Cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs

Help! When's the best time to sell my old iPad?

It's that time of year again when Apple releases a new iPad, so what should you do with your old one? And should you get the Wi-Fi only version or one with 3G/4G access?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader who is jonesing for the upcoming iPad 3 figure out what to do with his iPad 2. I get some good advice from the CEO of the gadget trade-in site Gazelle. I also help another reader decide whether he should buy a Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad or if he should splurge on the … Read more

Torn between two Motorola Droids: Droid 4 or Droid Razr Maxx

Don't you wish you could have it all? Sadly, sometimes we can't, especially when it comes to smartphones.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help a reader decide between two Motorola Droid smartphones. The new Droid 4, which comes with a full-QWERTY keyboard or the Droid Razr Maxx, a flashy new touch-screen device with the longest battery life of any 4G LTE device on the market. I also offer some advice to an Android customer who is patiently waiting for HTC to introduce a new smartphone with Ice Cream Sandwich.

Physical keyboard vs. Long battery life

Dear … Read more

Buying a tablet on a budget: Android or iPad?

Thanks to Google Android, there are more tablet choices on the market than you can shake a stick at. But with a weak supply of apps to choose from and some buggy software, are these iPad knockoffs worth it? Or should consumers just pony up a few extra bucks and buy the iPad?

With the iPad 3 just around the corner, Ask Maggie tackles this question helping one reader decide if a low-cost Android option is better than a higher-priced iPad. Ask Maggie also helps a devoted iPod Touch user decide if he should get an iPhone as his first … Read more

How can I get a piece of the Facebook action?

When people hear that a graffiti artist who took Facebook stock instead of cash for paintings he did at Facebook's headquarters will soon be a millionaire after the company goes public later this year, it's hard not to wonder if there is any way you might still be able to cash in on Facebook's riches.

Unfortunately, for most common folk, participating in Facebook's IPO isn't an option. But once the stock starts trading on the public market, eventually regular people will be able to buy shares. It's hard to say at this point whether … Read more

Will Verizon ever get a 4G Windows Phone?

Verizon customers may have more 4G LTE Google Android smartphones to choose from than subscribers on any other U.S. carrier, but when it comes to a Microsoft Windows Phone devices, forget it.

The pickings for Windows Phone smartphones are pretty slim when it comes to Verizon Wireless and even No. 3 carrier Sprint Nextel. So what are interested consumers to do? Ask Maggie offers some advice and some predictions on when these carriers will offer more devices using Microsoft's mobile OS.

The long wait for a Verizon Windows Phone with 4G LTE

Dear Maggie, I'm a Verizon … Read more

AT&T gives heavy data users a not-so-subtle hint to ditch the unlimited plan

What could be worse than a surprise overage fee? For some people it's having their wireless carrier put the brakes on their data service.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, one reader wants to know whether it's worth keeping his AT&T unlimited data plan after AT&T has warned him that his service will be slowed down because he's in the top 5 percent of data users. Ask Maggie also offers advice on whether to buy the lower priced iPhone 4 or the newer iPhone 4S.

Is AT&T giving me a hint … Read more

Would you ditch your wireless carrier for love?

When two people decide to get married, they merge their lives, often combining families, finances, and worldly possessions. But should this also include their wireless plans?

In this edition of Ask Maggie I explore the answer to a question that many newly engaged couples might be asking themselves: do we sign up for the wireless family plan? Or do we go it alone?

Since I am facing this very issue right now, I decided to ask my own question and share my thought-process with my Ask Maggie readers.

The things we do for love

Over the holidays, my boyfriend Mark … Read more

Should I upgrade to the iPhone 4S for Siri?

Apple's voice-activated, personal assistant, Siri, is a cool app to show off at parties, but is it useful enough for me to upgrade to the iPhone 4S? And how can I make sure that I don't get socked with a surprise $1,000 bill when I return from my winter vacation in the Caribbean Islands?

These are the questions Ask Maggie tackles in this edition.

Should I upgrade to the iPhone 4S for Siri?

Dear Maggie, I've had the iPhone 3G for a couple of years. But recently, I've really gotten tired of the slow download … Read more

Is AT&T's data plan price hike justified?

AT&T has jacked up the prices of its data service, but it's giving customers more bandwidth each month. Is the carrier offering its subscribers more bang for their buck or simply trying to squeeze more cash from its customers?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer my opinion and offer some advice to AT&T customers troubled by the new price increase.

AT&T's new data plan pricing

Dear Maggie, When AT&T first switched to the tiered pricing plans, they claimed only a fraction of their users ever use more than … Read more

Will Verizon unlock my iPhone 4S?

Swapping out your SIM card on your iPhone 4S when you travel abroad is a good way to avoid expensive roaming charges. But whether you can do it, and on which carrier it's allowed, can be confusing.

In this edition of Ask Maggie I answer what should be a simple and straight-forward question about whether a Verizon Wireless iPhone 4S can be used overseas on a foreign carrier's network. I also offer some advice to another reader looking for voice-only service with a smartphone on T-Mobile's prepaid plans.

Confusion around unlocked iPhones

Hi Maggie, I love your … Read more