Dump Your Cell Phone?

Apples iPhone goes on sale Friday, June 29, and as what is clearly the centurys most hyped new high-tech gizmo, a lot of people will be drooling over it. But a lot of people wont be able to use it, as it only works with the AT&T Wireless Network, unless they can get out of their current contract with a competing carrier. And thats prompting a lot of attention on a couple of Web sites that can help people do just that. It isnt easy getting out of a wireless phone contract. Most carriers charge from $150 to $250 to cancel. But one site helps people do just that: Cell Trade USA, which has seen business increase by a third as the iPhone release approaches. Essentially, this site is a matchmaking site helping you find someone else to take over your cellphone contract, and then collecting a small fee once you find a buyer. Another site that does the same thing: Cell Swapper. They let you post your offer for free. People come to the site, check around, and if the deal sounds good, they use the site to broker the fee and get shorter contracts than the carriers offer. What do you do with your present phone when you get an iPhone? Theres a bunch of sites that specialize in that, too. Cell for Cash and Rip Mobile are two of the biggest thatll help you sell your old phone. But many experts suggest people hold off on the iPhone. At $500 to $600, the two models are really costly. Unless you have to be first, wait a few months. The prices will surely drop.