Flip phones are out.

As cell phone trends continue to change, the bright, bedazzled generic phones have been replaced by shiny, sleek schedulers with touch screens and sliding keyboards.

So what does your chosen device say about you? Are you defined by the phone you carry?

Bethany Dye, assistant store manager at Toledo’s Choice Communications, says sometimes they do.

Dye said since ringtones are cheaper, cameras are accessible for background images and phones come in a variety of colors, the idea of self-expression through phones is not unheard of.

‘Many people live through their phone,’ she said. ‘Some people want what’s right off the market to define themselves as trend setting, and it’s easier now to express yourself because of personalization.’

But despite the concepts of using a phone to set an image, most phones are made with a specific function for a specific market or demographic, said Holly Hill, T-Mobile store supervisor.

‘Many people choose looks over functionality,’ she said ‘For example, SmartPhones are made for tech-savvy, young professionals where the plans will come in handy, but they are often purchased by teens because they look cool.’

Dye said this is an obvious waste of money because of the wasted internet and data plans which some phones are tailored to, and most people should think before buying.

The iPhone – AT’amp;T’s latest touch screen phenomenon – is one example of a phone people want based on hot trends rather than function, said AT’amp;T Head of Marketing Lane Seeli.

‘The touch screen is in, and we’re selling more than we can make, but most of the time people who get them don’t know how to use them,’ he said.

Junior Christina Coughlin has an LG, a version of the iPhone sold through Verizon. She purchased the phone because it was brand new and she was available for an upgrade.

‘I will admit, I want what’s new,’ Coughlin said. ‘But I also want something that will suit my purpose and will last a long time.’

Or at least until her next upgrade.

Dye said many people do wait for their upgrade eligibility, but it’s not uncommon for someone to throw down the cash for the newest device on the market.

‘People don’t realize certain phones, regardless of trends, styles, functions or features, are made for a certain market,’ she said. ‘I’m not scared to tell someone what they will use and won’t used based on what I know about them, and if they will waste their money.’

The Blackberry market, for instance, suits young adults – 20s and 30s – who might be starting a new job where scheduling would come in handy, and for people who are more tech savvy, Dye said.

The Rumor or Instinct sold through Sprint and Cingular would be appreciated more by teens who love the long, sliding keyboards for text messaging, she added.

As a contract, many students at any age still use older phones, regardless of upgrade availability or what is new, senior Jenny Ewing said.

‘I drop my phone all the time and I only need it for calling or texting, so why would I want to spend a couple hundred hollers on functions I won’t use on a phone I might break,’ she said.

Dye said considering factors like phones responsibility, job choice and purpose is important when buying a new device – not necessarily just what it looks like.

‘I don’t want a SmartPhone to be smarter than the person,’ she said ‘So consider what you’ll actually need in a phone and allow yourself to define it, rather than what will define you.’