Galaxy S II: The Missing Manual

Appendix A. Setup and Signup

SETTING UP YOUR SAMSUNG Galaxy S II is easy, especially if you buy it at a your wireless carrier’s store. There, the sales folk will walk you through the process of activating your phone and signing up for a plan. If you buy your Galaxy S II over the Web, you set everything up either on the Web or over the phone. This appendix tells you everything you need to know.

Choosing a Plan

When you buy a Samsung Galaxy S II, you’ll usually get it in conjunction with a one- or two-year service plan in addition to the cost of the phone. When you buy a plan, your provider knocks a few hundred dollars off the Galaxy S II’s $499.99 list price. The cost of the plan varies according to how many minutes of talk you want each month, and whether you want text messaging as well. Your carrier offers enough permutations to meet almost any need imaginable.

For the most recent rates, visit your wireless carrier’s website. You’ll have to buy a data plan, and you may also have a data cap, which means that if you use more than a certain amount of data in any given month, you’ll pay extra. You can buy texting on a per-text or unlimited basis. Heavy texters will find the unlimited plan is cheaper in the long run, while occasional texters will do better paying on a per-text basis.

Your Phone Number

The phone number you use on your Galaxy S II depends on whether you already have an account ...