How to choose the right cell phone plan (Part 2)
By Ruth M. Floresca, MoneySense magazine | 07/28/2009 7:19 PM
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Before enjoying all the benefits of mobile phone services however, one must first choose a phone suited to one’s requirements. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for even little children to come to school toting their own phones.
Renato B. Garcia, president of the Philippine Electronics and Telecommunications Federation Foundation (PETEF), says there are a lot of phones today that will suit each individual’s lifestyle and functionality needs. He describes, “from the high-end mobile PC or PDA-cum-cell phones, which are a bit big and bulky, to the small, ultra sleek units, all consumer-friendly and have been designed to fit one’s own preferences and tastes.”
To give you an idea, we asked several cell phone users what they usually look for in these very useful gadgets and how much they are willing to shell out. Still, the figures are only estimates based on our informal survey and do not generalize the cell phone user population as a whole. A lot of other factors can influence a consumer’s spending preferences.
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Elementary and some high school students; low income earners |
High school and college students |
Regular employees; average income earners |
Professionals in high position; businessmen |
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Price range of phone |
Not more than P5,000 |
P5,000-P10,000 |
P8,000-P20,000 |
P13,000 and up |
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Essential features |
Durability Basic SMS capabilities (according to the parents who buy the phone) Games |
Camera/Radio/Music player/JAVA games/MMS compatibility |
HI-res camera/Video services/Large internal memory/Radio/Music player/Phone-to-PC synch compatibilities |
Hi-res camera/Video services/Hands-free speaker/Expandable memory/PDA capability/Basic Microsoft OS |
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Connectivity |
Not prioritized |
WAP Infrared/Bluetooth for file sharing and photo developing |
WAP GPRS Infrared/Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi Web browser 3G |
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Plan used and average usage per month |
Prepaid P50-P300 |
Prepaid +/- P300 |
Prepaid P300-P500; Postpaid P500-P2,500 |
Postpaid P1,800 and up |
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From the 2007 edition of MoneySense, the country’s first and only personal finance magazine. You can read more financial tips and stories at www.moneysense.com.ph.
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