An Evaluation of Cellular Phone Websites
The rapid development in communication technology in the last few decades has made productions in personal communication devices more cost effective. Personal communications service (PCS) cellular phones have becomes a necessity in the ever-growing society. It is a common thing these days when you heard cellular phones ringing. “Cellular phone providers in the United States sign up three new users per minute and have a combined customer base of approximately 112 million” according to CNN website (http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/03/29/phone.service.t_t/index.html).
However, the trend in portable electronic devices actually just started to become popular about five years ago. Portable devices, such as cellular phones, offered more versatility and mobility for busy people. People love the idea that they are not confined but still able to work and communicate with other people anytime anywhere. Back in the older days, it was difficult to communicate with your spouse or employee when they were out in the site without telephone connection. Today anybody can easily call for assistance when he or she is stranded somewhere in the highway during winter blizzard.
Besides communication, cellular phones are also equipped with many other features from camera to personal digital assistant (PDA). In the future the researchers might be able to incorporate the video recorder and personal computer together into a small cellular phone. In order to learn more about what a cellular phone has to offer, surfing internet is the most efficient way since to go. Of course, to find a good deal in cellular phone we have to do some researches and comparing prices. Unfortunately, not every website can be trusted, so be careful when you see an outrageous deal that is too good to be true.
There are several tips you can use on finding a suitable wireless provider. However, make sure you know what kind of cellular phone do you want or need. These are the recommended criteria you can use to evaluate whether the websites are giving you the information:
1. Does it provide you with an insight on how to find the right phone?
It does not matter how many phones the provider has, leave the website if you have difficulties in finding the phone that you want or need. Most wireless providers work together with particular cellular phone companies for profit maximization. For example, Sprint PCS is working together with Samsung, LG, and several others.
In addition, the providers will try to accommodate the customers’ need by selling several different types of phones from PDA phone to a rugged phone with longer battery life. A wide range of cellular phone models attracts more customers, thus increases profit for the providers.
2. Does it provide useful information about the features and services available?
When people buy a cellular phone, they might have some specific features or services they want. So, websites which have more detailed and useful information about the features and services available for the phones are preferred. For example, when someone wants a cellular phone which has a long battery life, he or she may want to get into a website which explains the length of phone battery life.
3. Does it provide you with a wide range of services?
Always make sure the wireless provider gives you the facilities and services that you want with an affordable price. Some wireless providers do not have nationwide plan and they charges you with roaming fee outside their areas.
If instant messaging and internet connection are also important for you, make sure that the providers carry those plans. Otherwise you might be stuck in a one year deal with an expensive monthly fee.
4. Is it updated fast?
If you are a person that always follows the new trend make sure your provider offer you the newest technology. As technologies are developed very fast, newer version is made rapidly. In other words, fashions are changed fast. Most providers are updating their phones yearly since teenager and young people in their twenties, are major customers who like to follow the next trend.
Now, we can evaluate cellular phone websites and compare between the sites that we found. I would like to recommend you to go to Verizon’s website (www22.verizon.com) or Sprint’s website (www1.sprintpcs.com). Both websites have many photos of cellular phones with useful information for the customers. In field of photos, Sprint has better facilities than Verizon does. In Sprint website, it gives a careful consideration to customer to see the features of the cellular phones. They even have a facility that you can rotate their pictures by 360degree which Verizon doesn’t have. Sprint website is also more convenient in finding cellular phones according to the customer needs since they distinguish phones by types. For example, when people want to take a look video phones they can just click video phone letter in PCS phone section in the Sprint website instead of spending time to find video phone one by one in the Verizon web site. On the other hand, in Verizon website you can compares up to five cellular phones. It will be more convenient for customers who still cannot decide what they want to buy.
Both websites present some useful information for the customers. In Sprint website, you will find that information of each phone easily in three categories: specifications, features, and accessories. Verizon website also provides some useful information in fewer categories: only specifications and features. Overall, both websites need to consider the customer who does not know anything about cellular phones. The providers need to provide basic information for people who are not familiar with cellular phones. For better services, the wireless providers need to announce on the main page on what other facilities and services they have to offer, such as downloading games and ringing tones. In field of updating it is hard to tell which sites get updated frequently because they usually sell different cellular phones products. But with the current development and easy access to the internet we can assume that they update their websites frequently.
So far I have talked about cellular phone websites which are helpful. As I mentioned above, when we evaluate cellular phone websites we need to have appropriate criteria. We also have to compare the websites with other known providers’ websites. In part of convenience, Sprint has better website that provided us with the view of the phones in three dimensions and let us find phones easily according to categories. While Verizon let us compare various cellular phones at once. On more in depth information, Sprint has more information about related phones’ accessories. Additionally, both websites are updated frequently. In conclusion, both wireless providers can improve their websites and provide the customers with thorough information on cellular phones in order to compete and become well-intentioned rivals.