Cell phones have never been more ubiquitous. And finding the right phone -- and the right service plan -- has never been more complicated. Remember when your only question was, "Who has service in my town?" Now there may be five or more providers competing for your wireless dollars, each with different phones, each with plans so confusing that you can't begin to compare them. And if you make a mistake or change your mind -- fuhgedaboudit! Once you sign up, you're locked in for a year or more, unless you're willing to pay a hefty cancellation fee. (At least by next November, the FCC promises to let us take our wireless phone numbers with us when we switch carriers.) This month, Fast Company comes to the rescue. Just take this simple four-question quiz. Then match your answers with the right phone and service plan.
a) My business is multinational and so are my phone calls.
b) I've got family spread coast-to-coast -- not to mention my friends.
c) I call local friends and business contacts and my immediate family.
d) I call lots of places, but I use my phone's Web capability as much as the voice options.
e) Urgent local phone numbers: 911, the baby-sitter, my boss.
a) Everywhere and anywhere. If I'm there, I'm on my phone.
b) Near my home and near my office.
c) In busy urban centers.
d) It doesn't matter, as long as I can find out where local movies and shows are playing.
e) In my car, sometimes off the beaten track and away from developed neighborhoods.
a) I'm a globe-trotter, and I need my phone to keep up, no matter where in the world I am.
b) Sometimes I travel a lot, sometimes just a little. I get sent to cities around the country, and my phone comes with me.
c) When I travel, I go unplugged so that I can unwind.
d) I love to travel -- but whether I'm waiting for the crosstown bus or the cross-country flight, I'm playing the latest game on my wireless handset.
e) I don't travel.
a) Everything.
b) Calling Mom, calling the kids, calling friends, and even calling the boss, just to let her know I'll be late.
c) "Dahling, when are we doing lunch again?"
d) Text-messaging, sending photos, downloading music, and oh yeah -- sometimes I make a phone call.
e) Emergencies only!
The Persona: They might as well plant a communicator chip right in your brain: Whether brokering a deal, making plans for lunch, connecting with headquarters, or just calling the boss to check in with her, your cell phone is your lifeline.
The Plan: At the very least, you need a national or "coast-to-coast" plan. As a nonstop talker, get as many "anytime" minutes as you can. Beware of hefty international rates: Without Sprint's $10-per-month international calling plan, for example, a call to Hong Kong costs 82 cents per minute. With the $10-per-month plan, that same call costs only 37 cents per minute.
The Phone: For the globe-trotting executive, try the Nokia 8890 on the Cingular network: It's a triband phone that works in 179 different countries and offers voice-dialing, SMS- and photo-messaging capabilities -- even a currency converter. (Visit www.nokia.com. Price: $400.) Don't forget to buy a travel adapter and a hands-free earbud while you're at it.
The Persona: You've got a busy business life, but it's well under control. What's impossible is keeping track of the family at home and keeping in touch with the extended family out of town.
The Plan: Take advantage of the latest trend in wireless calling: the family plan. Every major carrier has one. The big benefit: These plans allow families to pool their monthly wireless minutes. For example, with the AT&T Shared Advantage plan, a family of four can collectively talk for 1,000 anytime minutes and 1,500 night or weekend minutes each month for a flat rate of $89.99. Extra minutes cost 35 cents apiece. Be sure to ask about special deals for adding more phones or more batches of airtime.
The Phone: Your Palm organizes life at work. Now let it organize life at home, and get rid of an extra device while you're at it. Try the Samsung i500 from Sprint: In a package the size of the clamshell phone you're using now, you get a fully functional Palm-powered PDA, plus a top-notch phone. (Visit www.samsungusa.com. Price: approximately $500.) Accessories worth adding: a case to protect this pricey treasure, and a car charger.
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