At this time of year I always start to think about a few things:

1) I wonder what the leaves look like in upstate New York…
2) Who do I know who will be in the right place to get me some really fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving (I haet the canned type)
3) What kind of holiday gifts should I be thinking about this year.

cell phone gift box

As a cell phone maven I am tempted to want to get eveyone on my shopping list a new cell phone. Get this - many cell phones are free - so how can I go wrong?

Trouble is that when you buy a postpaid cell phone you are committing to 12-24 months of cellular service. Which is great if you are going to be the one using the phone. When you are buying a phone as a gift you need to think about under whose name the phone will be bought. The person who signs up for the phone will be responsible for paying the bills for a year or two.

So how can you buy a phone for a friend?
Option 1) You pay for the phone (which may actually be free after rebates) and they pay the monthly plan.
Option 2) You buy them unlocked GSM phone and they pop in their existing T-Mobile or Cingular SIM card.
Option 3) You buy them a prepaid phone and some credit.

So while cell phones make great gifts (I wouldn’t mind if someone got me a Treo 700 when they come out… hint hint…) you need to make sure what you are giving and to whom you are giving…