Smart Cell Phones

[Garydh]

How does a smart phone work?. Besides the cost of the phone, how expensive is it to use? I am so confused. What or who is the best carrier?, Do I need internet? Is it like using a computer to access like FusionCash? Can I Use it to call people on Skype?, I guess I am asking FusionCash members as to what they are using in this tech world and what there opinions are of their phone and service, and when they go home can it transfer to the computer?

[AdamH1978]

I'm not very tech savvy, but I can answer a few of your questions.  A smart phone is just a phone with a little computer processor inside of it which allows it to function in most ways that your desktop computer operates.  Most smart phones allow you to take pictures as well.  You will not be using Word or typing papers on a smart phone, but common uses of a smart phone are to surf the internet, checking Facebook, getting directions, taking/sending pictures, et cetera.  The best carrier is probably Verizon Wireless, but you will pay a premium for their excellent service.  They have the most cell towers so they have the best reception in the most places and the fastest internet speeds among the cell carriers.  You will likely pay at least 100 dollars a month for a smart phone and service with a large carrier like Verizon.  I personally have T-Mobile prepaid which means I'm not locked into a 2 year contract and I pay 50 dollars a month for unlimited internet usage, calling, and text.  With prepaid plans you have to pay for your own phone and you generally have to pay a lot to get a nice smart phone(400 dollars for an antiquated Galaxy SII with T-Mobile prepaid).  You get a "free" smart phone when you sign a 2 year contract, but you pay for the phone by paying double the monthly amount that you would pay for prepaid service.     

[ghunter]

I don't have one but my kids love their Smart phone, I am not sure how it all works, but I am going to learn soon.

[Garydh]

Well this is an interesting topic, and interesting to hear what other people have to say, good bad and the ugly. I guess I will need to do a little more research to find out what kind of phone that fires my rocket, and of course the service area, and overall costs. Thanks FusionCash members you have given me some information I need to look out for.

[ladavia89]

I have an IPhone so I can pretty much do everything on my phone that I can do on my computer. I do have the ability to do video calls from my phone. You can do surveys from some sites from your phone but not on Fusioncash.

If you have a contract then it is required to have a minimum data plan with some (if not all) carriers. I usually have my phone  connected to wireless if all possible to ensure I don't go over my data plan. I've had the same plan for about 5 years and it's not even available on AT&T anymore so I try not to go over or have to change it to a higher plan.

[Garydh]

I have heard about using the wireless regarding smart phones, does that mean if I have wireless connection here in my home, I can use the phone via the wireless and not use up my minutes etc?

[caleshire]

I love to have one but I love my computer because I got a big screen and I can see good while the smart phone is  small and hard to use,I can't see very good so I'm not trying to get one.Plus you got to have a separate service and that's addition to the monthly payment I guess I can leave without it.

[lrharting]

I have heard about using the wireless regarding smart phones, does that mean if I have wireless connection here in my home, I can use the phone via the wireless and not use up my minutes etc?

Yes you can do this.  This is what I do to keep my bill cheap.

A smart phone is like a small computer you carry around or like a PDA.  You can do the obvious things you can do with a phone like text and call.  Also you can email, send photos, listen to music, browse facebook or the net, get directions, shop, compare prices, there is almost no limit to the things you can do.  Some specific things I use my phone for are keeping notes I might need while I am shopping, keeping my checkbook and budget together, and keeping my time sheets for work.  If you are not very computer/tech savvy I recommend and iPhone only because they have made it very simple and user friendly. However it's not my personal favorite.  If you like more customization and are someone who 'tinkers' with your computer I do not think you will be happy with an iPhone.  An Android based phone might be more to your liking.  There are a lot of free apps and I feel like the phones are better quality.  There is more freedom.  Also Android is not the same thing as Droid.  Android is an operating system kind of like Windows or Mac on your computer.  Droid is a type of phone I believe made by Motorola (correct me if I"m wrong.)

If you sign up for cell phone service with one of the big companies like Verizon or ATT you will pay about $100 a month plus start up fees and anything you will have to pay for a phone.  They usually offer a discounted phone in exchange for a 2 year agreement meaning you cannot disconnect your service without incurring a fee.  The advantage to this is that you get a great selection of phones and you can get discounts on some of the most cutting edge models.  I got my Samsung Captivate for $150 with an agreement, this is easily a $400 phone at retail prices.  I was with ATT for years and switched to a prepaid version to save some money.  I now pay $40 for 100 mb of data and unlimited texting/calling/mms.  I do not need a huge data package because I have internet at home with a wifi signal the same signal you would use to connect your computer.  I look for wifi wherever I am at and this has cut down my data bill.  

As far as using Fusion Cash on your phone, I have not had any luck.  The website detects that I am on a mobile device as soon as I go to the website.  I can log on and check my account and see if I have surveys, but I don't trust it to actually work properly for offers or surveys.

I hope this has been helpful.

[gwendolynconrad]

I do not use my cell phone very much, I am going to stick with the one I got.

[lvstephanie]

My smart phone has been my replacement for all sorts of other devices: it's an e-reader (with an app like Kindle), a GPS (with the navigator app), a camera, an MP3 player, a portable gaming system, a laptop, even a flashlight (with an app that turns my phone's camera-flash on like a flashlight! And of course, a phone. And although you can use WiFi, you aren't restricted to that, unlike my Nook tablet... That means you can connect anywhere you can get a signal; like even on the road, which is why it's actually a fairly good GPS system, esp. with the windshield mount and cigarette lighter adapter. When a group of us went cross-country to Florida, we used my friend's smart phone as the GPS and MP3 player for the entire drive (that's what caused me to decide to go with a smart phone myself).

As for service, I think it depends on how much you want to spend as well as where you plan to use it. Verizon has the best coverage, in terms of land-mass. Thus in middle America (where I live) you can usually get pretty good reception. I know of some people that have AT&T instead (they bought an iPhone before Apple decided to allow Verizon to also be a carrier for them) that have not been able to get reception in certain areas in our town. However, if you live on the East or West coasts, you should have no trouble getting reception regardless of the carrier you choose; thus you might opt for one of the cheaper service providers.

[LenoraMinogue]

Smart phones are great. I just love mine. I don't know how I got along without it. I'm not exactly sure how they work, but do they ever work

[potluck6]

Thanks for all the info been wondering myself about smart phones. a little computer sounds like fun.Don't know if i can afford one even 50.00 a month is alot.we have a go phone for about 25.00 or less a month.

[dcrotteau]

Samsung Galaxy S 3, I got it for free from Verizon.  It's like have a little computer on your phone along with a pretty good camera.  You can do almost anything on it that you can do o a computer.  We have 2 lines and it costs about $124.00 a month.  That's for unlimited everything and one line is a basic phone and the other is my smartphone.   

[kingozzy]

Connecting to other wireless i am sure like by tower/satelite

[nycgal85]

Well to be honest I never had a smartphone but I really want one to learn how to use it and it would be awesome too.