Upgrading your phone

Q: Where can we buy a SIM card for the new Sony Ericsson K790a cell phone? How much do these SIM cards generally cost? Can you tell us anything else we should know about SIM cards? Thanks in advance for your reply.
--Sam

A: For those readers who don't know, a SIM card is a tiny plastic chip found in all GSM cell phones (think T-Mobile and Cingular) that acts as an ID card for your handset. Usually located behind the battery, a SIM card stores your phone number and is needed to activate a mobile for use. If the card is taken out of the handset, it stops working, and it is no longer associated with your phone number. So if you want to actually make calls on your K790a--and I assume you do--you'll need a SIM card to make it happen.

The vast majority of cell phone users get their SIM cards from their carrier when they sign up for service. So if you don't have cell phone service to go with your K790a already, you should sign up for service with either T-Mobile or Cingular and get a SIM card from them. (Remember, only GSM carriers have SIM cards so Sprint or Verizon Wireless handsets don't use them.) Of course you will have to sign a contract but that's a necessary evil. If you want to avoid a contract, you can buy a prepaid SIM card but prepaid service can get expensive very quickly if you use your phone a lot.

Q: Where I live a T-Mobile store is just down the street from another cell phone store that calls itself a "T-Mobile authorized dealer." What's the difference between the two and does one have advantages over the other?
--Tim

A: The T-Mobile store is operated by the carrier, and the people who work there are T-Mobile employees. On the other hand, the authorized dealer is owned by a third party and simply sells T-Mobile phones. Radio Shack stores are a great example of an authorized dealer as they sell phones from several carriers.

Each store has its advantages but either place would be a good place to buy a phone to use with your T-Mobile service. The T-Mobile store will have a full range of the carrier's handsets and accessories. And since you'll be dealing with official T-Mobile employees, they can be better equipped to help you with billing issues, service complaints, or handset upgrades. An authorized dealer can sign you up for a T-Mobile plan, and sell you a phone with service rebates but they don't have complete access to your customer file. On the other hand, an authorized dealer might sell more phones than the T-Mobile store, including cool unlocked models such as the Nokia 5300. You could buy an unlocked model and sign up for a T-Mobile plan all at the same time. Just remember, if you buy an unlocked phone and not an official carrier handset, you won't be entitled to any discounts that come with signing up for service.

Q: I want to upgrade my phone to a flip phone but Alltel says I have to pay full price for a newer phone. Is there any way around this? I have a two-year contract that does not end until December of next year.
--Keye

A: Carriers have varying rules regarding when you are eligible for a cell phone upgrade. Typically, if you bought a cell phone with carrier rebates and signed up for a contract within the last year, you won't be able to get a new phone at a discounted price. In your case, unfortunately, you will have to pay Alltel the full price for a new phone if you want something new right now. If you think you can wait for a while, you should ask Alltel when you'll be eligible again to upgrade. It might not be until next December but it could be sooner. Granted, this isn't the best policy for customers but from the carrier's perspective, they only want to sell you a phone with rebates once in a while. That's because they sell you those phones at a loss to them so they don't want to do it too often.