Buying a Cell Phone: English for Phones, Features, and Plans

Learn English for buying a cell phone, asking about features, and comparing options in a shop. This free A1 lesson for adult beginners completes the Out and About unit in A1 Part 3. Its 20 interactive slides include videos, vocabulary audio, shop conversations, grammar explanations, listening questions, speaking practice, and a writing activity.

What you will learn

• Identify common phone vocabulary, including smartphone, storage, data, and plan.
• Ask simple questions about price, camera, battery life, and accessories.
• Compare phones and plans using cheaper, better, bigger, and other adjectives.
• Use polite expressions to choose a phone and ask for help setting it up.
• Take part in a customer-and-shop-assistant role-play.

Talking about your phone

Start with the discussion questions: Do you have a smartphone?, What do you use it for?, and Are you going to buy a new phone soon?

Give short answers, then add a reason. For example: I use my phone to call my family and take photos. or I am going to buy a new phone because my old one stopped working. Listen to a partner and ask which feature matters most to them.

Cell phone vocabulary in English

Cell phone and mobile phone both refer to the device. A smartphone can run apps as well as make calls. Listen to the vocabulary cards, repeat each word, and connect it with the pictures and examples.

The vocabulary quiz asks you to connect definitions with words such as camera, price, screen, processor, storage, durability, and feature. Notice that battery names the component, while battery life describes how long its charge lasts.

Explaining a problem with an old phone

Use My phone stopped working. when it no longer functions. It keeps turning off. describes a repeated problem, and The battery dies. means it loses its charge.

In the video, the customer says the battery dies in five minutes. This explains why she wants a replacement. The conversation also uses retire humorously to describe putting an old phone away and no longer using it.

Watching a phone shop conversation

The customer in the main video wants a phone that is easy to use and has a good camera. The assistant compares two versions: a larger phone at $699 and a smaller version at $599. These prices describe the lesson conversation.

In that example, the more expensive phone has a bigger screen and a better camera at night. The cheaper phone is lighter and easier to hold. The customer chooses the lighter phone in pink with 128 GB of storage.

She also chooses the stronger $25 case because she often drops her phone, and accepts help transferring her data. Watch once for the situation, then watch again to answer the quiz about the broken phone, the comparison, the case, the color, and the assistant's offer.

Asking questions before choosing a phone

• What's the price?
• What's the difference?
• Can I hold it?
• Does it have good storage?
• Does it come in different colors?
• What about the warranty?
• How's the battery life?

Describe your preference with I would like a phone with a good camera and battery life. To make your choice, say I think I'll take this one. Thank the assistant with Thank you. You're very helpful.

Accessories and help setting up a phone

A phone case covers the outside of the device, and a screen protector covers the screen. Bestselling describes something that sells especially well. A warranty is a promise about repairing or replacing a product under stated conditions for a period of time.

The assistant uses ring it up to mean process the purchase. Transfer data means move information, such as contacts and files, to another device. Practice requesting help: Could you help me transfer my data, please?

Comparative adjectives for choosing between two phones

Use a comparative to compare two things, usually followed by than: The small phone is cheaper than the big phone. In the lesson example, you can also say The big phone has a bigger screen.

Many short adjectives use -er. Longer adjectives such as expensive use more: This phone is more expensive than that one. Good has the irregular comparative better.

Superlatives and spelling patterns

Use a superlative to compare something with a group: This is the cheapest phone of the three. Use the before the superlative adjective. The warm-up video and grammar cards review these forms.

Notice the doubled g in bigger and biggest. For easy and noisy, change y to i before adding the ending. The grammar cards also practice clean, green, fresh, crowded, and exciting.

Complete the two grammar prompts with bigger for the screen comparison and cheaper for the price comparison. Read the finished sentences aloud.

Speaking practice in a phone shop

In the speaking activity, the customer gives a budget of $200 to $300 and asks for an unlocked phone. The clerk compares three options using better battery life, more storage, and the cheapest. Practice stating your budget, asking about differences, and giving a reason for your choice.

Use this short model, then change the features and preferences:

Assistant: Good afternoon. How can I help you?
Customer: I would like to buy a new phone.
Assistant: What features would you like?
Customer: A good camera and long battery life, please.
Assistant: This one is lighter. That one has a bigger screen.
Customer: I prefer the lighter one. What's the price?
Assistant: Let me show you the price.
Customer: Thank you. Could you help me transfer my data?

Understanding phone plans and payment vocabulary

A handset is another word for the phone itself. An unlocked phone is not restricted to one mobile network. A carrier provides mobile network service, and a plan describes a service package and its charges.

The vocabulary notes explain a contract as an agreement with a phone company involving regular payments. Pay-as-you-go means adding credit as needed. Top up means add money to your phone credit.

Distinguish storage, the space for files on a device, from mobile data, used to access the internet through a mobile network. Practice the lesson's key questions: What plans do you have? and How much data is included?

Listening to a customer choosing a SIM card

In the later listening conversation, a customer wants a touchscreen smartphone with a high-res screen. The assistant describes the example phone's battery life as one to three days, depending on use. The customer chooses a pay-as-you-go SIM card rather than a contract.

In this dialogue, the SIM card is free with £10 credit. The assistant also describes a monthly top-up offer with 50 minutes and 100 texts. These details belong to the listening exercise.

Listen again for the requested feature, battery life, payment choice, and credit amount. Use the five listening questions to check your understanding, then repeat the customer's questions with a partner.

Writing practice: completing the dialogue

The writing slide asks you to fill five gaps in the listening dialogue. The missing words complete the phrases smart phone, battery life, take out a contract, SIM card, and Where do I pay?

Read the conversation first, choose the word that fits each sentence, and then read the completed dialogue aloud. Pay attention to the question mark in Where do I pay? and the capital letters in SIM.

Final speaking questions

Finish by explaining which phone feature is most important to you and why. Try The camera is the most important feature for me because I like taking photos. Then ask a question to find the cheapest plan, such as Which plan is the cheapest?

Teachers can use the vocabulary cards before paired shop role-plays. For self-study, repeat the audio, complete the listening and writing activities, and record a conversation that includes a preference, a comparison, and a plan question.

Review comparatives and service requests in Lesson 35, or explore all free A1 English teaching materials.