December is the season of giving and shopping. As you glance at your old yet reliable mobile phone, you might feel an urge to splurge on the latest handset model you see at the mall.

If you happen to be in this state of mind, maybe it's time to heed the advice of Truphone, service provider of free and low-cost calls for customers by routing their mobile phone calls via Wi-Fi and the Internet. In short, don't buy a turkey phone because you will use it for many months and not just for Christmas.



Even though it is based in the UK, these tips (while filled with agenda as expected) are applicable to mobile consumers worldwide.

• Don't buy a phone that isn't Internet-ready. You wouldn't buy a TV that isn't HD-ready.


• Consider the lifetime cost of your phone and shop around. It's possible to get a fully Internet-ready smartphone for the same outlay as an ordinary phone


• Remember that contracts are now usually 18 months long, not 12. (It's 24 months in the U.S. and other countries)


• Ask about the cool things you can already do with the mobile Internet today


• Consider buying SIM-free if you don't want to be locked in to a new 18-month contract with your operator and for the widest choice of handsets