If you haven't made the jump to a smartphone, you're missing out - and it might be costing you more money than you think you're saving.
Last night I added Google Maps Navigation to my wife's myTouch 3G, and it's fantastic.
Google Maps Navigation is the next level of Google Maps, adding a turn-by-turn voice navigation to phones. It's just like a navigation system in your car, but it's on your phone instead of in your dash. The kicker - it's FREE!
Thinking hard about buying a Garmin or TomTom for your car? Think again. Instead of spending anywhere from over $100 to nearly $1,000 - drop $150 for a new phone and download the free app.
Is free really free? Since you're paying $100 - $200 for a smartphone, I suppose it's not technically free, but it's certainly worth the upgrade from the basic phones currently available.
Also, while I'm shopping, Amazon Mobile is a useful app on my iPhone. When I find an item I like, I search for it on my phone and Amazon Mobile tells me if I can find it cheaper online. If the cost savings is significant enough, I'll order it directly from my phone.
Imagine trying to find a digital camera for a family member at Christmas through Best Buy, Sam's Club, or another store in the mall. You see it on the shelf for $350, but Amazon Mobile tells you it's $180 online. With $170 in savings, you tell me where your money is best spent?
Or you can take it one better than that... Google Android (maker of my wife's myTouch 3G) offers an app called ShopSavvy. It's a barcode scanner, just like you'd find in the checkout lines at your local grocery store, only it's connected to the web. Scan any barcode you'd like, and it searches the web and finds the item cheaper both nearby and on the web. If you'd like to walk a few doors down in the mall, or travel across the street, it tells you. If you'd prefer - just like the Amazon Mobile app - simply buy the product online using your phone.
Then there's apps to help you find the cheapest gas, download and read books for free, and listen to free radio that suits your tastes and not what over-the-air stations want you to listen to.
Frugal buyers will still have a hard time making the jump, but it might be time to put pen to paper and find out how you can reduce costs by spending a little more on your mobile device.
People who do understand the craze still say, "I just want a phone to make calls - I don't need all that other stuff."
"All that other stuff" will save you money. I'm not saying smartphones are for everyone, but some people are letting opportunities pass them by.
It might be time to look again and actually consider the upgrade.
Last night I added Google Maps Navigation to my wife's myTouch 3G, and it's fantastic.
Google Maps Navigation is the next level of Google Maps, adding a turn-by-turn voice navigation to phones. It's just like a navigation system in your car, but it's on your phone instead of in your dash. The kicker - it's FREE!
Thinking hard about buying a Garmin or TomTom for your car? Think again. Instead of spending anywhere from over $100 to nearly $1,000 - drop $150 for a new phone and download the free app.
Is free really free? Since you're paying $100 - $200 for a smartphone, I suppose it's not technically free, but it's certainly worth the upgrade from the basic phones currently available.
Also, while I'm shopping, Amazon Mobile is a useful app on my iPhone. When I find an item I like, I search for it on my phone and Amazon Mobile tells me if I can find it cheaper online. If the cost savings is significant enough, I'll order it directly from my phone.
Imagine trying to find a digital camera for a family member at Christmas through Best Buy, Sam's Club, or another store in the mall. You see it on the shelf for $350, but Amazon Mobile tells you it's $180 online. With $170 in savings, you tell me where your money is best spent?
Or you can take it one better than that... Google Android (maker of my wife's myTouch 3G) offers an app called ShopSavvy. It's a barcode scanner, just like you'd find in the checkout lines at your local grocery store, only it's connected to the web. Scan any barcode you'd like, and it searches the web and finds the item cheaper both nearby and on the web. If you'd like to walk a few doors down in the mall, or travel across the street, it tells you. If you'd prefer - just like the Amazon Mobile app - simply buy the product online using your phone.
Then there's apps to help you find the cheapest gas, download and read books for free, and listen to free radio that suits your tastes and not what over-the-air stations want you to listen to.
Frugal buyers will still have a hard time making the jump, but it might be time to put pen to paper and find out how you can reduce costs by spending a little more on your mobile device.
People who do understand the craze still say, "I just want a phone to make calls - I don't need all that other stuff."
"All that other stuff" will save you money. I'm not saying smartphones are for everyone, but some people are letting opportunities pass them by.
It might be time to look again and actually consider the upgrade.
