DURING the holiday season, I lost my cell phone amid a frenzy of year-end activity. When I visited the cell phone store to replace it, I learned that since my contract period had just expired, I was eligible for a discount on an upgraded phone. (I also learned that if you acquire a phone at a discount by signing a service contract and then lose the phone during the contract period, you'll wish you had insurance.) Buying a cell phone can seem as complicated as buying an insurance policy must seem to our clients. You have a myriad of phones and service plans to choose from, with variations in prime-time, night and weekend rates, as well as in free minutes. After a 20-minute discussion, I was on my way with the newest digital, Web-enabled, text-message-capable flip-phone with a color display. The phone was just $60, after a $50 rebate, with a two-year contract.

This excited me. I've never viewed a cell phone as "high-end" technology or expected it to do too much for me. My previous phone had Web access, for instance, but that didn't interest me. If you think the same way, then it's time to lose your phone too! Several enhancements on new phones are of great everyday usefulness. Here are some of the features I find most beneficial:

? The phonebook feature has been substantially expanded, in terms of both total capacity and types of information that can be added for each contact. For one contact, you can enter multiple phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Records generally can be up to 50 characters long. I've added street addresses and ZIP codes for contacts whose addresses I might need on the run. Another rather new feature permits grouping of phone numbers, similar to the capability of a PDA.