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Prepaid Cell Phones – No Contracts, Less Hassle
Many people like the idea of a cell phone but are uncomfortable about the hassle involved in signing contracts with the cell phone carriers like Cingular and T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Nextel and Voicestream, Tracfone and Sprint PCS for example, and all that that brings with it - like credit checks just for starters. Prepaid cell phones, also known as "prepay-as-you-go" phones offer a way around this problem, so let’s take a look at the advantages - and disadvantages that they can bring with them. The first thing in favor of prepaid cellular phones is the simplicity, you just buy the box with the cell phone in (various cell phone brands may or may not be available) and don’t have to sign anything or even give any contact details if you don’t want to.
So some cell phone carriers appreciate this and provide different cellular phone plans. Prepaid cell phones are extremely convenient and a better choice if any or all of the above are of concern to you. Another advantage to the is that this "prepay" option can act as a natural brake on excessive use of your wireless cell phone, because you can’t just go on talking forever without realizing the time is flying by - sooner or later you will run out of cellular airtime, and then you’ll have to buy some more.
This is one reason why people on a fixed budget often prefer (or have no choice if they’ve been turned down for a monthly service plan because they have no credit history) prepaid cell phones. Because you have to regularly prepay for more minute allocations, then you tend to watch how you use your phone. But there are downsides too; they are only really a better choice if you don’t use the phone a lot as the price per minute rate is steeper than you would pay for a monthly billed plan. It’s all in the cardsThe wireless airtime that you use is purchased before you use it, either by calling a toll free number and using a check or credit card, or by buying vouchers or refill / airtime / top-up cards at retail stores, and the more airtime you buy, the less the per minute charge will be. Though a problem many do not realize is that this airtime expires in a given time frame (anything from one month to six months) and if you do not use it, it will be lost. Some prepaid cellular phones also require that you regularly buy more airtime, even if you are not running low. Other differences include the phones you get, so do some wireless comparisons of the various cell phones, and to help in this a glossary of cellular phone terms can be of help, as can a cell phone FAQ. For some, not for othersSo there are benefits for wireless plans that offer a free cellular phone as well, as often the per minute rates are cheaper, and if you want cell phones that use satellite then prepaid will not be an option either. There are so many cellular phones around though with manufacturers like Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Philips and Sony Ericsson; Kyocera, LG, Sanyo, Siemens and NEC; Handspring, Palm, Audiovox, Qualcomm and Samsung; Denso, Hyundai, JRC, Mitsubishi, Neopoint, Novatel, Oki, and Bosch, all involved in this field, that it shows the ever increasing popularity of cell phones. This leads to more ways of owning and using one, like a prepaid cell phone; which can be an easier way to join in for many. Just like some of us want digital camera phones whilst others are not impressed by using their wireless phone for anything but talking, it’s all about a greater choice.
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  Helio Ocean David Berlind, Executive Editor of ZDNet tells "Apple's iPhone to step aside -- there's another phone in town called the Helio." [ Watch Video ] [ Helio on Sale! ] 
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