Smartphones

Your cell phone can be one of the more expensive bills you have to pay each month, especially if you carry a smartphone. But if you put in some effort to research before buying a phone and choosing a carrier, there are ways you can save a lot of money on your bill. The amount you will save can amount to hundreds in a few years. Here are some tricks to saving on your cell phone:

Sign up for a no-contract deal: Although you can save up to hundreds on a new smartphone if you sign up for a contract deal, you can actually save more if you opt for a no-contract deal and pay full price for the phone. This Get Rich Slowly blogger found that the plan she wanted cost $110 a month without contract, versus $140 with the contract. Even though she'll have to pay more for the phone — $500 compared with the discounted $200 — she'll be saving $360 a year, which means she'll save $60 in the first year alone, followed by $360 the year after. Further, if she wants to switch carriers midway, then she won't have to pay any penalties, because she's not under contract. And that's not all; turns out some carriers even offer no-interest payment plans for the phones, so even if you can't afford to pay the full price upfront, you can pay it off in installments.

Comparison shop: The first rule of getting a bang for your buck on anything is to shop around. Check out what phone and plan best suit your needs. You can compare different carrier plans and pricing with ease by going to BillShrink. Just input your information and how you want to use the plan, and the site will give you a list of suggestions and the breakdown of each plan.

Get a prepaid phone: A pay-as-you-go phone can save you a lot of money, and you won't be locked down in a contract. Another benefit is you'll know exactly what you're going to be charged, and you won't be in for any nasty phone bill surprises. The prepaid option is a smarter option for people who never seem to meet their minutes quota and for those who aren't phone hogs. And if you think prepaid phones are outdated, then think again. Now you can even use a prepaid plan for smartphone models such as the iPhone 5. You'll even get the option of unlimited data plans at cheaper rates than contract ones. Prepaid service providers that Consumer Reports recommended include TracFone, Virgin Mobile, Straight Talk, and T-Mobile.

Read on for more ways to save.

Adventure is out there and, while you're out in the wild finding it, Samsung wants you to take your smartphone along for the ride. The South Korean company announced a more rugged, waterproof version of its latest Galaxy phone, the Galaxy S4 Active, last week.

On Thursday, AT&T said the phone will be available for preorder starting June 14. Head over att.com/galaxys4active (the page won't be live until June 14) to purchase the phone in Urban Gray or Dive Blue for $200 with a two-year contract.

With dust-proof casing, the ability to be submerged in water up to three feet deep for 30 minutes, and a water-resistant headphone jack, the Galaxy S4 Active was built specifically with rugged, outdoors-types — and clumsy fingers — in mind.

The Active shares many of the futuristic features of the original Galaxy S4, including air-gesture recognition, eye-scrolling, and touch sensitivity, even if the user is wearing gloves, but with the added bonus of water protection. Like the S4 Active, the flagship Galaxy S4 costs $200 with two-year contract on AT&T.

Water-resistant tech is having a moment this year: Sony's H20-friendly Xperia Z made a splash at CES, and is due to hit shelves any day now. When the Galaxy S4 Active arrives on June 21, it'll directly compete with the large display, Android-powered Xperia.

Looks like Samsung's new waterproof phone will arrive just in time for this season's beach-bound techies. If you're considering the Galaxy S4 Active, see all the color options and technical specifications after the break.

Samsung claims that the Galaxy S4 Zoom, which launched on Wednesday, is a smartphone with a powerful camera — but we think it should be the other way around. All it takes is one quick glance at the South Korean tech conglomerate's latest device to realize that it's much more camera than smartphone.

The 4.3-inch, Android Jelly Bean 4.2-powered Zoom, which boasts 10x optical zoom, 16MP CMOS sensor, and Xenon flash, is the most photo-forward of the Galaxy S4 bunch. The original Galaxy S4 takes 13MP images with its rear camera, while the waterproof S4 Active captures a mere 8MP.

Added features like the Zoom Ring, which surrounds the camera's lens, acts as a shortcut button to the phone's marquee features. Twist the Zoom Ring to activate the In-Call Photo Share feature, which takes a photo and immediately sends the image to whoever you are speaking to. An Optical Image Stabilizer prevents shaky photos, keeping the camera still and reducing blur while zoomed in.

Samsung's new cameraphone is more on par with the tablet/camera hybrid Galaxy Camera, an Android-powered point-and-shoot with 16x optical zoom and a 4.8-inch touch display. At $500 plus AT&T DataConnect, the Galaxy Camera isn't exactly affordable. Samsung hasn't released pricing or availability for the Zoom just yet, but we're hoping that the Zoom will be available at a lower price point than the Galaxy Camera.

See all of the Galaxy S4 Zoom's specs after the break.

Hey butter fingers, the Apple Store is now your destination for damaged, cracked, and dented iPhone 5 screens. Apple retail stores are now offering iPhone display replacements for $149, down from $229. It's a competitive price coupled with convenience. The part itself, without the cost of installation, is about $150 on Amazon.

All Apple retail customers pay the $150 display replacement price, regardless of whether or not they've purchased AppleCare ($99, plus $49 for each additional replacement).

The Apple Store's in-house services will become even more comprehensive in July, adding à la carte iPhone camera, sleep/wake button, and logic board repair according to MacRumors.

The added repair offerings for iPhone 5 arrives just as the original iPhone is deemed obsolete. Bona fide iPhonians with the original 2007 device will no longer be able to service their phones at Apple retail stores come June 11, but they can turn to one of these worthy repair alternatives.

Samsung is bringing purple to the people. The Galaxy S3 is now available in Amethyst Purple, joining its Pebble Blue and Marble White brethren only on Sprint for $149 with a two-year contract.

It's an interesting time for a Galaxy phone to be unveiled in a new hue — especially since the latest Samsung mobile device, the futuristic Galaxy S4, is due to hit stores very, very soon. Preorders for the S4 ($250 with a two-year contract) begin April 16.

If you do opt for the new violet Galaxy S3 offering, head over to Sprint. You probably won't get tired of that purple shell, but just in case, dress it in tech protection that honors our friends across the pond.

This Friday at T-Mobile, you can swap an iPhone 4 or 4S for Apple's latest and greatest, the iPhone 5, for $0 down. What's the catch, you ask? We break down T-Mobile's no-contract trade-in deal to find out what it's all about and how to maximize savings on the best iPhone around.

The Basics

• What — Trade an iPhone 4S or 4, and receive an iPhone 5 for no cost upfront and $20 per month for two years (total $480) without a wireless contract.
• Where — T-Mobile retail stores will offer the deal.
• When — Customers can trade in their old phones for new ones starting this Friday, April 12 until June 16.

What will you save? What about the data plan? The answers to your burning questions are after the break.

This morning, after Facebook introduced Facebook Home, an Android-based social experience that falls somewhere between an app and an operating system, we also got news of the first Facebook-optimized phone: the HTC First.

The new 4.3-inch smartphone, available on AT&T for $100 with a two-year contract, is open for preorders starting today at att.com/facebookhome and hits retail stores on April 12. Preorders will ship April 10.

HTC First comes in black, white, red, and pale blue. From the outside, it looks like HTC's new phone has a thin body, front-facing camera, rounded edges, and — like traditional Android devices — back, home, and navigation buttons. On the inside, the HTC First runs Android 4.1 (Jellybean) and is 4G-LTE ready.

See all the tech specs after the break.