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Guide Type: Buying How-To Tips & Tricks
Guides for Cell Phones

Importance:
In many parts of the world, mobile phones have become such a part of everyday life that one wonders how we ever managed without them.

Cell phones are portable and have a long range. You can use it for various purposes like talking, sending & receiving short messages, storing your various contact details, sending & receiving emails and a whole lot of other things which vary from model to model and the special features that your handset may be having.

Cell phones can be called a miniscule computer in your pocket; such great and varying are the features. Listen to music, watch TV, play games, click pictures. The list is inexhaustible.

Right Choice:
There is a great variety of cell phones available in the market and you may get thoroughly confused with the wide array of features available. You may not know which one is suitable for you. It is here that our Guide helps you choose the cell phone meant for you.

Picking up the right mobile phone is not easy. You may need to answer some questions like, what kind of phone do I need? What is My budget? What is the purpose to buy a mobile? Keep these important aspects in mind before visiting the store.

User-friendly mobiles make life simpler. Often a mobile with an outstanding design may not be a user-friendly model. A few significant aspects can be considered if you want to buy a user-friendly mobile phone.

Budgeting:
Budget is the core of every purchase. Is your budget tight or flexible? Answering this question may solve half of your problem. Try accommodating your purchase within your budget, since mobile phone prices drop very fast. You should not opt for fancy mobiles with camera and videos, if you are going to make a lot of business calls. The high-end mobiles consume lot of battery power and it may become cumbersome to charge battery often while handling important business deals. A student's choice of mobile phone will be very different from that of a professional.

Buying your mobile phone from the right place is important. Check out for discounts, schemes and offers that are available in the market. Choose a reputed dealer who provides a bill with guarantee. Check out whether the dealer or retailer has received positive feedbacks from previous buyers.

Lifestyle:
A mobile phone has to be in sync with our lifestyle. Teenagers mostly prefer phones with camera, MP3 players, radio and video recorders. Some girls tend to choose phones with feminine looks and prefer soft colors. On the other hand boys prefer sturdy handsets. Internet lovers are inclined to buy mobile phones with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) connectivity. Those who enjoy games will opt for phones with high quality games.

Form Factor:
Mobile phones come in several different physical styles (form factors). While manufacturers are continually coming up with new types of designs, there are several common categories used on this site to describe form factors:

Bar (aka Candy-bar or Block)
This is the most basic style. The entire phone is one solid monolith with no moving parts aside from the buttons and possibly antenna.
Clamshell (aka Folding)
This type of phone consists of two halves, connected by a hinge. The top half usually contains the speaker and display while the bottom half contains the keypad and the remaining components. The main display and keypad are protected when closed although many phones have a secondary display on the outside.
Flip
This type of phone is a cross between the Bar and Clamshell types. Most of the components of the phone are in one part, but a thin "flip" part covers the keypad / display when not in use.
Slide
This type has a design similar to a clamshell, with a large main display and speaker in one half, and the keypad and battery in the other half. But the top half slides to open instead of using a hinge. Slide designs allow the main display to be seen when closed, and are generally easier to open and close one-handed.
Swivel
This type is similar to the slide type, with a large main display and speaker in the top half, and the keypad and battery in the lower half. But the two halves pivot at one point instead of sliding.

Display screen
Look out for the size of the screen that will be visually comfortable. You must keep in mind the resolution and quality of colors that are displayed. Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screens can be preferred if you are into gaming or want to watch good quality videos on your mobile phone.

Keypad
One often ignores little details while purchasing any gadget and it is not an exception while buying a mobile phone too. Double check if you are comfortable with the keypad of the handset which you are going to buy. People tend to buy a particular model as they may like sleek looks, but it may not be as user-friendly.

Sound
Look out for a phone with high quality sound. Polyphonic ringtones are the order of the day but buying a cell phone which plays MP3 songs as the ringtone would be a better option. If your cell phone comes with earphones and built-in speakers then one should ensure that they are working. Handsets with earphones are useful to make calls while driving or doing any work.

Memory
If you are using your cell phone as a business or a multimedia device then you should consider phones with adequate or expandable memory. You may consider handsets with 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB or as high as 8 GB memory cards, as per your convenience. Mobile phones tend to hang or perform a little slow when they are high on memory due to the stored data.

Battery life
Battery life is a very important aspect while purchasing a mobile phone. Handsets with poor battery life can disturb your communication and can make it difficult to use other features. Buy a mobile phone from a reputed brand that provides long lasting and durable batteries. Check if the dealer can provide replacement if something goes wrong with the battery. Do not forget to check the price for a replacement battery pack.

Multimedia
Purchasing a cell phone with FM or MP3 player or both is good idea if you are crazy about music. Mobile phones with cameras enable you to click pictures and store them as memories. You can show your creative side by editing short video clips on your phone. Check out the screen resolution. The number of mega pixels and the zoom depth are the main aspects related to a Digital Camera or for that matter a mobile phone equipped with Camera. There is not much difference between five and three mega pixels. So save on your budget by avoiding going for a higher resolution. A three mega pixel camera in a mobile phone usually gives good quality pictures.