If you aren't a technological whiz, you may have trouble navigating the wide selection of electronic products on the market today. In particular, you are likely to find that choosing a mobile handset is a problem; with so much variety and such a wide range of different functions available to you, it's easy to feel a little overwhelmed. However, as long as you follow a few useful guidelines, you'll see that the process is far from impossible.

To begin with, it's a good idea to assess your mobile needs before you go into the shop. Sit down ad consider exactly what you use your handset for. Make a list of the functions you think are indispensable in your daily life. Start with the most important and rank down from there to those you think are negligible.

Next, get online and browse through your service provider's catalogue. This will give you a good impression of what is available to you and what kind of price you're looking at. Try to work out an idea of how much you'd like to spend on your contract every month, and if you can't find the ideal phone to fit that price scheme – it doesn't have a digital camera for example – be prepared to be a little flexible.

Only after having conducted all of this self-study should you head for the phone shop. Be prepared to be confronted with a sales pitch, and remember carefully to evaluate any potential options before accepting them.

In short, making the right mobile phone selection is not a matter of technological expertise. Rather it is about careful research and intelligent budgeting.