When you’re shopping for a Smartphone there’s really only two different approaches you can take. The first is to select a bundle that includes a phone, a vendor and a service plan. The second is to select a phone, a plan or a vendor independent of one another. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.
If you’re shopping for a bundled package, be aware that hardware costs are often subsidized by the phone manufacturer. In most cases, if you were to buy the same phone without a plan, it would cost substantially more. That said, in today’s market, it’s common for many different vendors to sell the same model phone. As a result, competition is fierce and hardware prices are falling – especially on the most popular models. This is especially useful for folks who plan to buy a phone without a service plan.
Before you start shopping for a service plan, try to figure out how you’ll be using your phone on a day-to-day basis. Service plans are usually arranged in steps or tiers from basic to luxurious. Vendors often don’t have comparable plans so it’s important for consumes to know what features are most important to them as they sort through their choices. If you know how you’re going to be using the phone, you’ll have an easier time making comparisons. In many cases, service plan prices are contingent on you agreeing to a lengthy contract (usually two years or more). Before you sign such an agreement do your homework. Read the service contract carefully. Find out what the phone company’s cancellation policy is and if fees are incurred if you choose to end the contract early. Also find out all you can about equipment warranties. How long do they last? Will you be getting a new or reconditioned phone if your original needs replacement? If you add optional services after you sign up, is the contract period extended? If so, for how long?
As an alternative to lengthy service contracts, a growing number of wireless providers offer “no contract” plans that let you opt out at any time without penalties. Despite the flexibility that’s built into these month to month service agreements, they still have rules so it’s best to find out what you’re getting into before you sign up.
Prepaid plans are another alternative to long term service contracts. Under such plans, you only pay for the minutes you actually use. When your minutes are used up, your contract is over unless you pay for more time. Prepaid plans can include bundled hardware and service or just wireless service without the hardware. Prepaid plans are attractive because they don’t require credit checks or deposits but they are more expensive than other alternatives.
Where to Buy It
Smartphones are widely available from a variety of different sources. They’re sold in most consumer electronics stores, independent cell phone shops, phone company outlets and by a large number of on-line e-tailers. They’re also available directly from manufacturers.
Regardless of where a Smartphone is purchased, consumers should be aware that its use may be restricted to a certain wireless network because of a pre-existing agreement between the phone manufacturer and its preferred service provider. The agreement between AT&T and Apple Computer is a good case in point. In the US, if you use the iPhone on any network other than AT&T, you void the phone’s warranty.
National, International & Regional Retail Chains:
Check the websites for each of the vendors listed below to find out where their closest or most convenient store is located. In addition to their local stores, you can also make on-line purchases at their websites. Most of these retailers allow you to arrange for in-store pickup or standard package delivery.
| Best Buy | Best Buy sells phone & plan bundles as well as unlocked phones. Trade-ins are accepted. Stores are located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico. |
| Fry’s Electronics | Fry’s only sells unlocked phones. Store locations are limited to California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. |
| Wal-Mart | Wal-Mart sells phone & plan bundles for all the major wireless networks. It does not sell unlocked phones. Stores are located in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom and throughout the United States. |
| Sam’s Club | Sam’s Club sells phone & plan bundles for all the major wireless networks. Trade-ins are accepted. It does not sell unlocked phones. Membership is required to make a purchase. Stores are located in Mexico, Brazil, China and throughout the United States. |
| Costco | Costco sells unlocked phones as well as phone & plan bundles for all the major wireless networks. Trade-ins are accepted. Some phones are only available on-line. Membership is required to make a purchase. Stores are located in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and throughout the United States. |
| Office Depot | Office Depot only sells phone & plan bundles. Trade-ins are accepted. Stores are located throughout throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. |
| Radio Shack | Radio Shack sells phone & plan bundles for all the major wireless networks. Trade-ins are accepted. Stores are located throughout the United States. Authorized Radio Shack distributors can also be found in Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Panama, St Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago, UAE (Dubai) and Venezuela. |
On-line e-tailers
Here are some links to on-line e-tailers to help you find the best deal on the Smartphone you’ve selected:
| Amazon.com | on-line e-tailer selling unlocked phones as well as bundled plans and phones for all the major wireless networks. |
| Circuit City | Circuit City sells locked and unlocked phones as well as plan & phone bundles from all the major wireless phone companies. |
| CompUSA | on-line e-tailer selling unlocked phones as well as bundled plans and phones for all the major wireless networks. |
| LetsTalk | on-line e-tailer selling bundled plans and phones for all the major wireless networks. |
| Mac Mall | Mac Mall sells locked and unlocked phones. Wireless service plans are not available. Both new and refurbished phones are available. |
| Wirefly | on-line e-tailer selling unlocked phones as well as bundled plans and phones for all the major wireless networks. |
Factory Direct Purchases
If you want to buy directly from a Smartphone manufacturer, here are some websites to visit.
| Apple Computer | Apple sells Smartphones bundled with AT&T or Verizon service plans. Refurbished phones are available. In addition to its on-line store, Apple Computer operates a chain of local retail stores. You can check Apple’s website to find out where the closest or most convenient store is. Note that on-line purchases are shipped directly to customers and cannot be picked up at local Apple retail stores. |
| Dell Computer | Dell’s on-line store sells unlocked phones as well as plan & phone bundles from all the major wireless phone companies. |
| Firefly Phones | Firefly phones are specifically designed to appeal to kids and tweens. Firefly only sells phones and service plan bundles for their own network. |
| Hewlett-Packard | HP’s on-line store sells Smartphones & service plan bundles from all the major wireless phone companies. |
| HTC Phones | This is an information only site. No on-line sales are available. Phones and service plan bundles are available through links to partnering wireless service provider websites. The site also has links to a number of national retailers and on-line e-tailers. HTC does not appear to have a trade-in or recycling program for obsolete phones. No unlocked or refurbished phones are available on the site. |
| Kyocera | This is an information only site. No on-line sales are available. It also provides information for Sanyo brand phones |
| LG | This is an information only site. No on-line sales are available. Phones and service plan bundles are available through links to partnering wireless service provider websites. No unlocked or refurbished phones are available on the site. LG does have a trade-in or recycling program for obsolete phones. |
| Motorola | Motorola’s on-line store sells unlocked and refurbished phones as well as plan & phone bundles from all the major wireless phone companies. |
| Nokia | Nokia’s on-line store only sells unlocked phones. Links are provided to wireless service providers who sell Nokia phones with bundled service plans. |
| RIM BlackBerry | This is an information only site. No on-line sales are available. |
| Samsung | Samsung’s on-line store sells plan & phone bundles from all the major wireless phone companies. Phones can be shipped directly to the customer or picked up at a local phone company outlet or retail store. |
| Sharp | This is an information only site. No on-line sales are available for North America. |
| Sony Ericsson | Sony Ericsson’s on-line store sells plan & phone bundles from all the major wireless phone companies. Unlocked and refurbished phones are also available on-line. |
| Twig Phones | Twig’s on-line store only sells unlocked phones. |
| ZTE | This is an information only site. No on-line sales are available for North America. |
In addition to their on-line stores, each of the manufactures listed above sells Smartphones through a network of authorized retailers and e-tailers.
Buying a Used or Refurbished Phone
Here are some sites where you can buy used or refurbished Smartphones. Just remember to check out their reputation and returns policy before you do business.
ReCellular
eBay Inc.
Cellular Country
Replace Your Cell
In addition to these sites, you can also buy refurbished Smartphones directly from many cell phone manufacturer. Learn more …
Price Comparison & Consolidator Sites:
You can also use other on-line aggregators. On-line aggregators are probably the most efficient way to comparison shop.