, the fun begins. Go to a local store, and check out the phones in person. Pick up the model you like, hold it against your face, put in your pocket or purse, and see how it feels. Try to program in a phone number so that you can get an idea if you like the menu interface. By this point, you've probably narrowed your choice to two or three models. Get the model numbers, then ask your friends about the phones you're thinking of purchasing. Also, check out online reviews. And of course, feel free to contact me as you close in on your decision. I'll be happy to give you feedback. |
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Joni Blecher is a section editor for CNET Reviews.
