ask

For some people, smartphones and their always-on Internet connections and apps is a waste of money.

If you don't need apps or games and you can live without fast, robust access to the Net from your cell phone, then a smartphone might be expensive overkill. All four of the major U.S. wireless carriers still offer basic feature phones, which don't require expensive data plans. In this Ask Maggie, I offer some advice to a reader who is looking for one of these phones.

I also offer some advice regarding the new all-in-one desktop computers.

Going retro with … Read more

You can buy the coolest and most advanced smartphone out there. But if you can't get a wireless signal, it's not worth much to you.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice to a reader about picking a wireless service provider based on which one offers the best coverage. I also explain to another reader why, even though the Verizon iPhone 5 is unlocked, it won't work on any other 4G LTE networks.

Dear Maggie, I've loved my iPhone ever since I got it in June last year, and absolutely … Read more

If you're gearing up to buy a new smartphone this holiday season, but still have questions, CNET has just the thing for you.

Tomorrow, November 20, Senior Editor Brian Bennett and I will take your questions about specific smartphones, carriers, and operating systems. The live chat will only run an hour, so join us early!

We'll take your questions starting at 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET. See you then!… Read more

Internal memory is probably one of the least sexy features of a smartphone. But as your smartphone replaces your point-and-shoot camera, MP3 music player, portable gaming device, GPS navigator, and in some cases your portable video player, it's something you have to think about when buying a new device.

While some devices allow you to add memory via a microSD card, others don't. And when you run out of internal memory on your device, you're forced to make some tough choices. Do you delete your kids' first birthday pictures or those videos from your last vacation? Maybe … Read more

When choosing a smartphone or a wireless carrier, it's important to know what your deal-breakers are.

There are so many choices today when it comes to picking out a new smartphone or even choosing a service provider. Devices come in different sizes, with different software and even different network support. And wireless carriers, which all have different strengths when it comes to network coverage, offer different packages with different prices for their services. When it comes to choosing a device or a carrier, which of these things is most important to you?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I … Read more

Hurricane Sandy has affected millions of people up and down the East Coast. Now the storm, which was downgraded just before landfall Monday night in New Jersey, has moved westward to wreak further havoc on communications networks in its path.

Because I have been getting so many questions from friends, family and readers about what is going on with the wireless networks in these areas, I put together this Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ for my Ask Maggie readers. If you have additional questions, please send them my way, and I will try to answer them. Also, if you want … Read more

Why do wireless carriers have to make everything so complicated? Wireless subscribers should be able to subscribe to the service they want and need and not be forced to take services they don't want or need.

This seems like a simple enough concept, and yet customers who want a smartphone but only want to pay for voice services can't get it. And customers who want to forgo voice service for data-only services are also not able to get what they want. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice and explanation to a reader on this … Read more

Apple has entered the small-tablet market with the iPad Mini. But at $329, some holiday shoppers may still look toward the less expensive Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire.

I know people love Apple. And I'm sure there will be millions of people who will buy the iPad Mini this holiday season. But at a price of $329 for its least expensive model, I think the 8-inch tablet is still priced beyond many consumers' budgets. In this Ask Maggie, I help a reader, who is looking for an inexpensive tablet to give her kids for Christmas.

I also … Read more

Adding new smartphones to the family's wireless plan can be a scary endeavor, especially as most of us have already seen our wireless bills for just one smartphone surge above $100 a month.

Are there any tips for getting hot devices like the iPhone 5 at a discount? Is there a trick to avoiding taking out a second mortgage to pay for an additional smartphone on the family plan? In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice. I also offer my views on whether it's really worth it to buy the iPhone 4S instead of the … Read more