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Cell Phones help
 Carrier UpgradesEach Carrier will allow customers to “upgrade” their phones (handset) at some point during their agreement. If you qualify for a carrier upgrade, you’ll likely receive a discount off the normal retail price of the phone if you agree to extend/renew your contract for an additional one or two-year term. Each carrier has different upgrade policies, but most will require that you are at least 12 months into your contract term before they’ll offer a discounted upgrade rate.... You can still purchase a phone at normal retail rates, or through one of the many vendors who sell Phones without having to renew your contract. Switching phones is quite easy with every carrier, please see the “Phone Only” Q&A section for more information....
If you are looking to just upgrade your phone with your current carrier, you may qualify for a discount when purchasing a new phone. You will need to re-new your contract for an additional one or two-year term if you accept the discounted upgrade price
Cingular - 18 months into your current contract for each phone you want to upgrade Verizon - 18 months T-Mobile... Choose a phone to upgrade and begin the checkout process to see if you can qualify for the upgrade discount, or you can call your carriers customers service department to inquire.... GeneralQ. Hey Noah - I’m looking for some information on the LG Rumor and Samsung Upstage. I’ve seen the videos and they provided me some information. I would like to know some more information on both phones and I’m curious on how texting works on the Upstage. If you can give me some information on the 2 phones that would be great. Thanks
A. Thanks for the message, and for watching the videos. UpStage is a pretty old model at this point, so you may have trouble finding a new one for......
Q. Noah, I was extremmely close to buying the iPhone until I saw the Samsung Omnia in your video. looks tight. how cool is it and is it up to par with the beast made by Apple?
A. I've only had a little bit of hands-on time with Omnia but it definitely looks great. Omnia's a Windows Mobile device, so it should be somewhat similar to the HTC Touch Diamond in that you've got Windows Mobile 6 running underneath with a nicer layer of user interface on top. On the one hand that's too...... Q. Noah, you have very informative videos and think that you are great at your job. I have a question about Sprint's Samsung Instinct. I am fairly efficient with a QWERTY keypad, but I am so much faster on a T9 layout. Is the Samsung Instinct capable of a T9 text entry? I noticed in your YouTube video "Sprint Samsung Instinct vs LG Vu vs iPhone - Long Version " that when you entered the number to text (right past the 10:00 mark), the numbers had the corresponding three letters beside them...... Q. In your instinct vs iphone comparison you said with the Instinct you can download 'over the air' and the iphone you cannot. what does that mean and what does it mean to me in a practical sense? Also, what other limitations would this feature, or lack of the feature, cause?
A. Over the Air downloading means that you can purchase and download songs and video directly to the phone using your cellular connection. Apple limits iPhones to only being able to purchase songs from iTunes......
Q. Hi, I saw your comparisons of the LG Dare and Samsung Instinct and I had some more questions about the two. I have some specific questions for the two phones that I'd like some answers to 1. Which touchscreen is better? Which is more responsive? When you're typing which screen works better? I've heard ppl vouch for both sides so I'd like a good extensive opinion from an actual reviewer. 2. Which browser is better? Because I've gotten mixed reviews for this as well. 3. How is the...... Q. Hey Noah!, I've been watching a lot of your videos lately and I have to say your doing a great job. Compared to other review people you just sound and act the best, Great Job. So ever sense I saw the outrageous $65 a month for the iphone 3G in Canada I've been looking at these new touch screen phones and I have a few questions.
1. I live in Canada and I'm guessing that the LG Glimmer provided by Alltel is the same phone as the LG Vantage just in the US. I've been to...... Q. Noah, I am a first time visitor to your sight, and I love it. I've been anxiously awaiting the launch of the new iPhone. I ended up ordering one from an AT&T store the weekend of the launch while also researching the LG Dare. I am currently a Verizon customer and now need to decide before picking up the iPhone if I should go with the LG Dare. It seems like GPS and phone are better, and with my credits I can get a Dare for $149. The plan may seem better too. TO further complicated I...... Q. Hey Noah, just got a question for you about the Instinct. Sprit mentions on there site that you can see movies on the phone when side loaded in a Micro SD card and I was just wondering what the quality of this feature is and how does it work?
A. Thanks for the message. In one of my Instinct videos I showed a video that was loaded onto a microSD card and played back on the phone. It works great - if you have a good quality video, it looks excellent on Instinct's display. ...... Q. Hey Noah, big fan of your site, you do a good job. I was thinking about buying an iphone 3g and I want to buy a case to protect it from scratches and chipping if I happen to drop it. Do you have any suggestions on good iphone cases? I want something that is pretty thin because I don't want the case to add to much bulk to the phone. And I hear that the iphone's screen is hard to scratch? Is that true? Or should I look into buying a screen protector also? If so, which protector would you...... Q. I dont know how much you have worked with the Nokia 6820 but I was wondering the difference between the 6820 and the 6820i. Also your opinion on the phone with the strange QWERTY keyboard. thanks a lot you are a lot of help.
A. I haven't worked with the 6820 or 6820i very much, but I used to have an E70, which is an unlocked smartphone with the same style keyboard. I really like the strange folding keyboard because it lets you have a full QWERTY in a small form factor. The...... Q. I am looking at new phones and my problem is this: Which do you rate higher, the Helio Ocean or the Sprint instinct? (I'm not switching to another GSM network for other reasons, so iPhone is o-u-t) (I know Sprint and Helio use SK, so calling should be the same, right?)
Also, are there any other phones you'd recommend on Sprint that may be better than the Ocean (I'll be using it mainly for multimedia, email, web, txt, video/pics (taken on the phone), and navigation ((note:...... Q. I have a few questions involving V CAST if you wouldn't mind answering them it would be much appreciated, i've never had a cellphone but now my parents are (finally!!!) considering letting me get one from Verizon.
can you get MP3s from VCAST? to watch stuff (such as Gossip Girl summaries) or listen to music on V CAST do you have to pay for them? and if so is it a monthly thing included in your phone bill or you pay for each thing you watch/listen to?can you sync your mp3s from iTunes...... Q. Hey man, I just wanted to thank you for all your great videos that has helped me alot.That being said I have a question to ask you, DO you know if it has been confirmed about the new sidekick Gekko/Aspen coming out on July? Is there any difference between the Lx to the Gekko/Aspen? And also is there a difference with the new Tony Hawk SK and the LX coming out in mid July? Do you know where I can get a Black Sidekick Lx?
Thank you for all your help!!!!!!!!
A....... Yes, you can go on YouTube on the Instinct. It connects to YouTube mobile and then uses Instinct's media player to playback the videos. It's not the same as iPhone's custom YouTube app, but it works just fine.... Q. What is "stereo" Bluetooth? I know what Bluetooth technology is, but wondered if stereo Bluetooth was any different?
A. Stereo Bluetooth means that the phone can send stereo audio to a headset in addition to mono (regular) audio. Non-stereo Bluetooth just sends one channel, so you can talk and listen to a caller's voice using a Bluetooth earpiece that only fits into one of your ears. Stereo Bluetooth sends both left and right channels so you can listen to stereo music...... Q. Hi, how did u get to the aim app on the Samsusng instinct?
A. I used AIM's website, not an AIM app. Go to AIM.com on the browser and you should find a link to "AIM Express." Unfortunately there isn't a mobile IM application for Instinct right now.... Q. Thanks for making all the great phone review videos, it really gives me a general idea of what is good and not so good when is comes to the cellular market. I actually work at an AT&T store in WA, and I currently have a dealer line through AT&T but for some idiotic reason they won't let me use the iphone on my dealer line. So what I was wondering is how comparable is the LG Vu to the iphone, when it comes down to general workability. I wouldn't use the internet a whole lot,...... Q. Do you know about any of the features the iPhone 3g will have? Do yout think it will be better then the 1st iPhone, b/c i heard the iphone 3G is a cheaper version and its not better then the first. A lot of people told me the 1st iPhone freezes and isn't that good either. So please help b/c I dont know which phone is better.
A. At this point you can't buy the first version unless you get it used or off ebay or something - Apple has stopped making and selling it, and...... Q. Which device do you like better Noah, the Samsung Glyde or the LG Voyager?
A. Voyager is bigger to carry around but much easier to use. If you want a small, cool phone that you'll use mainly only for calls and texting, Glyde will work and I love how small it is. But if you plan to also use the Web and the VCAST music and video features, you might find Glyde frustrating - I know I did. Check 'em out in person, as I personally think Voyager is really too big to...... SMIL (pronounced "smile"), the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, is beginning to appear on new advanced mobile devices as an extended form of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). SMIL allows for the presentation of media items such as text, images, video, and audio, as well as links to other SMIL presentations, and files from multiple web servers. Share your unique SMIL "slideshows" with other friends using a SMIL device. ... Rollover minutes are offered with AT&T calling plans. They accumulate when you select a calling plan and do not use all of the anytime minutes. (i.e. You sign up for the 450 minute plan and only use 400 minutes. 50 minutes rollover to the next month and can be used within a year.) The specific definition and details of how their rollover minutes work is included below.Rollover® Minutes accumulate and expire through 12 rolling bill periods. Bill Period 1...... An avid PhoneDog reader asked me last week: "What is a smartphone, anyway? You mention them in your reviews, but I'm not really sure what makes one phone smart and another ... not smart?"
Good question. I had a pretty solid working definition of my own but did some research before putting fingers to keyboard. I've included links to a few other helpful definitions below, but here's what I came up with:
A Smartphone is essentially a scaled-down personal computer...... Independent network calling is taking free mobile-to-mobile calling within your network to a new level! This service is currently being offered by two national providers, Alltel and T-Mobile and regional provider SunCom. They have made it possible for you, the customer, to assign the telephone numbers you talk to the most to your calling plan for unlimited calling. All calls made to and from your designated numbers to your cellular phone will not go against your calling plan...... Advances in technologies like GPS (Global Positioning Services) have made it cheaper and easier for cell phone manufacturers to build the hardware and software for location-based services into cell phones, or as Bluetooth-based add-ons for older phones. GPS units have been a hit in the automotive industry, giving drivers mobile access to directions, traffic conditions, and travelers' information such as hotel and restaurant listings. Verizon has "VZ Navigator" while Cingular has...... Our friends in parts of Asia and Europe have been enjoying "3G" high-speed cellular services for some time now, while true 3G networks are still ramping up to speed stateside. One use of 3G cellular networks has been for video services including streaming entertainment and video calling (many 3G phones actually have two cameras: a high quality shooter on the back, and a lower-res camera on the front for video calling).
Verizon and Sprint have been offering streaming video...... Understanding and feeling comfortable with your cellular phone bill is a big part of being happy with your provider. A recent survey found that 50% of cell phone users were surprised by the price of their first bill, so thank you for the question. The following items are all things you should expect to see on your first bill.
Activation FeeAll of the large national carriers charge a one-time activation fee so you must automatically factor that into...... When selecting a new phone and plan from one of the distributors available from our site(Foncentral, Let's Talk, or WireFly), the order is processed by them but the credit check requirements are determined by the new cellular phone carrier. ... No, all of the phones being shipped by the distrubutors Foncentral, Let's Talk, and Wirefly are brand new. Only phones listed as refurbished would be just that. The specials for these new cellular phones are available via the website because of the quantity of phones ordered and shipped a day. Each distributor also offers mail-in and instant rebates that help the consumer get that great deal on a new phone.
So visit the cell phone section again and pick out...... Text messaging is a fun and innovative way to stay in touch by typing from your mobile device instead of placing a call. You can use your phone's keypad to send messages to other people on your network. You push "2" for "A" and push "2, 2" for "B", etc. This service is normally offered by all major carriers at an additional monthly cost.
Email service is a type of text messaging. Many carriers will offer an email account that is something like yournumber@carriername.com. A...... Two-way radio service on a cellular phone is a walkie-talkie type feature that allows for you to push a button and be instantly connected to another party without having to make a phone call. Once you finish speaking and release the button, the person on the other end can respond by pressing the button on their phone and speaking. Advancements in two way radio services make it possible for you to communicate with friends and family across the United States. Verizon...... Phone Only PurchaseFor most people, the easiest way to determine which phone will work with their carrier is by using our Phone Finder tool and selecting your carrier from the filter list and choosing the “unlocked phones” option. If you really want to learn more and fully understand, you’ll need to read Chapters 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10 of the Buyers Guide.... If you’re not switching carriers and don’t qualify for a Carrier Upgrade, you can expect to pay near retail price to switch phones. Carriers offer the best deals to new customers, or handset upgrades for those who have had service for a substantial period of time. Carriers make their money by providing you with monthly service plans, and little or no revenue from selling a phone by itself. Most consumers are accustomed to getting a phone for free when they signed up for new...... It depends on which carrier you have service with. With GSM carriers, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, SunCom, and Cellular One, you only need to remove your SIM card out of the back of the phone and put it in your new phone. CDMA carriers such as Verizon and Sprint require you to call in the phones serial number to their customer service department. For more information on GSM and CDMA carriers, see Chapters 5 and 10 of our Buyers Guide.... It depends on whether you have a GSM or CDMA phone. With a GSM phone, just make sure you save all your contact to your SIM CARD, not your phones internal memory. Then just place the SIM card in your <A title="Find a new phone today" href="/cell-phone-shopping/default.aspx">new phone</A>. CDMA phones require you to re-type your contacts manually, purchase the appropriate data cable and software, or for a small fee your carriers corporate store...... Phone Only Purchase Through EbayFor most people, the easiest way to determine which phone will work with their carrier is by using our Phone Finder tool and selecting your carrier from the filter list and choosing the “unlocked phones” option. If you really want to learn more and fully understand, you’ll need to read Chapters 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10 of the Buyers Guide.
Every Online Store and most ebay sellers will clearly provide carrier compatibility information within the item description.... “Unlocked” simply means that the phone is not locked with any particular service provider. This means that the phone will work with any carrier that supports the band/frequencies specified for the device. Some features such as picture messaging may not work until the phone is properly configured. Please contact your service provider if you are not sure about the frequencies they carry or if certain features of your new unlocked device are not working. ... Yes, but just make sure the phone is compatible with your carrier. Both companies use CDMA technology, but each phone is specifically configure via serial number to only work with Sprint or Verizon, not both. If the phone comes with a box, the box will specifically be labeled with the Sprint, Verizon, or appropriate carriers logo.... Quad-band phones will work anywhere in the US and most European countries. Tri-band phones do not include the 850mh frequency, which is used by Cingular. read more.. link to http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-buying-guide/understanding-cellular-technology-and-frequencies.aspx... A reputable seller should meet the following criteria:• A feedback score, typically 98.8% or higher.• Total sales of at least 500• A good return policy• A dedicated phone number for customer service• Read more http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/buying_tips.html
*Tips:
• Some Ebay sellers use titles that contain words “L NEW” the “L” stands for “like”.These phones are obviously not new and should be avoided. Sellers will...... Phones & PlansYes, transferring your current cellular phone number to a new carrier has become a standard process. During the checkout process, you’ll be asked if you want to “Port” or “Transfer” and existing number. Final instructions on how to finish the transfer will be provided when you receive your new phone. Just be sure that you DO NOT cancel your existing service with your current carrier until your number is working properly on your new phone.... Currently via LowerMyPhone.com, the authorized dealers, WireFly and Let's Talk allow for customers to purchase one of the advertised specials and extend their current contracts. Contract extensions with a WireFly special can be completed by current AT&T, Sprint, or Nextel customers who are eligible to extend their contract. You may select an advertised special from WireFly and click “Buy Now from WireFly”. From the WireFly checkout page you will need to...... An authorized online dealer can ship new wireless devices at a discounted price. There are only four authorized online dealers approved by carriers to sell wireless devices online in addition to the carriers' own websites. LowerMyPhone.com is the only website that allows you to compare prices from every authorized online dealer. While you may see hundreds of websites claiming to sell handsets at the lowest prices, in fact they are going through one of these authorized...... Yes, you can make this change from the authorized dealer’s checkout page. After you have selected a new carrier, cellular phone, and calling plan you will click “Buy now” from the authorized dealer of your choice. A different device can be selected by clicking “change this phone”. A list of current specials will appear and a new phone can be selected for each additional line being added to your calling plan if desired.... Currently Let’s Talk is the only authorized dealer compared at PhoneDog.com that allows for customers to add a line to their current account. Here are the three “Add a Line to Your Account” options available from Let’s Talk. 1. Individual Accounts – Add-a-line programsCurrent AT&T, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon Wireless customers who want to add a new phone and plan to their existing account but want individual lines instead of a family plan may complete this...... Pre-PaidConsumers use pre-paid calling plans for many different reasons. Below are the top five reason why you may want to consider using a pre-paid service.
No annual contracts
No credit check, or deposit required
Using the phone for emergency purposes only
Visiting the U.S. for a short period of time
Unsatisfactory credit... It depends on the type of phone you already have and if it’s unlocked or not. You would need to contact the pre-paid service provider directly for more information.... Besides pre-paid only carriers, many national carriers have added pre-paid calling plans to their service offers. Here is a list of the current carriers offering pre-paid services:
TracFone (Largest pre-paid provider in the U.S.)
Alltel
Boost Mobile
Cingular
Cricket
Liberty
metroPCS
Net10
SunCom
T-Mobile
Verizon
Virgin Mobile... There are many reason why some people benefit from a pre-paid service plan, but there are still some disadvantages that we want for everyone to be aware of. The following is a list of five disadvantages to using a pre-paid calling plan instead of a post-paid plan.
Higher per minute rates
Service and coverage area may not be the same as a post-paid plan
Higher purchase price for the phone
Must re-charge your phone when your minutes are exhausted
Possible...... Service TransferTransfering your existing cellular phone number to a new carrier has become a standard process in the industry. The following providers do allow for you to transfer your existing number into a new service agreement with their company: Cellular One, Cingular Wireless, Edge Wireless, Einstein, Nextel, NTELOS, SunCom, SureWest Wireless, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon.
To ensure that you are able to transfer your telephone number to a new cellular phone provider, answer yes to the...... Each carrier is different, but on average it takes around three hours for the porting to take place. Actual time may vary and depends on the two carriers involved, so it is important to remember that this time is an estimate. Many people are porting their phone numbers over to new carriers, so the process is much better than it was in the past!... We like to make sure everyone is aware that their phones might experience mixed service until the port-in is finalized. Mixed services means you may make calls from your new wireless phone, however incoming calls will ring to your old phone until the port-in is complete. Once the port-in is complete, service with your old carrier will shut off automatically and your new wireless phone will have full service.... TechnologyEDGE is an innovation on the GPRS technology. GPRS and EDGE are simply the same concept of mobile internet but the EDGE technology has made many more improvements. The biggest improvement that consumers are concerned with is speed. The EDGE technology offers speeds of 236kbits per second if not more, while GPRS has speeds of up to 48kbits per second. So Yes, EDGE is better in the fact that an EDGE device will give you a lot faster data rate. But beware, some service providers may...... Wi-Fi is the latest cutting edge technology to come to mobile phones. In the past, web browsing on phones was not popular because of the high cost and slow speeds. Nowadays since PDA phones are becoming more and more like computers, Wi-Fi has been added to the list of features.
With Wi-Fi you can not only access the internet at high speeds, you don't need to worry about high internet rates. Virtually everywhere you go now there is a wireless signal. With Wi-Fi on your PDA you don't need...... The difference between analog and digital technology is how the messages are transmitted and the sound quality of those voice transmissions. Analog technology uses a system called Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS). AMPS uses analog radio frequency modulation (FM) for voice transmission. Digital technology uses one of the following systems: CDMA, TDMA, or GSM. In general, digital transmissions provide for highly private conversations with superior sound quality to analog transmissions. ...... Most cellular phone carriers support one of the following incompatible technologies for transmitting and decoding phone calls.
Each technology has its proponents and detractors. The most important consideration for consumers is ensuring that your phone and service provider both support the same technology. Example: you can use a CDMA-compatible phone only on a CDMA-compatible network.
TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), sorts messages into time slots in order to send them. Voice......
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