Welcome to the 411, my Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

Nokia E71

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Hi Nicole, I read CNET reviews from time to time and your team there is really helpful with great unbiased reviews. I am writing because I can't seem to find concrete information about using an unlocked smartphone. Like some people, I would like a smartphone, but do not want to carry a data plan and occasionally use e-mail and Web over Wi-Fi. I have read that buying an unlocked (smart)phone that is carrier-free can be used this way. But I have also read that companies (AT&T to be specific) can recognize even an unlocked smartphone not purchased from them, and automatically assign a data plan to the voice plan. I specifically want to buy a used unlocked Nokia E71, and get a SIM card with no contract or data plan. Can I do this, or do the new practices by carriers make that not possible? Any help is appreciated, thanks for your time.--Scott, via e-mail

The 404 <3 Katie and Jill.

(Credit: CBS)

The holiday season is upon us and we know most of you are struggling to "find the money" to buy gifts for your friends and family, so we make the long trip across the hallway and invite Jill Schlesinger on the show to help us keep our heads above water. Jill is editor at large for CBS MoneyWatch.com and has plenty of experience with financial planning, so listen up!

As you might already know from past episodes featuring The Financial Decoder, Jill isn't the biggest fan of credit card companies, or "legalized drug dealers," as she calls them, but this time she has her scope pointed at the dangers of using a debit card.

Despite proposed laws that would outlaw overdraft fees, Jill suspects we haven't seen the end of hidden fees and actually recommends budgeting this season with presents that won't leave you with an empty bank account. Your dear old mom doesn't really need that Tiffany's necklace or box of Godiva chocolates! Leave that stuff for Mother's Day, and just go out and have fun together--it's free, and it won't drain your bank account.

Jill also drops knowledge on us (in a Bulgarian accent, no less) about how to develop optimistic (and realistic) financial goals for the year instead of frantically scrambling to plan around the holidays. With Valentine's Day coming up, it's too bad Jeff isn't here! Jill tells us the best way to stop the cycle of "hedonic spending" is to play a game she calls "Find the Money."

Have fun and play games while balancing your spending and saving money at the same time?! Be sure to listen to this episode of The 404 Podcast to get the whole story!

This is the 411, my Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

First off, thanks for your recent piece comparing the smartphone voice and data plans. Very helpful! My question pertains to smartphone flash drives. Most of the current smartphones allow the user to add storage via a flash drive, usually a microSD or SD card. When I read the review about the smartphones, I often see some kind of statement regarding flash memory that seems to indicate that their is a maximum amount of storage that a device will accept.

For example, the review of the HTC Tilt 2 says, "The Tilt2 has up to 32GB of expandable memory while offering 512MB ROM/288MB RAM." So my question is: is the maximum amount of flash drive space that a device will accept limited by the device itself (e.g., hardware/software limitations) or is it limited by the amount of flash card storage that is currently available in the market (referring back to the Tilt2, the device will accept a 64GB card when it becomes available)? -- John, via e-mail

HTC TouchPro2

(Credit: Verizon Wireless)

As far as I know, the expandable memory limit is indeed limited by the device itself. So even if a 64 or 128GB card becomes available, you will not be able to use those cards in the phone. Perhaps the firmware of the phone might be upgraded to handle the new cards, but I'm not sure if that is possible.

Nicole, I'm a 56-year-old with big hands and bad eyes, so a lot of this smartphone technology is wasted on me. My office wants me to get a HTC Touch Pro2 (bigger screen and keyboard), but I'd prefer to use my Verizon cell phone as a Wi-Fi device to access my company's Web site and my e-mail account through the Web through my laptop. What would you recommend for me? -- Paul, via e-mail

We all know the cost of a phone is more than just the price of the device. There are also monthly costs to deal with, whether you're going for the cheapest plan possible or for the expensive all-in-one bundle. This is especially a concern when it comes to smartphones, as data and messaging costs can add up to quite a hefty monthly bill.

In light of recent Android smartphone releases, we decided it might be good to compare the voice, messaging, and data plans of some of these phones across all four nationwide carriers to see which is the cheapest and which is the most expensive. Since AT&T does not yet have an Android phone, we used the Apple iPhone 3GS for comparison. We assumed that customers would be buying these phones with a new contract, so to keep things fair, we did not include T-Mobile's no-contract price plan in the chart (see note below). For Verizon, we did not compare the Connect or Premium plans because they aren't available for the Droid.

We also did not include the pricing for corporate and family plans. For example, Verizon's corporate data plans will cost $45 a month instead of $30 a month (despite claims to the contrary), which is the same for AT&T's iPhone.

We calculated the cheapest plans by adding up the cheapest of all the voice, messaging, and data options (we assumed that most smartphone users will want at least a basic messaging plan rather than no messaging plan at all). Conversely, we calculated the most expensive plans by adding up the most expensive of all three options. Typically, the costliest plans include unlimited voice, messaging, and data. We also know a lot of smartphone users don't use a lot of talk minutes, but are ardent users of text and data, so we also added up monthly plans with the lowest minutes but with unlimited text and data usage.

This is the 411, my Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.

The Nokia N86 has Wi-Fi, an 8-megapixel camera, and 30 fps video recording, but is only available unlocked.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

I'm looking into purchasing a new phone and possibly upgrading to a smart phone with AT&T. The hitch is that I can't afford a data plan yet. I would like a smart phone with Wi-Fi so that I can take advantage of the capabilities and processing power of a smart phone, but just not web enabled everywhere I go. In reality, most places I imagine needing wireless data, there is an open WiFi network nearby, so 3G connectivity and dealing with expensive data plans isn't totally necessary either. I would also like this phone to have a decent camera (3 to 5 megapixels) and 30 fps video recording. I would also like the ability to view full HTML web pages with zoom capabilities (multi-touch). So what are my best options without buying an unlocked phone? -- Mike, via e-mail.

Unfortunately, you can't get a smartphone without a data plan unless you're purchasing an unlocked phone. This is the same with pretty much all U.S. carriers, and it's regardless of whether the phone has Wi-Fi or not. As for smartphones with Wi-Fi and a 3-5-megapixel camera with 30 fps video recording, I can only think of unlocked models, like the Samsung Omnia 2, the Nokia N97, and the Nokia N86. You could look into getting an iPod Touch or something similar if you just want to use Wi-Fi, but of course you won't get the camera in that case. Readers, let me know if you can think of other solutions.

I have been investigating cell phone options and I am stumped. I am currently a Verizon Wireless customer (no contract) and I need a new phone. I would like to get a phone with email and web access. My husband has an iPhone. We have a Mac laptop at home and subscribe to Mobile Me. An iPhone might seem to be a no-brainer, but I am not sure. My main concern is the network. I have never had service problems with Verizon and the coverage is great, and I hear there are many service issues with the iPhone especially in big cities (we live in Chicago). Do you anticipate improvements to AT&T's 3G network that would make it comparable to Verizon's? Also, how big a deal is it to buy a phone without wi-fi (which most of Verizon's phones lack)? -- Dana, via e-mail.

Since you're concerned about the iPhone coverage in your area, I'm assuming your husband has reported a lack of AT&T coverage. This is, as you might have heard, not uncommon in metropolitan cities like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. This is not a universal issue by any means--we've heard reports of good coverage as well--but your mileage may vary depending on where you live and work. If your primary concern is voice and data coverage, then a Verizon phone would probably work better for you. You can certainly find a way to get a Windows Mobile or BlackBerry smartphone to work with a Mac (usually via third-party software), and if you can wait for the Motorola Droid, Android phones can sync with a Mac as well. You probably won't be able to use iTunes to sync music or podcasts though (Let us know if we're wrong on this). As for the lack of Wi-Fi, it's not a huge issue as long as you're not downloading big files. You do have to watch out that you don't hit Verizon's monthly data cap of 5GB though.

Could you please help me out? I do appreciate your time!! I am thinking of either getting the Hero or the Touch Pro 2 from Sprint. I will use the phone mainly for messaging,web browsing and utilizing NFL live whenever possible and maybe a word document every now and then but not too often. I like that the Hero has a smaller foot print but wonder if the keyboard on the TP2 is worth the extra size or not? Does the virtual keyboard work very well? Do you like the Qwerty on the TP2 better? If you were to choose one, which one would you choose? Could you please give me your opinion and help me out. I really do appreciate your time. -- Bruce, via e-mail.

It comes down to whether or not you would be comfortable with a virtual keyboard. For me, I'm fine with a virtual keyboard, and the virtual keyboard on the HTC Hero is actually quite usable. Still, it's not quite as easy and intuitive to use as a physical keyboard like the one on the HTC Touch Pro 2. If you think you'll only use the keyboard once in a while, then the Hero might be a better bet. Another thing to consider is that the HTC Hero runs on the Android platform, while the HTC Touch Pro 2 uses Windows Mobile. It sounds to me like you won't be using the Office apps that often, which again makes me think you might be better off with the Hero. Still, I would suggest trying out both phones in your local Sprint shop before you make the final decision.

(Credit: Matt Hickey)

T-Mobile on Sunday took the veil off of its rumored new aggressive pricing plans and made them official. And they're not just attractive, they're simple as well.

They are split into two major categories: the Even More Plus plans that don't include hardware subsidization but has no contract, and the Even More plans that include hardware and have a two-year contract.

The noncontract Plus option looks great for people who already own hardware that would run on T-Mobile's network, like an unlocked GSM phone. The top plan, at $79 a month, includes unlimited airtime, texting, and even Web browsing. That's about $20 less than the full unlimited plan that is offered by Sprint, until now the best all-in plan around.

Don't need data and just want talking and texting? That'd be just $49 a month for all-you-can-eat on both. Like we said, aggressive.

But just because they're not subsidizing hardware with these Even More Plus plans, it doesn't mean someone would be stuck with their current phone. T-Mobile's offering these plans in conjunction with its Equipment Installment Plan, which allows a user to break up payment on a new phone into 4 or 20 installments on top of what they're paying for their bill, and it's interest free. A $399 G1 would be just $19.95 a month for 20 months. If you're anti-contract, that's a great way to go.

Of course, one could still go the traditional route and get a phone with the Even More plans and get a handset subsidized, but the Even More plans don't offer an unlimited everything plan. Adding a data and text plan to the same G1 available on the installment plan takes the unlimited side up to $99 a month, on par with Sprint. In addition the G1 costs $129, leaving $270 to be made up for by subsidization. On a two-year contract that's $11.50 per month.

But what's the best way to go? This can get confusing, but bear with us here. ... Read more

AT&T will begin providing unlimited voice and text for $60 a month as part of its GoPhone prepaid service, the company announced Friday. Other prepaid plans from Boost Mobile and MetroPCS, for example, are around $50 a month or less, but the $60 a month plan still sounds pretty good.

The plan also includes unlimited texting to Canada, Mexico, and a hundred other countries. AT&T will start offering the service on October 12.

(Via PhoneScoop)

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

Q: I was an Alltel customer, but I'm now with Verizon Wireless following the merger. I want to add a fourth line to my family plan, but Verizon informed me that my Alltel phones were not compatible and that I'd need to replace them. Replacing all four phones would cost me about $600. What can I do?
- Sarah

A: Since Alltel and Verizon both use CDMA technology, I was surprised to hear that your Alltel phones aren't compatible with Verizon's network. I checked with Verizon and got a quick response. While most Alltel customers won't have to buy new phones, there are exceptions (there always are). ... Read more

The city of Boston is set to launch an official iPhone application for residents to file complaints about "neighborhood nuisances--nasty potholes, graffiti-stained walls, blown street lights," according to The Boston Globe.

Called Citizen Connect, the app will let Bostonians send pictures and tips right to City Hall.

The app was built with the help of a New Hampshire mobile development firm called Connected Bits.

Citizen Connect has been submitted to Apple but hasn't made it into the iTunes App Store just yet. When it does, it will be free.

Beware, Citizen Connect: complaints about this 'Aqua Hunger Teen Force' ad campaign turned into a huge mess for Boston two years ago.

(Credit: Boing Boing)

The Boston Globe said Citizen Connect is the first app of its kind, but other cities have also been turning to new technology to make the minutiae of municipal government run more smoothly. New York's 311 nonemergency hotline for residents now has a presence on Skype and Twitter. New York also now accepts photo and video submissions for 911 and 311.

But the iPhone app has a few advantages. Per the Globe: "The application, which will be free to download from Apple, will allow residents to use the Global Positioning System function on their iPhones to pinpoint the precise location of the problem for City Hall. After submitting a complaint, users will get a tracking number, so they can pester city officials if the problem persists." Ooh! Pestering city officials sounds like fun!

That said, the idea of a complaint-filing iPhone app for Boston is particularly hilarious: the most famous instance of Boston municipal complaints in recent history happened when people started calling in concerns about suspicious-looking devices that turned out to be an ad campaign for the cartoon flick "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." This fact, however, did not come to light until the city had already shut down all traffic on the Charles River.

Or, as one blogger has pointed out already, the system could easily get flooded with photos accompanied by captions like "Please send a cop over to make these Yankees fans leave this bar."