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iPhones are popular and have started a trend in phones known as the “Touch Screen Phone”. The fancy James Bond like functions and appearance are ever so attractive and sexy, everyone is crazy for this phone. While the masses want one, not everyone can afford one or at least couldn’t until now. I am sure you may have thought that perhaps iPhones would go down in price and you would wait for that fateful day but what is even better is that phone manufacturers are coming up with their own versions of the cell phone sensation right now.

Such competing touch screen phone manufacturers include LG, Samsung, and even the wireless carrier Sprint. While you may scoff at the idea of a mock iPhone, these phones actually carry out some heavy duty functionality and have added some extra perks that iPhone is unable to offer. One such perk is the battery. With an iPhone a battery can only be replaced through Apple themselves. The competing touch screen phone’s batteries can be replaced and removed without the help of the manufacturer. This has obvious benefits that I think I don’t need to explain.

What else besides the battery might there be leverage over the Apple iPhone? Well how about Bluetooth that is stereo enabled? The iPhone doesn’t have that capability while the LG Vu, LG Voyager, HTC Touch, Samsung Glyde, and the LG Dare all do. This means with many laws like in California, you can engage in hands free conversation while driving and not be ticketed or fined.

Other benefits over the iPhone include picture/video messaging, voice dialing, memory card slot, data speeds of up to 2.4 mbps, and of course the consumer favorite … carrier choices. No longer is the touch screen phone technology the prisoner of just one wireless carrier.

The other phones all lack one feature that the current iPhone has and that is memory. While the competition does boast up to 8GB the iPhone starts at 8GB and is expandable to 16 GB. Depending on your demands an iPhone may be what you are exactly looking for still and perhaps this is the end of your reading session.

For the rest still reading on, here is the exciting part of all this news of new touch screen phones. Ready? Many of these phones are being offered for free with 2 year contracts. For those who have a cell phone already, you know how the whole deal works. For those that are new there may be a few tips you may want to use before running online and getting a free phone.

One tip is to understand the calling plans. Some plans may have small print and it is that small print you will want to be aware of before signing up for a free touch screen phone or any cell phone for that matter. Make sure you understand the fees associated with any overtime charges on your minute plans, these charges may be too risky and may make more sense in the long run to go with a bulkier minute plan.

Understand roaming charges if your plan has any, and make sure you are in a good coverage area, especially if you utilize data services such as the Internet from your phone. Many roaming areas only offer analog services as well, so if you absolutely rely on mobile data communications you will need to research if your local roaming areas include digital.

Be realistic in your minute usage assessment. Many people try to convince themselves they will talk less than they actually do. It is important that you not look at the minutes but rather divide the minutes by 60 to get an actual number of hours. This can help many consumers better grasp the actual amount of usage they are buying in a cell phone plan.

One last tip is the data (Internet) plans. Touch screen phones are great for media functionality however you can get the most out of a smartphone if you have access to data services. Most of these phones were made for using the Internet so it makes sense to look into a plan that includes Internet access. The Internet has many great features that are helpful to those on the go as well so if you are away from home a lot, the Internet is going to be something you will want to have in your plan for sure.

In short, you can get a free phone that compares closely to an iPhone without paying a high price for the phone itself. Plans may come with a price, but then you may expect to pay just as much for an AT&T plan and now you have more choices of carriers so now is a great time to enjoy new sleek technologies without paying as much.

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Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Alternative-to-the-iPhone—Almost-Free-Touch-Screen-Phones&id=1328874