Cellular phones are in schools, banks, malls, and homes across the country. While cellular phones have been an important technological advancement, they're not without their drawbacks.

Reliability is one of the most significant disadvantages of cellular phones. Many people have replaced their land-line home phones with cellular phones, but this could prove problematic in a true emergency. If your house is on fire, dead batteries and weak signals are the last things you should be worrying about. Dropping your land-line service may seem like an easy way to save a few dollars, but in most cases it's not worth the risk.

Cell phones can also be easily damaged by improper handling and storage. Non-repairable corrosion can result if you expose your cellular phone to water or use wet hands to push the buttons. Exposing your cellular phone to excessive heat can damage the battery or internal components. Leaving your cell phone in extremely cold temperatures could possibly cause a temporary loss of the screen display.

While it won't endanger your life or harm your phone, cellular phone "cloning" will damage your bank account. A phone is cloned when someone steals its unique electronic serial number and telephone number. This allows the thief to charge unauthorized calls to your account. If you think you have been a victim of cloning, contact your cellular phone carrier immediately.

Subscriber fraud is similar to cloning and occurs when a thief steals your personal information to sign up for a cellular phone account in your name. Once you've discovered that you've been the victim of subscriber fraud, it can be difficult to prove to your cellular phone carrier that you did not incur the charges.

Cellular phones are integral part of life for many individuals, but it's important to be aware of potential problems that may arise from their use. Like any other modern electronic device, cellular phones are not without their drawbacks.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com. He provides cellular phone plans, service and free cellular phones on his website that you can research in your pajamas.