| Pretty much the only reason you should sign up | | | | continue to eat away at the contract market's |
| for a contract or "postpaid" plan is if you get a | | | | share of the marketplace. More companies are |
| really cool cell phone for free. There are so many | | | | going to hedge and release their own competitive |
| competing prepaid plans out there that make | | | | bargain prepaid phone plans. |
| getting yourself into a contract almost a ridiculous | | | | AT&T's Samsung Impression 3G phone has |
| idea. | | | | a 3.2 AMOLED touchscreen that features beautiful |
| That being said, if you need to have a high-end | | | | crisp colors, while sustaining long battery life. The |
| phone, your home is most likely still in the | | | | touchscreen has haptic response, which is the tiny |
| contract wireless world. Let's put it this way--you | | | | vibration felt when pushing a virtual button. It's a |
| can't get a prepaid iPhone. At least, not yet you | | | | cool feature that adds to the usability of the |
| can't. Prepaid providers are slowly getting on the | | | | phone. Impression is a slider phone with a full pull |
| ball and adding higher end models to their rosters, | | | | out QWERTY screen-always a good thing to have |
| but we are still a ways away from having very | | | | in tandem with a touchscreen because virtual |
| good choice of cell phones from prepaid providers. | | | | keyboards are notoriously hard to use and |
| The Samsung Finesse r810c on Straight Talk | | | | inefficient, although they are getting better. |
| Wireless and previously MetroPCS is a bright spot. | | | | The free Samsung Impression also comes with a |
| T-Mobile also released a prepaid BlackBerry plan | | | | 3-megapixel camera for snapping photos on the |
| right before the 2009 holiday season, but the plan | | | | go. For those who need more memory, this |
| may not quite make sense yet for most people. | | | | handset has a MicroSD slot for bigger memory |
| As the years go by and prepaid plans by | | | | cards of up to 16 GB. AT&T's Impression is |
| companies like Straight Talk and Boost Mobile | | | | a feature-rich phone with a lot of capability. This |
| become even more ingrained and truly viable for | | | | phone retails at $149.99, which AT&T is |
| the average cell phone user, we will see more | | | | offering the phone for free with a new service |
| high-end models of phones available on "pay as | | | | plan. |
| you go" platforms. | | | | Another phone AT&T is offering for free |
| For now, you can get some very good phones | | | | with a new contract plan is the Samsung Solstice. |
| for free from wireless companies and phone | | | | Solstice has a 3-inch QVGA display screen |
| makers. AT&T has some good options | | | | complete with widgets for social networking. It |
| available for free or very affordable prices. One | | | | has a 2 megapixel camera and is a good overall |
| such phone you can get for free with an | | | | phone for the person who likes to stay socially |
| AT&T plan is the Samsung Impression. | | | | connected. |
| Another phone is the Samsung Solstice. | | | | There are a few other phones like the Samsung |
| Getting a free or cheap cell phone every two | | | | Jack, Samsung Mythic, and Samsung Magnet that |
| years is what seems to keep a lot of people tied | | | | are all free from AT&T with new plans. If |
| to a contract plan. You can still get a good deal on | | | | you are considering an AT&T plan, it may be |
| postpaid wireless plans, but prepaid is going to | | | | worthwhile to look at these phones. |