The days of having inexpensive cell phones are slowly disappearing, as more carriers continue to add additional costs for their subscribers. Remember those old Samsung flip cell phones, which had a basic keypad and small LCD display? Those handsets made their way to the pay-as-you-go units and seldom appear on mall displays or store shelves, as they are not as profitable for the carriers. These basic handsets were left stranded in lieu of crippled messaging phones, which is another term the carriers use to require a text messaging or feature phone data plan for the subsidy.

A subsidy is the discount the carrier is giving you, the subscriber, by signing up for monthly service. Some AT&T messaging phones, for example, require a $30 messaging or data plan to get the discount or rebate – defeating the point of a cheap cell phone. If it seems as if carriers are nickel and diming their customers, it is not an illusion. Inexpensive phones, such as Samsung flip cell phones, are a rarity these days, because carriers cannot require data or messaging fees.

Smartphone Costs

People primarily choose a feature phone because of the reduced expense, as data charges add up quickly – especially for those on a family plan. The easiest example is Apple’s iPhone, which costs either $199 or $299 depending on the model. The actual phones retail for $599 and $699 respectively, but the carrier subsidizes the phones when subscribers sign a two-year contract. They are not saving you any money, because smartphone data plans average $30 per month, which equates to $720 over a two-year contract, bringing the total cost of ownership to over $1,000.

How to Save Money

Enjoy all of the benefits of a smartphone without cellular data by using a pay-as-you-go Samsung flip cell phone and a 32GB Black Apple iPod Touch. Since most office buildings, hotels, airports, and restaurants have Wi-Fi, you will not miss cellular data as much as you think. The iPod touch has all of the features of an iPhone minus the voice, data, and GPS capabilities. Use the iPod as an address book, gaming device, productivity wizard, and calendar whilst relying on your Samsung flip cell phone for voice calls.

On-the-Go Cellular Data

If you cannot live without cellular data, or need to have the feature for occasional business trips, consider getting a pay-as-you-go mobile broadband router, such as Virgin Mobile’s MiFi device. For slightly more than a data plan, you have access to unlimited data on any of your mobile devices. Since there is no contract, enable service during the summer months or when you are going on vacation, and cancel it when you are around town or in a Wi-Fi dense area.

-Joseph