You might have noticed something that I have recently, all the phones are starting to look the same as each other.

For a speed shopper like me who needs to know what something does and how it does it, not having a noticeable difference isn’t helpful. So where do you start when choosing a phone?

Mobile phones are just so much more than a phone, I know my phone doubles as a teeny tiny laptop for me when I’m on the go.

Email, internet, word processing, diary, music, videos, messages, photos, maps, all this on top of receiving calls.

Starting with an idea about what you will use your phone for is a good place to begin, make a list of the features that appeal to your needs.

If you are after a phone to just make calls, your choice is simple (but slowly getting limited) quite often the basic phones are tougher and can have better call quality than a smartphone with all the bells and whistles.

Do you want a keyboard or a touch screen?

Can the phone be easily used with one hand?

Does the size matter?

Are you technologically savvy enough to cope with an operating system of software?

These are all things you need to consider before purchase, most phone stores now have phones on display that are operational so you can get a demonstration.

Coverage is another factor on your mobile phone provider shopping list, while I’m not going to tell you which one has the best coverage, I encourage you to study their “coverage area” map in detail.

Look for that tiny asterix that will lead you to the fine print squirreled away at the bottom of the page, that says coverage in your area is coming in 2014 or that you need to have purchased a certain type of phone for it to work properly.

How you purchase your mobile phone is probably the hardest and most important decision you’ll make.

Buying a phone outright, going on a plan (contract) and paying the phone off or using prepaid phone plans are some options. Again read the fine print especially in plans, as the costs for going over the included calls (your contract may include) could be expensive.

Grab a few old phone bills and work out how much you spend a month in calls, this should give you an idea about what size plan to choose, the same goes for data usage.

As with most new technology however, it is often wise to wait a few months before adopting.

This gives the supplier time to iron out any kinks in the new systems and/or hardware, and wait for the inevitable price drop that usually comes with the next model.

My first phone cost me around eight hundred dollars, and all it did was make calls and you’d have a fit if I told you how much those calls cost!

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