I need help. I have finally decided that I DO need to update my joke-of-a-cellphone (Think tracfone. Now downscale. I have a burner that cannot do voicemail, that I have to walk into 7-Eleven in order to add minutes. That's right. I cannot add minutes anywhere else or online. Only IN theri store.) Of course, I can onlu make calls and text, and texting is a HUGE pain! (remember hitting numbers multiple times for each letter?)
Anyway, after the convention, I've decided that I DO need a newer cell phone, preferably a smartphone. Yes, I'll try to win one, but barring that, I'd need to buy one. But I don't know enought to determine my needs. (Hint. I am cheap by nature, and greatly prefer to spend as little as I can get by with, while still having a phone that won't make me crazy.
I need recommendations regarding carriers. (I don't know enough to ask intelligent questions. Who is good and why? Who should I avoid and why?)
How about the phone itself? I DO like the idea of a keyboard, but it is not essential. (I gather that the phones that look more like a miniature tablet can be "typed" on the surface, like you do on iPads, etc.) I'm told that there ae phones that connect you to the internet via wi-fi, or alternately via cell towers. Advantages would seem to mainly be if you are somewhere where wi-fi is not available. (That brings up the question of a "portable hot-spot," but that wil be for another post.) Any disadvantages? (Other than cost, as I'm sure it costs more.) How well does this work?
(I'm also told that you can make cell calls from some tablets. How does THAT work? And, BTW, what exactly IS Skype, and how does THAT work?)
I have a small digital camera, but having camera on the phone could be convenient.
Finally, how does one determine the kind of plan one needs? # of minutes for calls/texting vs unlimited stuff... when you havnen't been using it, it's hard to determine what you need. and I feel like if I were to ask a salesperson, I would get the answer that's in the best THEIR best interest, not necessarily MY best interest.
I know thas was long, but I greatly look forward to finding out what others have to say.