Hi.
I'm considering my first smartphone purchase and hoping to find a little advice.
I'd like a device I can use mainly to browse the web while I'm out (and out of wifi range) and do a few other things. What I think I'm looking for is:
I live close to a major US city, and all the providers I checked coverage maps for showed some 3g/4g coverage in my area. The community-drive maps were less confident, but showed service on the major roads nearby at least. I've seen other people using cellphones, but I suppose there's no way to 'check' what the service is like for what providers without actually having a device of my own.
Based on all this, the best option for me that I've seen seems to be the T-Mobile basic unlimited data plan for $30/month
Now I need a device to go with it. In the shop I visited, the vast majority of the devices were 'branded' to a certain provider; and the only T-Mobile devices they had were the Prism II and Lumia 521; which, while economical, I'm not quite sure they're quite what I'm looking for. I think I understand that once I'm settled on what provider I want, I can either buy a device directly from them (/their website) or buy an 'unlocked' device (from somewhere?) and then a 'starter kit' to hook it up the provider I want? This is about how far my own research has gotten me; There's just so many options when it comes to devices I'm not even sure where to start comparing.
Does my reasoning seem sound? Is there anything obvious I'm overlooking? And most importantly, what devices would you recommend I consider (or where should I look for a comparison of devices).
I appreciate any advice you can share with me. Thanks.
I'm considering my first smartphone purchase and hoping to find a little advice.
I'd like a device I can use mainly to browse the web while I'm out (and out of wifi range) and do a few other things. What I think I'm looking for is:
- A nice screen, both for viewing and typing; but not too big that it's awkward to carry around on my person. I'm thinking the five to six inch range would be good?
- A good data plan; if not necessarily the fastest. I'd just rather it doesn't cut off or charge overages
- Good battery life, for at least a few hours worth.
I live close to a major US city, and all the providers I checked coverage maps for showed some 3g/4g coverage in my area. The community-drive maps were less confident, but showed service on the major roads nearby at least. I've seen other people using cellphones, but I suppose there's no way to 'check' what the service is like for what providers without actually having a device of my own.
Based on all this, the best option for me that I've seen seems to be the T-Mobile basic unlimited data plan for $30/month
Now I need a device to go with it. In the shop I visited, the vast majority of the devices were 'branded' to a certain provider; and the only T-Mobile devices they had were the Prism II and Lumia 521; which, while economical, I'm not quite sure they're quite what I'm looking for. I think I understand that once I'm settled on what provider I want, I can either buy a device directly from them (/their website) or buy an 'unlocked' device (from somewhere?) and then a 'starter kit' to hook it up the provider I want? This is about how far my own research has gotten me; There's just so many options when it comes to devices I'm not even sure where to start comparing.
Does my reasoning seem sound? Is there anything obvious I'm overlooking? And most importantly, what devices would you recommend I consider (or where should I look for a comparison of devices).
I appreciate any advice you can share with me. Thanks.