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Mobiles have come a long way since the early ones which were used just for making and receiving calls. Yup! Today with the advent of iPad, tablets, smartphones, the type of phone you choose says a lot about you. With so many options it can get confusing. Here's help on factors to consider when you choose one.

Need: Tops the list. The phone that you WANT may not necessarily be the one that you NEED! First, figure out the reasons why you need that phone. Sure, an iPhone might top the list, however you might want to consider your budget first. Top of the line camera phone? Sure. However, if you already own a good camera, do you need the phone with the super megapixels? Smartphone? With a smart toddler who might use it as a playmate, buying it may not be a smart decision after all! Think of 5 reasons why you need a phone and then read on. Upcoming Cell Phone Technology: If you are someone who has limited travel needs, consider a CDMA phone. Change of country, carriers or handsets, choose a GSM phone. There are also phones offering different types of technology with different SIM options for those who like to use separate technology, carriers or data plans. It's also handy for those who prefer to keep separate numbers for business and personal use.

Features: A Businessman or a casual user, there's a phone out there for everyone. Music and movie buffs, amateur photographer, gamers-choose a rich media content phone with good display,camera and ample memory storage. An avid Internet surfer looks for phones which offer fast data transfer. Business oriented users need phones which work on different networks, have good transmission and support video calls.3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, good to have in a phone. Point is, how often would you use it? Upcoming Android smartphone Budget: Proportion of your wants is relatively higher to the price tag on the phone. Higher megapixels, excellent display, 3G, Wi-Fi, high data capabilities, the more the bells and whistles on your phone the more the price. Keep a budget in mind and an eye on the deals.

Performance: Performance should top the list in your decision. You wouldn't want the phone to die when you make that important call. Check for battery life which includes talktime usage and standby time. If you like multimedia, check for the types of files that the phone supports. Avid gamers should check for game performance, speed and lag on the phone. Use the display models which are usually provided in stores. latest smartphone Applications: Applications extend the functionality of the phone. Basic applications like a calculator, an alarm, music, games, messages come as a part of the standard phone. Here's where your operating system(OS) of the phone comes into the picture. The more widely used OS, the more the number of applications available. Some of the prominent OS associated with the brand names are: Symbian (Nokia, Sony), Google Android (Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony, HTC, etc.), Applie IOs (iPad), RIM (Blackberry), Java (Sony, Samsung, etc.), Windows Phone 7 (Nokia, Acer, etc.), Bada (Samsung). Applications developed for these OS's are either free or paid. If an application is proprietary to a particular brand or OS, it cannot be used by another. How does this affect you? Well, to use it, you need to own the phone brand and this limits your choice.

Accessories: Some companies offer accessories bundled with the phone. Most of these are standard and can be used over different phones. Despair not if you lose that earphone or some accessory malfunctions and you are out of warranty. Buy a standard one over the counter which works with your phone. This is great! It means that you don't need to search ebay even if the brand or the parts are discontinued

Personalization and Style: Your phone says a lot about your personality. Check for different colors and styles. A phone body can have interchangeable color schemes to suit your mood or your outfit. Size of the phone is a personal preference. The buttons and controls should be ergonomic and comfortable while typing or texting. Though touch phones are the craze nowadays, some people, like me, still prefer to have the QWERTY option. Or, if you like, there's best of both worlds, the Touch and Type phones. Different types of forms like Candy bar, touch screen, flip screen, swivel, slider, etc. are out there. Choose the one that suits your daily activities.

Service: After sales service-no service! Make sure this doesn't happen to you. Read the contract and the tiny print before you sign. This should include warranty and after sales service for the phone. If possible, look out for a refund option. This is very handy if you need to reconsider either the phone or the service provider.

Research: Last but not the least, research. Ask around with friends and relatives before you make that final decision. Check the internet for reviews and, of course, for articles like this!