I was originally going to call this post “Top 5 tips for choosing an android phone you love”, however I thought that making the advice more generic and thus useful enough to everyone who is looking for a phone.     For most of you the following will be self explanatory and common sense, however I always like to have all the basics covered so that you don’t miss out on any important factors.  Lets face it, a mobile phone is probably one of the most important choices you are going to make in the next two years so you need to get it right.
Chances are the phone is going to be the gateway to your friends, a life management tool and an information source. It will be beside your side and is something you will more time interacting with than your own family.  Choosing a great phone is an intensely personal choice that most people will live with for the next 18 months to 2 years.  Here’s how to do it:

1. Decide what you want out of a phone- You should ask yourself the following important questions:

• Business/ Personal Social or a bit of both?
• Do you want something cheap and simple- that just does calls, or do you want to have something that is all singing and dancing that you can run your life on.
• Size- small and pocket friendly or large screen for easily viewing content.
• Budget- how much do you want to spend? Decide on a budget per month for calls and texts.
• Contract- Are you happy to be tied into a contract? Most contracts now are 18- 24 months- however you can opt for a monthly contract/ pay as you go  if you buy the phone outright.

2. Do your research with trusted sources-  You have a raft of great first hand help available to you.

• The best source of information is personal experience of ones friends, family or workmates.  Getting your trusted social network to tell you( or preferably show you!) why their phone is so great, can be a great help to pushing you one way or another.   If you are lucky enough to have a techno-geek in your family they generally are the best source of information.
• Ask your friends on Facebook.
• Check out webblogs or just google some of the phones that you have been recommended to gauge information about it and see if you are on the right track.

Hopefully by now you will have a good shortlist of phones to choose from.

3. Check the manufacturers websites – Most of the major manufacturers will have some great information about the phone which will help you cut your shortlist down to the phones that are right for you. They will also help inform you of features that even your friends or family aren’t aware of.

Here are some of the major manufacturers to make things easy for you:

Android Phones- Google, HTC , Motorola, Sony Ericsson

Blackberry Phones- Blackberry UK Site

Iphone- Apple Information site

Nokia – Nokia Manufacturer Site

4. Check the network-  (SERIOUSLY – this is important)

Having the greatest phone/ or the best deal in the world isn’t going to matter didly if you don’t get a signal at home/ work.  The easiest option is to ask to see your friends/family phones when they come round to check what signal you get. 

Otherwise most networks make available free sim cards ( the same ones you pay for in newsagents!) so you can easily try before you buy. 

Here are some handy links below to get your free sim card

Free O2 Simcards	Free Orange Simcards
Free T-mobile Simcards	Free Vodafone Simcards

5. Try on your phone- For most people visiting the store is the first stage that the usually do when picking a phone, however there is nothing more likely to go wrong than an uninformed choice.  Modern stores are places designed with one sole purpose- to make sure you sign on the line and walk out with a phone. Going in straight without doing the above steps will most likely result in you getting the wrong phone at the wrong deal.

However you have done the above steps and know exactly what you want- now its time to try it on for size.

A store is the best place to narrow down your choices to the final phone-

• ask to have some one take you through the phone. If they don’t have a working model of it- stop right there and find another shop. 
• ask what the drawbacks are of the phone
• make sure it does everything that you needed from point 1.
• Finally once you have selected your phone- find out what the best tariffs they offer.

Whether you decide to opt to buy it there and then is up to you, however I personally take an extra day to see if I can get a better deal. Shops like Phones4u, Carphone Warehouse and indeed the networks own retail/ web stores( listed below)  will make sure you get the best deal for you for wad of cash. Remember a lot of the salesmen are on commission, so if you have received excellent service from a store sales adviser- do the right thing and give him the option to match your deal. 

Here are a list of the main networks’ web stores:

O2 Online Phone Shop	Orange Online shop
T-moblie webshop	Vodafone Phone Web Store
3 Mobile Phone Store

Top Tip- If I  am looking to buy a phone outright with no contract, I also check out Ebay’s mobile section- where I have bought my last 3 personal phones. Its cheap and easy, and there are loads of people looking to flog their old mobiles. You need to be careful with the seller and the  product you are buying, and if you are the slightest bit unsure- rather stick to a trusted store above. 

For me, Android was the winner, however everyone is different. I would love to hear about what your phone is and what made you choose it.  Comment below- or click contact androidbloke.co.uk.

Stuck for choice on which Android phone is best for you?- Time Limited offer!

For those of you who are researching buying an Android Phone- if you are ok with me publishing your question and my response- ( identities kept secret!) – pop me an email via my contact us form- and hopefully I will be able to point you in the direction of which phone is the best for your purposes or at least narrow your shortlist. Please let me know answers to point number 1 above as well as what networks you want to use- and for now I will try to come back to you.

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