Nokia Reviews

So you don’t talk on your phone too often right? Or maybe you don’t even use a phone yet and aren’t sure why you should sign a contract to get one. It would, after all, be just another bill to pile up next to all the others. Well, this is when you buy a pay as you go mobile phone. Pay as you go phones are just that, no bills, no stress, no hassle. Instead they work around how much money you have and not the other way around.

So you don’t talk on your phone too often right? Or maybe you don’t even use a phone yet and aren’t sure why you should sign a contract to get one. It would, after all, be just another bill to pile up next to all the others. Well, this is when you buy a pay as you go mobile phone. Pay as you go phones are just that, no bills, no stress, no hassle. Instead they work around how much money you have and not the other way around.

When it comes to saving money, the best way to save money is to reduce the amount of bills you have and reduce how much money you are spending on the bills you must keep. This can easily be done by using a pay as you go mobile phone.

There are so many benefits of using a pay as you go mobile phone. First, the main benefit is money. You won’t be stuck in a contract and you have the freedom to decide how much money you will spend each month on your phone. So if you have a month that is filled with calls, you can buy minutes just for that month and if the following month you barely get or make any calls, then you only need to buy enough minutes for that month. Your payment will always be changing. You can determine how much you want to pay and budget it for it. This is a great feature that helps when you have a surprise bill come in the mail.

Another benefit is there are no credit checks. If you have bad credit or just don’t want your credit to be checked, using a pay as you go mobile phone will remove the hassle of that stress.

Did you know that pay as you go mobile phones can be bought just about anywhere? Unlike with contracted mobile phones, you can go to any store and buy a pay as you go mobile phone. This is great for those too busy to take the time to go to a mobile phone store and look over the different phones.

Pay as you go phones do actually look nice. Though completely different from contracted mobile phones most have the same features. Almost all have web access and all of them have the ability to send a text message. There are even pay as you go phones that work just like a blackberry for less cost.

Now go out there and check out all those great pay as you go mobile phones.

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When it comes to getting a mobile phone the biggest question is whether to get a contracted mobile phone or one that is pay as you go. Both have their drawbacks and their benefits. When it comes to contracts that go with mobile phones the main benefit is the lower cost. Since you are paying a monthly fee you don’t have to worry about your bill changing often. This is a great feature for someone who doesn’t want to handle the confusion of using pay as you go phones where the rates change depending on how often you use the phone.

Your price for the actual phone is also a lot less when you choose to go with contracted mobile phones. You will be able to save a lot of money and pay half or even get the phone free compared to the normal retail price for the phone you are looking at. If you are looking for a phone with lots of features such as a RIM Blackberry or an Apple Iphone, consider buying the phone under contract so that you can save money and still get the added features you wish to enjoy.

You also get more minutes. Instead of paying a lot of money for a low amount of minutes you can unlimited minutes for a small monthly fee. Because you can get unlimited minutes you can also get features such as unlimited text messages and also unlimited web is also offered with some phone plans.

With all these great benefits you would think there were no drawbacks to signing a contracted mobile phone plan. However, there is one main drawback of signing a contract for your mobile phone plan. It’s called credit. When it comes to contracts with mobile cellphone providers they require a credit check before you can become a member. If, for example, you have bad credit you can expect to pay a service fee that companies call a good faith fee. This fee can be anywhere from $100 to $500 and doesn’t go toward your bill at all instead it is normally held onto until either your contract has been filled and you’ve paid every month or it is held for 6 months to one year. If you can’t afford to pay that kind of fee than contracted mobile phone plans are out of your grasp.

Another draw back is that no matter how many minutes you use in one month you will always be charged the base fee, but if you go over you will be changed a higher rate that is normally 3 or 4 times the per minute price you are already paying.

Also, most contract phone plans have an early termination fee. If you choose to leave the service prior to the end of the contract term you may have to pay a fee. These fees can vary, so check your contract prior to signing it, but they are usually around $175.

Now that you know the pros and cons of getting a contract mobile phone it is best to look at your talking habits and decide it this is the best choice for you.

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That title sure sounds like spam, but it is true (if you qualify). You can get a free cell phone with minutes from Safelinkwireless.com. They are part of a government program called Lifeline Assistance. They provide free or discounted phone service for low income people. They will give you a free phone, free service and free minutes every month with no contract or cost as long as you are eligible. You also get voice mail, text messaging and call waiting for free and your unused minutes will rollover.

The eligibility requirements differ between states, but in general there are two main points. One, if you are currently on another government assistance program, such as food stamps, Section 8 or Medicaid then you are eligible. Two, if your household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government, then you are eligible. For example, in the state of Michigan if your annual household income is below $33,075 for a family of four, you would be eligible for a free phone.

You do not have to meet both requirements, just one or the other. The only other requirement is that you have a valid US address so that they can send you the phone and only one person per household can participate.

They will require that you prove your income through one of 4 methods.

-Letter from your employer
-Last year’s income tax return
-Employer W-2 form
-4 months of consecutive pay stubs

The program is not available everywhere. Currently it is available in the following states:

Alabama, Connecticut, D. of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin

There are plans to begin offering service soon in the States listed below:
Arizona , Puerto Rico, Illinois, Texas, Kentucky, Washington, Missouri, Ohio

The benefits will vary from state to state, but in general you will receive about 6o minutes per month. Additional minutes can be purchased at any store that sells Tracfone airtime cards. Also, you do not need to sign a contract.

They don’t specify the style or brand of phone that you will receive, but the website has a picture of a Motorola phone (check it out below). Tracfone primarily supplies Motorola, Samsung and LG brand phones.

For those that qualify, this program is a great deal. If you are eligible you can go to http://www.safelinkwireless.com and apply.

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If you haven’t checked your mobile providers service plan in awhile, now is a good time. I currently have service with T-Mobile and have been pretty happy with them overall. I was recently checking through there plans and they have made a good addition. You can add unlimited night and weekend calls to your existing plan at no additional cost!

In order to get this new plan you need to call T-Mobile at 1-800-T-Mobile and talk to a customer service representative. They will probably try and upsell you something, but stand firm that you just want to add nights and weekends. The only catch to the free upgrade is that you need to extend your contract for one year. So, consider this fact and weight the pros and cons of upgrading. If you are happy with T-Mobile, then adding a year to contract won’t be a very big deal. If you have had thoughts about changing providers, then this will not be a good deal.

After you have updgaded your plan you can start using your new minutes right away! The free night time minutes start at 9pm and go to 6am. The free weekend minutes are good all day Saturday and Sunday.

Enjoy your free and easy upgrade!

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