Why Buy a Budget Cell Phone?

The word “budget” doesn’t have to mean you’re stick with a featureless phone. These days, many phones that were top-of-the-line a year or so ago are offered free with contracted service plans from your favorite carriers.

If you don’t require the latest and greatest hardware and are looking for a good value, look no further than a budget cell phone from your favorite carrier.

The best budget cell phones offer:

• Voice/ Text Features: Multimedia cell phones should provide basic cell phone functions such as 3-way calling, speakerphone, voice dialing and text messaging. The best cell phones are flexible and are compatible with a variety of networks such as quad-band world phones and those that work with the new 3G networks.
• Messaging: Text messaging or Instant Messaging will likely be a supported feature of budget cell phones, and will likely include T9 text-pads with predictable text.
• Audio: Most budget cell phones will be able to play music. Most music enabled cell phones play MP3s and other common audio file types like Microsoft’s WMA files.
• Camera: Don’t be surprised to find even a 1.3 megapixel camera on some budget phones. The best cameras will include zoom, pan, flash and perhaps photo sharing capabilities.
• Internet: Nearly every budget cell phone will have the capability to connect to the Internet; just make sure if you plan to use it, you have a data plan accompanying your voice plan as to avoid being overcharged for time spent browsing.

Here you'll find articles on cell phones, comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison that will help you make an informed decision on which budget cell phone is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS – We do the research so you don’t have to.

All providers offer what they consider to be a “budget” cell phone. Whether it’s inexpensive, plain, and/or simple you’re seeking, all service providers should have a variety of budget phones to choose from.

The best budget phones will offer basic voice and text features, in addition to multimedia, Internet, productivity and lifestyle features. Take a close look at the technical specifications for each phone to find which appeal to you most to find which budget cell phone is right for you.Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate budget cell phones:

• Voice/ Text Features: Budget cell phones should provide basic cell phone functions such as 3-way calling, speakerphone, voice dialing and text messaging. The best cell phones are compatible with a variety of networks and are no-hassle, easy-to-use and understand devices.
• Multimedia Features: The more multimedia features a budget phone boasts, is just cream on top. Most budget phones will offer one or more of the following features in addition to Voice/Text: camera, large display, recording capabilities, audio/video playback, games, polyphonic ringtones, and/or radio. Choose which features appeal to you most and speak with your service provider to sign up.
• Internet Features: We looked for budget phones that provide the ability to access the Internet. The best, although scarce, will include the ability to connect through a variety of methods such as through the 3G network or Wi-Fi.
• Productivity/ Lifestyle Tools: Even the simplest application can help its owner become more productive, thus making the phone an investment as opposed to a purchase. The most productive phones offer organizing tools and support third party applications, like calendars, phonebooks, task lists, and memos/notes.
• Technical Specifications: A good budget cell phone is small, functional, and includes a long lasting battery. The support of additional memory cards will allow you to save and store your digital media such as ringtones, pictures, or files. Bluetooth connectivity is convenient for hands-free devices like headsets and automobile pairing.