6 Easy Steps to Slash Your Smartphone Bill

Smartphones are great!!

They keep us connected in a myriad of ways.  They provide us with hours of entertainment.  In some cases, they control our homes and keep us fit.  It seems like there is very little a smartphone can’t do, including saving you money!

The price of convenience can be very high.   Call charges.  Data overages.  Feature-rich contracts.  They all come at a cost.  But that cost is manageable by taking a few simple steps to tame your smartphone bill.

Step 1:  Chose the Right Plan

Bundled minutes and data.  Free weekends and nights.  CUGs (Closed User Groups) and other options are only good if they apply to you.  Scrutinise your bill regularly and update your plan periodically as your usage habits change.

There is no point in paying for features that you don’t use or underutilise.  Compare your plan to other plans offered by your telecom or to plans offered by other telecoms.  After all, thanks to number portability no one is trapped by a service provider.

Step 2: Consider Alternatives

Is it a smartphone, right?  So, it’s connected.  Some of us have already moved away from traditional cellular calls (you can go ahead and laugh if you remember life before cellular), while others are still waiting to hop on the VOIP (voice over internet protocol) bandwagon.

But VOIP, video conferencing and messaging are all great alternatives to phone calls.  There is a plethora of apps that offer some, or all, of these options in one neat package.  Most notably is WhatsApp.  This nearly ubiquitous app offers text messaging, file sharing, voice calling and video calling on an encrypted platform for free.  Only data charges apply if no Wi-Fi.

Concerns about call quality are diminishing fast as the technology evolves.

Step 3: Tame Data Use

So, sure.  I just said VOIP is a great option, but care is still needed in data management.

Generally, VOIP options don’t consume that much data, but every bit and byte can add up.  Especially if you’re not managing your data use correctly.

You should disable background refresh on most (if not all) apps, delete unnecessary apps and close apps that you’re not using.  Apps can really drain your data and rack up expenses quickly and overages cost real money.

The trade off to save money by cutting data use in favour of Wi-Fi is not absolute, especially when dealing with sensitive data.  Don’t jump onto any old hotspot just because it's free.  Make sure it's safe before your browse; especially when visiting banking and email sites.

Step 4: Plan You Roam

If you thought your smartphone bill was high, try taking it on a trip overseas!

Roaming charges can put you in the poorhouse.  Make sure that you have the right roaming plan.  That’s a plan customised to the region you are visiting and your call, text and data needs.

Are you planning a long trip or a short trip?  Going on vacay or on business?  Is there reliable Wi-Fi in the hotel and other destinations on your itinerary? Do you need access to your VPN?  Your answers to these questions will help determine if you can find a cost-effective plan or if you need to get a local SIM.

Step 5: Don’t Roam Overboard

In principle, data is cheaper than calling.  That principle does not necessarily apply.

Before you head out to the airport, turn off data roaming for all non-essential apps to reduce the temptation to “just check” (this tip helps with my Amazon addiction) and consider if you must post to Instagram (or similar social media apps) in real time or if posting from the free hotel lobby Wi-Fi in the evening is just as good.

Save even more money: download maps for the destination and enjoy free access to GPS navigation for your trip.

Step 6: Ditch Voicemail

Seriously?  You still have voicemail?  That’s so 90’s.  Get rid of it.  There is no need to pay for calls you are not even receiving; especially when roaming.

Vigilance is the key to enjoying both the convenience and the cost of owning a smartphone.

Hurricanes In the Digital Age

Each year, with the official start of the hurricane season on June 1, I dust off and update my disaster preparation plan.  And updating is important, because, my how things have changed.

Back in the day, my parents told me where we would muster (such an odd word), if worst came to worst.  Now, with the family so geographically dispersed, we talk about our communications plan; in effect, we lay out who will call, email, Facebook or tweet who to relay important survival information.

For Gilbert in 1988, my Mom scrambled to find a battery operated radio so that we could listen for updates on the storm.  For Sandy last year I downloaded some important apps and followed prominent media houses on Twitter for my primary news and information.  I tracked the storm from beginning to its bitter end on my mobile phone.

I still stock up on food and water, turn up my fridge and fill my bathtub.  But these days, all of that is just as important as charging all my electronic devices (smartphone, laptop, MiFi and the like), getting a car charger (and filling my car’s gas tank so I can use it to charge) and stocking up on battery packs and spare batteries … just in case.

My important documents are still in a Ziplock® bag, but they are also digitally scanned and uploaded to the cloud.  Heaven forbid the bag floats away or is lodged under a tree, I can access the documents I need from any internet enabled device.

Right after Gilbert, my neighbours and I hit the streets; in effect we went to ‘fass’ and see what damage had been done next door.  These days, I turn to photo and video sharing sites to see the impact of the storm all over the world!

Then	Now
Muster Point	Comms Plan
Stock up on food and water	Get car charger and battery pack
Turn up thermostat on fridge	Charge everything
Secure important documents in water proof bags	Secure important documents in the cloud
Get battery operated transistor radio	Follow news outlets on Twitter
Compile emergency number contact list	Bookmark websites

Resources

• Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM)
• Jamaica Real Estate Guide
• Jamaica Fire Brigade 
• Go Jamaica Hurricane Tips
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency

Eulogy for Sammy

Samsung Galaxy S3

Sammy wasn’t just any smart phone, he was my constant companion.

I sought out the best care I could find for Sammy and he tried valiantly to return to his former greatness, even after many technicians said his days were numbered.   When I shared news of Sammy’s ultimate demise with Digicel, his parents, they too were devastated.  After all, he was irreplaceable.

During Sammy’s four short months in my hands, he had a tremendous impact on my life; most significantly, Sammy’s 8 megapixel camera helped me document and share the growth of my beautiful baby boy.  The high-resolution images and video displayed brilliantly on the 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display.  The images also helped distant relatives feel connected while tugging my heartstrings every time I showed the albums to friends and well-wishers.

Of course, Sammy’s impact was equally profound at work.  The S Calendar, Contacts and Voice Recorder apps were constantly accessed.  It seemed that Evernote never had a chance to close when it was right there at my fingertips thanks to Sammy, and when combined with S Note, I never felt helpless without at pen.

With Sammy gone, I must wait until I get to my desk to check my email or chat on Google Talk.  He was gone before we had a chance to experiment with AllShare Play; I am sure my iPad is happy about not having the competition.

Co-workers and associates will tell you that Sammy made me look good!  With apps like TeamViewer, Dropbox and Skype I could turn any location on the planet with an internet connection into an office.  And I could find any location on earth with Google Maps.

Speaking of travel, Sammy’s Bluetooth integration with my SUV, allowed me to drive hands free; so cool.

I never had a dull moment with Sammy.  I listened to music on my phone, on my micro 32 GB micro SD card and streamed over the internet.  I listened to FM radio, recorded interviews and even shared clips with clients on the fly.  I read all my favourite magazines and websites on Flipboard, caught up on all the latest news with a slew of apps from BBC, CNN and USA Today.  I got lost in my favourite games including Temple Run.  I am going to miss watching (and sometimes uploading) my favourite videos to YouTube.

Amazon is going to miss Sammy too.  Amazon and Sammy served up the Amazon App, Audible and my personal favourite, Kindle.

Sammy was very sociable.  He was friends with Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.   He made new friends with phone calls.  And, he would share his internet connect with anyone near by, by converting his 4G signal into a WiFi Hot Spot.

We did so much together.  Sammy and I would browse all day through local news sites that didn’t have native apps.  Sammy and my son had fun together too.  He had his own screen full of kid-friendly learning and gaming apps.

Sure, S Voice is no Siri and sure Sammy couldn’t go half a day without being tethered to a power source, but that is only because he worked so hard and did so much.  He did what he did with style; he was sleek and thin.

His Bible app comforted me in my darkest hours and every hour I needed to reach for the scripture.  Sammy wasn’t just any smart phone, he was my constant companion.  Yes.  Sammy will be missed.  But his data lives on.  Thank you Lord, for back ups.