It's Good to Talk...

There was a time when mobile phones were solely used for talking. Literally, a barely portable version of the kind of thing you'd have on the kitchen windowsill at home - no more, no less. Actually, originally a lot more: mobile in the sense that a large, radioactive brick with a dangerously long aerial, is mobile.

In terms of technology, however, nothing has changed quite so fast and quite so drastically than the mobile phone - from vast coverage now offered by the giant service providers like Vodafone, o2 and T-Mobile; to proper portability, né miniaturisation and feather-light units.

It's easy to forget just how far we've come, and just how ubiquitous and familiar the mobile phone now is. But there is one facet of the mobile phone in particular that we have managed to all but forget: the fact that it's a phone - which it's talking to people in other places.

It's not the idea that we no longer use phones for this, it's just that the sometimes ridiculous plethora of other functions that a phone can undertake for us tends to distract from that central purpose. Still, it's worth remembering when you're entering in to a new contract - or even when you're buying a new phone: battery talk-time is crucial if you don't want to be tethered to your charger, or you want to get hold of the right price plan for the amount you talk, rather than for the smartphone model you desperately want.

The chances are you already have a mobile phone. The fact is that the idea of a mobile phoneless person living in the UK today is virtually unthinkable. No doubt even your granny has one. But it's also more than likely that you're not getting the best deal for the amount that you use your phone. The disparity between contract cost and actual time spent texting and chatting is often vast, generally putting you out of pocket needlessly.

Take a look at a chart of usage - available from your provider - and work out if and where you're going wrong. Once you've done that it's time to shop around for a more appropriate deal. This should involve having a chat with your current provider to try to winkle out a bargain from them - they want to hold on to their customers and are often willing to improve your deal for you to stay.

It's also worth looking online. Have a look at Vodafone's site for a selection of their mobile phone deals, including both pay as you go and contract handsets; it's a good place to start your search.