ask maggie

Cost-conscious wireless consumers have figured out that you don't need to pay a hefty monthly data fee to a wireless carrier to still enjoy many of the apps and functionality found on smartphones.

Of course, there are limitations to going without a carrier data plan. For example, you can only access the Internet when you are in a Wi-Fi hotspot, which means you won't get coverage everywhere. And you will likely have to pay full price for an unlocked device. (You could always buy a cheaper one used or use someone friend's or family member's old … Read more

I've got news for you, Ask Maggie readers. The cell phone toting public in the U.S. has been hoodwinked into continuing to pay high service fees on devices even after we have paid for the devices in full.

Wireless operators tell us their expensive early termination fees are to recoup the subsidy paid for our phones if we leave the service before our contracts expire. That may be so. But why doesn't the price of our monthly services get reduced once that subsidy is paid? This is the question I answer in this edition of Ask Maggie. … Read more

Waiting is never easy. And in the fast-paced smartphone market, it feels like you can wait forever before buying a new phone, because there's always a better one around the corner.

For the smartphone consumer, it's a delicate balance in deciding when to pull the trigger on the next smartphone purchase. While the upgrade cycle of devices seems nearly constant, I've noticed that the spring and summer have become the sweet spot for the introduction of most of the year's hottest devices.

In this Ask Maggie, a reader is already content to wait for the Samsung … Read more

Wireless operators would like to believe the pricing and terms of their services are straightforward and easy to understand. But when it comes to deciphering family plans or figuring out whether you can or cannot use your smartphone as a wireless hotspot, it's not always so clear.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain to a reader who is confused about how wireless contracts work on a family plan. He complains that he was socked with a hefty early termination fee, and he wonders if it has something to do with the fact that he and his wife … Read more

It was only about nine months ago that Samsung introduced its flagship Galaxy S3 to the world.

There's no question the device set a new standard for the high-end Android smartphone. It has also been one of Samsung's hottest selling smartphones. And now it looks like Samsung is about to do it again with the Galaxy S4, set for introduction March 14.

So what is a smartphone shopper to do? In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain why, even if you still want to get the Samsung S3, it's still better to wait for the launch … Read more

Owning a smartphone usually means being stuck in an expensive two-year contract, but Republic Wireless is offering an unlimited everything service that will cost you as little as $19 a month.

Most smartphone services start at about $70 a month on one of the major carrier networks. Prepaid providers, like MetroPCS, offer similar unlimited everything deals for $50 a month. Now Republic Wireless is offering an unlimited data, voice and text messaging service for smartphones that is only $19 a month.

Dear Maggie, I'm a college student, and my parents are dropping me from their cell phone … Read more

Some Verizon Wireless subscribers will do almost anything to keep their unlimited data plans. And that includes buying a new device at full price instead of signing a two-year contract and taking a sweet subsidy on that new phone.

But what happens when a Verizon subscriber who bought a 3G iPhone realizes she may still see her unlimited data service slowed? In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain the finer points of Verizon's unlimited data policy and why 3G device users need to be careful. I also help another reader decide if the Verizon Share Plan could work … Read more

Smartphones are hitting the mainstream market. And that means old and young want a piece of the action. But at more than $1,000 per year for service, a smartphone may not be the best choice for every consumer.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader decide if he should get his parents smartphones or if he should spare them the hefty monthly service fees and get them new basic feature phones. I also help another reader decide if there is a less-expensive alternative to Verizon that will allow him to keep his unlimited data plan.

Remember that hard-hitting, fast-shooting, comic strip police detective Dick Tracy, who wore the wrist watch with a two-way radio? Now you can be like Dick Tracy too with your own smartwatch that lets you answer phone calls and keep track of how far you've walked.

OK, I'll admit I am far too young to remember when Dick Tracy sported his now iconic radio wristwatch in the 1940s comic strip. But for years, this idea of a watch doing more than telling time has seemed like a very cool idea that has found its way into other famous characters … Read more