February 11th, 2009
Tax Refund Special: Smartphones
The average tax refund for 2008 was about $2,500 and with the shape the economy is in here in 2009 it may be a good idea to spend some or all of that to give the economy a bit of a boost. It is also important during this time to stay in touch with family and friends to provide support and communication. What better way to stay in touch via voice or text than with a new mobile phone. So as you consider spending that money on a new mobile phone, I wanted to give you five suggestions to consider.
Since there are four major wireless carriers in the U.S. (Alltel is now part of Verizon) I will give you my top recommendation from each carrier and one SIM-unlocked device to consider.
There are very few mobile phones priced at $2,500 so you will have plenty left to save and use to pay the monthly fees, buy some accessories (cases or microSD cards) or software, buy something else, or save for a rainy day.
AT&T has one of the largest selections of features phones and smartphones available and it is difficult to choose which one fits your needs. That said, it is also tough to argue that the Apple iPhone is not one of the most enjoyable mobile phone experiences available today. The iPhone makes operating a phone a breeze while also giving you the power of a computer in the palm of your hand. It is a fantastic media player and gets better with every update that Apple issues. There are now over 15,000 applications in the App Store many great applications are available for free. Just about every new phone purchase in my office has been the Apple iPhone and it is easy to see why after you have had a chance to use one.
Price: $199 for 8GB after 2-year contract and $299 for the 16GB models
[Read the review (16GB black)] [(16GB white)] [(8GB black)]
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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