Were you lucky enough to unwrap a new — or upgraded — mobile device this holiday season? Mobile devices were popular gifts for the holidays, with tablets leading wish lists and smartphones ranking in the top five, according to a recent survey by the Consumer Electronics Association. Recipients of a new tablet or smartphone will be able to use their mobile device in a variety of ways at work, home, school and play - once they figure out how to use all of the bells and whistles on their new gadgets!

Your mobile phone simplifies and organizes your life, keeps you connected and informed, helps you achieve your personal and professional goals and allows you to enjoy your downtime. Get the most out of your new device with these tips:

• Download the best apps. No matter what interests you, there’s an app for that. Stay up to date with the news through apps like ABC News, NPR and Huffington Post. Get real-time weather updates with the Weather.com app. Keep up with your favorite sports teams, scores, trades and updates with the free ESPN app. Another popular app, Google Shopper, lets you find information, pricing and reviews on millions of products, searching by cover art, barcode or even by voice and text. There are terrific apps for cooking, parenting, traveling, couponing, budgeting, gaming and so much more!

• Set up Wi-Fi on your mobile device. With millions of Wi-Fi hotspots available nationwide, it’s becoming easier for smartphone and tablet users to stream a television show or download important documents while managing their data usage. U.S. Cellular simplified the process even more with the launch of Wi-Fi Now, a free app that allows users to easily connect to Wi-Fi hotspots while on-the-go.

• Stay in touch via email. A huge benefit to smartphones and tablets is the ability to access your email from anywhere, at any time. Each phone and tablet is different, but associates can help set up email on your new device or sync multiple email accounts. Accessing emails on-the-go is just one more way your device can simplify and enhance your life.

• Share photos easily.

• Work smarter. The virtual office reaches new heights with today’s mobile devices. With your smartphone or tablet, you can hold a top-quality video conference quickly and easily, use mobile cloud services to share, access and edit documents in real time and instantly upload and download documents and presentations. Working remotely has never been simpler and these devices make it easy to communicate with clients, customers, prospects and colleagues.

• Manage your New Year’s Resolutions. If you’ve vowed to clean up your act - eat healthier, exercise more, get organized and/or stick to a budget in 2013 - your mobile device can help you stick to your resolutions.

U.S. Cellular is committed to helping wireless users learn more about their mobile devices and all of the helpful features and innovative tools that are available on smartphones and tablets. U.S. Cellular invites all wireless users to visit their free Device Workshops held every month. The next Device Workshop will be held on Saturday, Feb.9 at 9 a.m. at 360 Northeast Blvd. in Clinton. At the monthly workshops, U.S. Cellular associates will help attendees learn about and maximize all the features on their Android™-powered, Windows® Phone and BlackBerry® devices. All questions are welcome from current and potential smartphone users, and attendees don’t have to be a U.S. Cellular customer. The Device Workshops are free and open to everyone. Please call 910-590-3030 for more information about these upcoming events.

(Editor’s note: Devone Hailey is store manager in the Clinton U.S. Cellular store.)