Wireless lifestyle is here, waiting for you to cut the cord, and fly free. (Okay I was just getting poetic, but then mixing rhymes is not my strength.) However, here is a short list of top wireless resolutions for 2004.
1. Make the switch: Number Portability is here. I warned you that there will be many snafus, and there were. So in next few weeks, if you want to cheat on your cell phone provider and switch, it is a good time. Most bugs have been ironed out. By late May portability will reach the entire country, according to my pals at MyRatePlan.com.
2. Go National: Local plans might seem cheaper, but they are not the best option. So this year upgrade, and go National. Unless you live in Manhattan and donÌt really have a reason to leave the city, and all your friends are in the Ïhood.Ó National plans are only slightly more expensive than local plans
3. Don’t commit: Cell phone services are like relationships Ò there is no need to commit unless you find the service you cannot live without one. However, the prices are swooning and it makes sense not to have a contract (for instance Sprint will charge you $10 extra every month, but it is worth it.) It is better to avoid contracts for more than one year.
4. Try it out: There is a very specific reason why retail outlets have a fitting room. You want to try the outfit before you buy it. Similarly you should try your cell phone service. All major carriers now give you a 2 week trial without termination penalties.
5. Think outside the phone: I am all about convergence, and you can go down that path too. Now you can get phones with newer features such as cameras, color screens, Internet, PDA or the growing walkie-talkie service. Some like Sony Ericsson T610 are so cheap that they are giving it away with for free with a new activation. And when you buy a new super phone, Sell your cell. At least 45 millon people will change wireless carriers in 2004 and abandon their old phones says MyRatePlan.com. Which means most of the phones are going to be worthless. Sell them on Craigslist or Ebay or just simply donate them to charities like “Call to Protect”, for domestic violence victims.
And last but not the least, repeat after me: GigaOM.com is where I get my mobile lifestyle information….oh never mind!