If you’re like most people who own a cell phone, chances are at somepoint you’ve been hit with expensive overage charges for using more minutes than were included in your plan. You probably had no idea why you were hit with overage charges one month and not the next. While cell phone carriers do an excellent job of telling you how many minutes you get with your plan, they do a poor job explaning to you exactly how they work. In this article we’ll remove the complicated mysticism surrounding your cellular minutes and how they are calculated. How to Avoid Cell Phone Overage Charges »

The question of when to give your child a cellular phone is often a difficult one. Parents are looking for the security of knowing their child can reach them quickly and easily at any time. However many parents have been shocked when receiving a bill with excessive overage charges.

There are many effective strategies parents can take to avoid conflicts over cell phone usage. The first step is to asses your child’s level of responsibility, and determine whether they respect the boundaries you set for them. While generally more expensive on per minute basis, many parents chose to go with a prepaid calling plan. You pre-purchase a block of prepaid minutes, preventing you from going over your monthly allowance.

For teens that are older and more mature, you can consider a family calling plan. This is generally the most economical choice. You can add an additional line to your existing calling plan for a nominal charge. You can then purchase a larger block of minutes at a reduced rate and share them amongst everyone on the plan.

Adding a digital camera to a cellular phone is a really good idea. As the saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words”. It can be used to send a picture of the office building you�re meeting a colleague at, the restaurant where you’re meeting your friends, or anything else that you find interesting. In fact there is even a new trend known as a moblog where people upload their pictures to websites and share with others.

Camera Phones »

Cell Phone Accessories

When purchasing a cell phone you also need to consider any accessories you will need as part of the overall purchase price.

Extra Batteries

If you spend a lot of time on the phone you may want an extra battery. However you will need to work out a charging solution. The easiest way is to get a dedicated charging stand for the battery. Alternatively you could charge one battery, then swap batteries and charge another, but you would have to remember to swap them.

Car Charger

If you spend a lot of time in the car just driving, or talking and driving, a car charger will make sense. It allows you to charge your battery by plugging into your cigarette lighter. However make sure your car is equipped with one as many newer cars are not. You could also have a charging solution hard wired into the car although this is a very expensive option.

Headset or Hands Free

Many states across the country have already passed or are preparing to pass hands free driving legislation. Simply put if you�re driving you must have a speaker phone, headset or similar device, you can not hold the phone while you are driving. You can go with a simple inexpensive solution a single cord that connects to the phone and sits in your ear and has a microphone. There are many different designs, some that have boom microphone, some that have an inline microphone, some even have noise cancellation in the earpiece. Bluetooth is line of products designed to allow the headset and earpiece to communicate with the phone wirelessly. These are great pieces of equipment and very convenient even if they are a little pricey.

Case or Belt Clip

There are almost as many styles of cases or clips as there are stars in the sky. The range from simple plastic hip holsters, to fashion forward leather pouches, to elaborate temperature resistant and waterproof enclosures. The best case is one that fits into your lifestyle in way you don�t notice it. A belt or purse clip is usually a good choice if you have a small flip phone. For an open face phone a something more pouch like is generally a better choice, however these are personal lifestyle decisions.

If you’ve decided to get a new cell phone it’s important to know what features are available to help you decide which features you need, which features you want, and which you don’t.

Cell Phone Features »