Helpful Hints From Wirefly

1. Selecting the Right Phone For You
2. Moving Contacts & Photos to Your New Phone
3. Optimizing Your Phone Battery

4. Sharing Your Phone's Internet Connection
5. Cell Phone Laws By State

1. Selecting the Right Phone For You

Did you know that, on average, we have more than 100 cellphones for sale at Wirefly.com everyday? You can choose from 11 of the nation’s most popular wireless service providers, with a large selection of phones and smartphones for each. We know if might be hard to choose from so many great options, so here is some helpful advice to selecting the phone that is right for you.

Some things to think about as you look at all our mobile phones are:

Size: Do you need a large screen or buttons? Do you want a smaller phone to tuck into your pocket? There is no right answer, just what’s right for you.
Style: Do you want a simple touchscreen-only phone or one with a slide-out keyboard? Perhaps you like flip phones. Think about what would be most convenient for you and fit your lifestyle.
Smartphone or Cell Phone: Smartphones are like pocket-sized computers. It is amazing all you can do on a smartphone today: stream movies, play games, browse the web, update social networks, and more. Of course, you might just want to make phone calls and send a text once in a while. Consider what you want to be able to do with your new phone to best choose whether a basic phone or smartphone would be better for your needs.
Carrier Coverage: You already know that wireless coverage can vary. So remember to review each wireless carrier’s coverage map for your zip code. Make sure there is a strong signal where you plan to use your phone most to avoid headaches (and dropped calls!) later.
Carrier Plans & Additional Services: Remember, for your phone to work (and to get the best price possible on your new phone) you will need to purchase a plan. Each carrier offers many plans and add-on services, sometimes called calling plan features, from which to choose and plans details and monthly pricing can vary greatly among the carriers. If you haven’t picked a carrier, comparing plans might help you decide. Some people even choose their plan (and therefore carrier) before their phone. Spend a moment to thinking about how much data you want for your new phone (if any), what types of calling plan features are important to you, and which carrier meets your needs best. Our data calculator can help you estimate how much data you may need.

2. Moving Contacts & Photos to Your New Phone

At Wirefly we think phone buying should be easy and stress-free, and that includes setting up your address book on your new phone. That’s why every Wirefly smartphone purchase includes a free subscription to Wirefly Mobile Backup.

With Wirefly Mobile Backup, you can move your contacts list, photos and other files wirelessly among all your smartphones and computers on your account (up to 5 devices). Plus, every free account includes 2GB of cloud storage, for additional backup protection of your address book, photos and whatever else you’d like to keep safe.

Learn more about Wirefly Mobile Backup and Wirefly Mobile Backup PRO.

3. Optimizing Your Phone Battery

Phones are becoming more advanced, but sometimes folks find that the battery life of their new fancy smartphone just isn’t the same as the battery life of their old basic phone. Remember, smartphones are really like little computers, and so they need a bit more juice than a flip phone to stream movies, surf the web, update your social network status, and everything else you demand from it. Depending on the usage of your smartphone, you may be disappointed to find you have a lower battery life than advertised by the manufacturer.

Here are a few things to consider so you can get more life out of your smartphone’s battery:

Shorten the length of time your backlight it on.
Lower the screen display brightness.
Charge your phone whenever possible.
Turn the Bluetooth feature off when not in use.
Turn the Wi-Fi feature off when not in use.
Certain applications may be drawing excessive battery power. If you are experiencing shorter battery life after downloading an application try uninstalling the application.
Close any third-party applications running in the background
Keep in mind that playing music, videos and viewing images on your phone will affect your battery life.

There are some tools to make it easier to get more life out of your smartphone’s battery:
(Exact steps may vary by phone model, always consult your product manual)

Power Control Widget – Put this widget on your home screen to easily see what tools you might not be actively using, but are putting stress on your battery. You can easily turn off features you aren’t using at the moment, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Location (GPS), from within the widget. You may also adjust Synchronization and Display brightness to conserve battery power.

To add the Power control widget: From the home screen touch Menu, then (+) Add, then Android Widgets, then Power Control.

Battery Manager - The Battery Manager feature on most phones will provide you with a real-time view of what apps or tools are using the highest percentage of your battery. It can also be used to select an automatic or manually-selected battery saving profile.

To access the Battery Manager: From the home screen touch Menu, then Settings, then Battery Manager.

4. Sharing Your Phone's Internet Connection

You may be able to share your smartphone's mobile internet connection with your laptop, tablet, and other WiFi-enabled devices by activating mobile hotspot service (where applicable) on your phone. A mobile hotspot is a personal WiFi hotspot created by your phone. It usually has a range of less than 30 yards, can be password protected, and may connect up to 8 devices to the internet wirelessly at once (depending on phone model).

Mobile hotspot service is growing in popularity as people enjoy the convenience of a personal WiFi wherever and whenever they want one. It is especially popular with families and travelling professionals, who may have many tablets, laptops and gaming devices that need internet access at the same time.

Not all smartphones include mobile hotspot support. Please read product details before purchase, or check your owner's manual to confirm your smartphone is mobile hotspot service capable. Mobile hotspot service is included with some wireless service provided plans and data packages. Consult your plan details and, if necessary, give us a call to activate this service add-on.

5. Cell Phone Laws By State

While distracted driving laws vary by state, we encourage you to never text and drive no matter the law. Wirefly offers a wide-variety of hands-free solutions for your phone. Shop for accessories guaranteed to be compatible with your phone, including Bluetooth options, in our accessories store.

Visit the Governors Highway Safety Association for a state-by-state outline of cellphone use and texting laws.