Whether you are buying a mobile phone for the first time or have used one for years, deciding on which one to buy is always difficult. There are a myriad of mobile phones to choose from and features range from cameras to video calling to downloading music from the internet. So, the big question is Which mobile phone should I buy?

Researching Mobile Phones
Just holding a mobile phone in a shop doesnt give you much of an idea of how well youll like it once you buy it. A good way to start your search is do some research on the internet. Read reviews of various mobile phones. Ask your friends for recommendations of mobile phones they like. Then, go to a phone store and get live demonstrations of phones that interest you. Remember, if you buy a phone contract, youll have to use the mobile phone for a least a year, so dont rush into your purchase.

Contract or Pay as You Go
Determine your budget for your mobile phone and any contract before you make your purchase. Also decide whether you are willing to commit to a contract and for how long / how much per month. Because you are signing up for a protracted period, contracts tend to come with heavily discounted phones. You can often get a pretty much top-of-the-line phone free of charge when you sign up. That said, the pay as you go market (where you generally pre-pay for calls) has become very competitive so the phones on offer there are much improved in comparison with a couple of years ago. Ultimately you will need to assess your own likely usage (easy if you have an existing phone - just look at past bills) in determining which of the endless plans and options on offer is best likely to suit you.

In addition to budget, there are a number of other key considerations:-

1. Appearance
When shopping for a mobile phone, appearance is probably the first thing that will attract you to some models. But, as with so many things in life, appearance can be deceiving. Before you choose a cute, classy, or trendy mobile phone, make sure you know its specifications and whether it is easy to use or not.

There are three basic phone designs: traditional style phones such as a Nokia 6230, clamshell phones that fold such as the Motorola Razr V3, and slider phones in which the keypad appears when you slide the screen back, such as the Samsung D600. Personal preference, ease of use, and cost should dictate which type of design you choose.

2. Comfort
You'll want a mobile phone that's comfortable to hold and easy to operate. Each phone feels different when you hold it, so make sure you hold each one up to your ear to see if it fits comfortably. Consider the key layout and size of the screen and keypad, because these will affect dialling and text messaging. If the keys are too small or awkward to press, the phone will be uncomfortable to use. If the screen is too small, viewing texts or photos will be difficult.

3. Features
Features, such as video or still cameras, MP3 music players, video calling or email, and an extra battery charger for the car, can be very useful - or a complete waste of money depending on how often you will use them. The best way to choose features is to think about how you will use your phone and which ones you need the most. If you love music and spend a lot of time in the car or waiting around, get a mobile phone with an MP3 player and a large amount of memory or an expandable memory slot. If you use your phone for work, push email can be a godsend. If you have children, still and video camera capabilities may be your preference.

4. Performance
A mobile phones main purpose is for making and receiving calls, so be sure you can hear well during calls. Insist on making a test call or two on the phones you're considering. When you call, determine if the phone has a good signal and call a landline or two to make sure the sound isn't affected by other mobiles. When making calls listen for muffled voices or sound distortion and interference. Ask the person you are speaking to if they can hear you clearly. You might also want to try the text messaging system. Check the keypad for comfort in use and to see if the text input system is simple.

Battery life is very important. There's nothing more aggravating than suddenly hearing the beep of a phone about to run out of power. Battery life can be extended, but check the phone before buying it to see how long the battery typically lasts. Phones with colour screens and many extra features lose battery power quickly. The stated battery life is sometimes unduly optimistic, as it depends on use as well as the battery itself and the brand of phone. This is particularly true of used phones where the battery performance is likely to have degraded over many charge / discharge cycles. Some mobile phones stay charged much longer than others! About two to three days is common, but some phones with light use will stay charged longer.

Second-hand Mobile Phones
Second hand mobile phones are a good choice if you want to get more for your money and are not worried about having the very latest model. They are generally much cheaper than new mobile phones (although it is worth comparing them with the phones on offer if you sign up for a new contract given the discounts involved). Its also potentially handy to have a second-hand mobile phone as a back-up if you work outdoors or engage in sports in which you could easily break or lose a new model. There are many second-hand, mobile phones for sale here at classifieds. Always be careful regarding the honesty and legitimacy of the seller as there is unfortunately a flourishing market in stolen phones. Honest sellers will usually be comfortable with you asking for proof of identity and address. Don't buy from someone in a pub you have never met before: the chances are not good that you will be getting a legitimate phone.

Mobile phones have long life spans so buying a second-hand phone is a perfectly valid thing to do. Sometimes the batteries on second-hand phones have to be charged more frequently and may offer shorter standby and call times than those on new phones, if for no other reason other than the number of charge / discharge cycles they may have already seen. There are a great many aftermarket and third party replacement batteries available online for just about any model you may care to consider so this shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you decide to purchase a second-hand mobile phone, be sure to get the battery charger, manual, hands-free kit (if any), and the box (if possible). The seller might have accessories too, such as a case.

Conclusion
Whichever phone you decide is right for you, always make sure you have physically held it in a retail outlet (or using a friend's if available) before committing to a purchase: screen size; keypad location and size and the overall dimensions and weight of the phone will have a significant effect on its usefulness to you. Think about your budget and your likely or historical usage patterns and look hard at the plans on offer, including deciding whether a monthly contract (with a minimum period) or pay-as-you-go will suit you better. For any model, also consider the battery life and for second hand phones check the availability and cost of replacement batteries if the phone has been in use for some time. Also make sure that the seller is legitimate as there are a good many stolen phones floating around.
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Classified Ad Results  ( 1 to 20 of 20 ads found )
22 July 2008
below are our current price list of mobiles and ipods in store. apple iphone 3g [16gb] at $300usd nokia n77. $270usd nokia n76. $265usd nokia n73. $235usd nokia n72. $220usd nokia n71. $210usd nokia n70. $190usd nokia n95. $290usd . .
TD14
20 July 2008
Lg viewty for sale/swap. excellent touchscreen phone. great condition with a couple of scuffs but not really noticable. the screen is in perfect condition as it still as the screen protector on it. comes in original box with all accessories eg; stylus,charger,data . .
£160
BL2
12 July 2008
Sony ericssion new [without bat and charger] but is in working order.
SS16
Sony ericssion k850i. new in box 2gb memory card unwanted gift as all ready have one chager,hands free,bluetooth headset,.
£80
SS7
* no cut no turbo simcard needed! fully professionally unlocked with software. work on any gsm network world-wide. * fully functional. support quad-band gsm (850/900/1800/1900mhz), wi-fi(802. 11b/g), edge, and bluetooth 2. 0 sms, calendar, camera, phone calls, youtub. .
£200
NW1
07 July 2008
Need a new phone? brand new, second hand, contract or pay as you go. please go to www. 4urfone. com or ring mike or alex on 01617076324. they do great phones at very reasonable prices, they also sell all accessories for your phone. they also fix phones at very cheap rate. .
M30
05 July 2008
The handset is in very good condition with only minor scuffs from every day use. usb charging/ data cable is new. phone has been tested for power on/off, all keys work, all menus work, gets good signal etc. screen is in very good condition this handset is an ente. .
£65
28 June 2008
Samsung sgh-f210 purple new open to all networks but comes with a vodaphone sim with credit,in box with manuels,charger,headphone,usb cable installation cd,has mp3 player,bluetooth,video playback and 2 megapixel camera.
£85
SE4
26 June 2008
Boxed mint condition motorala v3x flip phone comes with the books charger data cable and disc,new headphones its on 3 network but can be unlocked.
£35
PE11
25 June 2008
Good condition nokia 6680 in original box with charger, usb cable, pc suite, user manual, battery and 64mb mmc card. on orange network. .
£40
GU16
21 June 2008
The successor of the n95 is here and nokia has built it to be a media powerhouse: the nokia n96 has 16gb of internal memory and can be extended to 24gb with a microsd card. all that storage is there to hold video (up to 40 hours, according to nokia) that will be played. .
£350
E3
17 June 2008
Sony ericsson latest phone in silver on orange network 3. 2 mega pixel camera ,large screen ,2gb memory card very lightweight and easy to use walkman phone ,look at reviews this is a brilliant phone £130 o. n o.
£130
CF43
Yes really you can get a brand new iphone for £14 or less!! this is no scam, simply sign up to the link provided, sign up to an offer which will cost you no more than £14 and refer friends. then sit back and wait. i got myself a nintendo wii from doing thi. .
£14
The phone is brand new and has never been used. features of the samsung u900 include: 5 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, face-detection autofocus, image stabiliser and power led flash video camera (mpeg4 / 3gpp) / 3g video calling display: tft, 16 millio. .
£180
M22
02 June 2008
phones apple iphone 16gb £200 apple iphone 8gb £160 nokia n95 8gb £160 nokia 8800 saphaire £160 nokia n98 £175 nokia n96 £150 nokia e90 £105 nokia n95 £145 nokia e70 £140 nokia n92 £140 nokia n. .
SW1A
01 June 2008
All boxed and sealed brand new £390 .
£390
S63
30 May 2008
sony ericsson "w880i walkman®" phone - chrome 2. 0 megapixel camera. mp3 player. 1gb memory stick micro™ (m2™) card supplied. record and playback video clips. 3g. bluetooth®. never used brand new still in the box with 02 sim card. .
£110
NE25
4 o2 simcards + free text and calls each month. £3 only.
£3
CB2
26 May 2008
Wanted nokia n95 with 8gig memory. preferably on vodafone network but not essential. in vgc or new condition. will collect anywhere in forest of dean, gloucester, monmouth or bristol areas. call or text. thanks! will pay upto. .
£150
GL15
25 May 2008
Apple iphone. apple iphone(4gb). $300 apple iphone(8gb). $300 apple iphone(16gb). $450 nokia phones. nokia n95 . $300 usd nokia n95(8gb). $350 nokia 8800 sirocco(gold edition). $300usd nokia n93i . $300usd nokia n76. $300. .
£200
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