10 Questions About Cellular Phones Answered
1. What's the difference between analog and digital phones?
Analog phones operate on an older and less effective technology.
This technology doesn't scale well and is more costly. Analog
service is not compatible with numerous new features. Digital
phones are lighter and more compact and have a longer battery
life. When you are inside of a calling area the quality is
better than analog. Digital phones support new features like
caller ID, text messaging or wireless internet services.
2. What is a Dual Band Phone?
A Dual band phone is a phone that can operate on an analog and
digital service.
3. What type of battery has the longest life?
Lithium-Ion or Li-Ion batteries have the longest life. They also
happen to be the lightest in weight. The two pluses means there
is minus attached, which is price. A li-ion battery will always
be the most expensive type of battery available.
4. What's the difference between the Stand-by time and Talk
time?
Your phone is in standby mode when your phone is on but you
aren't talking. The power consumption is minimal and the phone
can stay in this mode for a longer period of time. When you are
using the phone you are using talk time. This consumes battery
power at a much quicker rate. Your battery life will be
somewhere between talk time and standby time
5. What is a roaming charge?
A roaming charge is when you make a call from outside of your
calling area. Your calling area is defined by plan local,
regional or national.
6. What are peak and off peak hours?
Peak hours are during the day when the cellular networks are
very busy. These minutes are at premium and your plan will
typically include the smallest amount of these. If you use more
than your allotted peak minutes they will be billed at a much
higher rate than off peak minutes. Off peak is the exact
opposite of peak time. Each cellular provider has their own
definition of off peak.
7. What are anytime minutes?
Anytime minutes are simply put minutes you can use anytime, peak
or off peak. On most plans you will use anytime minutes first.
8. Do I pay for the call when someone calls me?
Usually yes. You are billed for the airtime when you receive a
call. However some service providers are offering unlimited in
network calls.
9. Should I buy a cell phone or look for a free cellular phone?
Free phones generally speaking don't have the latest features,
they are anywhere from 6 to 12 months behind. Also, free cell
phones generally come with longer contracts. But, it is still
possible to get a great deal on a free cell phone.
10. What to do if you want to upgrade/downgrade or cancel your
service plan?
You can usually upgrade to higher plan without any cost. Some
may force you to extend your contract for 1 to 2 years from that
point. Downgrading your plan is often times not an option and
when it is there is usually a penalty or fine.