Many of us use our phones for more than just communicating with friends. Our phones have become a tool for business, entertainment, and an essential resource in every day life. No matter what model phone you have, or what carrier you’re signed with, you can find plenty of options for practical, and functional features. If you want to utilize your a phone’s true potential, here are some guidelines to follow.

First, consider what you’d like to use your phone for. If you plan on using it for business, for example, your needs might be different. Finding a device that allows conference calling is probably essential, as is a phone with internet capability. To get into more specific details, you may require a data transfer plan and a reliable network to support your browsing. Having a service plan you can trust will be a priority if you rely on your phone for different aspects of your work. You may also want to consider buying a device that also has wi fi connectivity, which gives you more options for internet usage. The limit on your plan will probably be another big focal point, considering how much data and time you’ll actually be spending on your phone. Some services allow unlimited, and others have a monthly allotment. Depending on how much you’re able to spend per month, you can weigh the pros and cons of having the freedom of unlimited data transfer.

Keeping up on the latest news, weather forecast, and other details all on your phone can easily increase your productivity. Having all the conveniences of your laptop in the small package of a phone, can give you the freedom you need on the go. Now you can stream the latest news coverage, conduct a conference call, and browse the internet all with your phone. Multitasking is increasingly easy with mobile devices that support a variety of functions. When shopping for your next cellphone, consider all these key points before purchasing. Also remember that your mobile is only as good as the service coverage that comes along with it. Be sure you are equipped with a plan that suits your needs, and doesn’t hold you back. Determine how much coverage you need, data transfer support options, and other special features that meet your requirements. There are a variety of devices and providers to choose from, always search the market to compare prices, support, and service standards. 

Cheap phones

Flashlight. This phone has one. It’s the ultimate outdoors phone, shock proof, water tight and excellent coverage for when you’re out in the woods or high on some desert hill. And it has a flashlight.

It doesn’t have any of the new-gen fancy features, like GPS or Wi-fi, but it does its job properly. It’s great at handling calls and texts, and it’s not without its tricks. The B2700 has an audio player and is Bluetooth compatible. It also plays video, and radio, which is nice to see on a rugged phone. But the really cool apps in this one are the outdoor ones: a digital compass/altimeter, pedometer, RSS reader, currency converter and world clock. Anything an outdoorsy man on the go would need.

Its great Achilles heel is battery life. With medium use, like a couple of hours of music and a few short calls, the phone would probably need to be recharged daily, which isn’t the most adventurous thing.

The GSM and UMTS version of the Pre will also be available, much different than the CDMA version that Sprint has been offering for several months. Besides the different network support, the two versions of the Palm Pre are very much identical.

O2 has made a very appealing offer, making it available for free on two different contracts: a 24 month contract, priced at 34.26 GBP per month; and on a 18 month contract at 44.05 GBP a month. All of the contracts for the Palm Pre include unlimited WiFi access through The Cloud and BT Openzone, and  domestic HSDPA data.

Other features include a 3.2 megapixel camera with many advanced settings, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The enV offers superior web browsing with EV-DO Rev. A, and a USB mass storage option. Communicate feely with AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo and mobile and corporate email support. You can even view Microsoft Office documents right on your mobile.

However, it isn’t without it’s faults. There is an obvious lack of Wi-Fi accessibility, and the touch-screen interface and web browsing could be better. The price isn’t exactly budget friendly either, going for $149.99 with a $70 mail-in rebate with a 2 year contract. But considering all of the features you get with the new enV, one can compare to similar phones going for almost double.

With 93% of it’s population subscribing to mobile services, this means a big market for Apple to finally corner. And even though Samsung and LG both offer their own ‘iphone killers’ with touch-screen handsets, their sales have been stunted due to the lack of Korean-language software offered and high prices. But the decision to bring in the iPhone should change all that, bringing in more price competition for Smartphones, and the vast archive of software available from Apple rather than phone carriers.

The Memoir will also allow users to share photos through T-mobiles 3G network. Another new feature is the ability to immediately post images that you have taken to online photo sharing sites such as Flickr or Photobucket.

Putting aside the excellent camera abilities, the Memoir is packed full of other features. It boasts a full QWERTY keypad, a music and video player, built in assisted GPS navigation and voice activated calling. There are also multiple messaging solutions and bluetooth.

It looks as though the Iphone may have a worth competitor.