Mobile phone technology is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and for anyone who is not familiar with the jargon and is contemplating buying a mobile phone it can be daunting.

In the UK, there are five main networks, Virgin, Vodafone, One 2 One, Orange and BT Cellnet. Each company offers a range of price options depending on when you will make most of your calls, where you will be calling from and to, and how long you expect to spend talking. For people who expect to use their phone frequently the best deals will often have a higher priced line rental, but lower call charges with more free minutes. If you do not intend to use your mobile phone often, it is best to choose a low cost line rental, with higher call charges.

Mobile phones can be used for other things besides talking! It is now possible to send short text messages from one mobile phone to another via SMS. All mobile phones today have the capacity to send SMS, or Text messages as they are often called, allowing you to communicate with friends and family at anytime.

On some mobile phones, you may notice that they have a WAP facility. WAP allows you to surf the Internet from your mobile phone. Not every website is accessible via WAP, however it is easy to find all the latest news, traffic, sports results and weather along with celebrity gossip and star signs via WAP services.

It is important that you consider insuring your mobile phone. Whilst mobile phone technology is on the increase as is mobile phone crime. Insurance will cover the cost of you losing your mobile phone, having it stolen and any unwanted calls made by persons other than yourself.

Mobile phones are no longer just a method of communication, they are now a fashion accessory, and some people believe that it is possible to tell a lot about somebody by their mobile phone. You can personalise your phone by downloading new ring tones from the Internet (most pop music is now converted to ring tones), changing the colour and style of your fascia or incorporating interchangeable logos into the LCD display of your phone.

Take a look at the Tips n Tricks guide to help you choose the best mobile phone, so you can make the most of it.