What happens when mobile phone engineers really think about a product.
Apr 06 '01
The Bottom Line Some nonstandard things people should be aware of when buying a mobile phone.
There are just so many mobile phones out nowadays. Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, just to name a few, how does one choose? There are a great many opinions written by fellow epinioners about this subject already, so I don’t want to reiterate what’s already been said. I do want to focus on some things that I’d like to call the final polish on the phone… meaning the little extras that make a specific phone stand out from the rest. When I buy a phone, I want to know that the designer took the time out to think about the consumer and what would benefit them the most, not just through a lot of random features into it. Well, before I get into the usual of talking about the company, the features and such, I want to talk about one very important thing that some people overlook – the service provider.
The Service Provider
No matter how good your phone is, the limiting factor is how good the service provider is. Therefore, the most important thing is to ask people you know their experiences with that specific provider. Furthermore, each provider has stronger signals in certain areas. Your choice would depend on where you travel, or where you spend most of your time. I’ve had experiences where there would be “holes” (LOS) in the signal in specific areas of a big city where I would be “roaming”. I live in New York City, so this was very unexpected. One could argue that holes are just small nuisances, but for me it was in a two block radius right in the middle of where I live! In any case, make sure you ask people who live in your area and those at you workplace about their experience with different service providers. Even if you have to have that one phone that this one service provider offers, is it worthwhile if you can only use it half the time? Let me not belabor the point =).
Just as an aside, if you do a lot of international traveling, you should look into a GSM phone. These phones have a little chip inside which can be changed dependent on what country you are in. The chip allows for functionality within the country as well as acts as a phone card. You can buy chips with a certain amount of money on it and make calls as usual.
Features
I’m not going to spend too much time on the common features that come with a phone, because that all depends on personal tastes. Some of the standard features that should be on all phones now include: a phonebook, different ring tones, messaging capability (at least incoming), silent ring (vibrating) feature, call log, and dual mode capability (explained later). If you need more information on any of these standard features, I would direct you to any of the great opinions written by other authors in this section. I just want to concentrate on some things that are often overlooked:
Get it built-in…
If possible, you want to find a phone that incorporates the most accessories directly onto the phone. What do I mean by that? Take the headset adapters for instance. Most standard headsets now plug into a mini-plug, a little smaller than an eighth of an inch in diameter. They look like smaller versions of the things that are on the ends of your headphones that you plug into your stereo system or walkman (to borrow a Sony word). In any case, most new phones now come with a socket on the phone that supports these plugs. Some phones however, most notably the older Nokia phones (51X ,61X) require an additional adapter. This adds cost as well as limits you to which type of headset you can use. Some companies such as Plantronics make better headsets with noise cancellation that use the standard mini-plug. Also, as mentioned earlier, intrinsic vibrating capability is always nice. By this I mean that the phone itself is capable of vibrating, you shouldn’t need to buy an extra accessory or special battery anymore.
the wow factor…
At this point, there is a lot of talk about web-enabled phones, video conferencing phones and the like. Personally, I think these features are superfluous. Most phones have screens so small that web browsing, let alone just reading incoming email is impossible. As for video conferencing, well, as of this time, our wireless network has such low bandwidth that you can only send still pictures. This feature may be fun for the first few times you use it, but why pay an extra $100 for it?
Dual mode…
At this point, a lot of phone manufacturers are phasing out “dual mode” phones. By dual mode I mean phones that are capable of making calls in the analog or digital format. It is worthwhile to have a phone that is also capable of making analog calls because the current digital network still suffers from lots of LOS (Loss of signal) problems. Furthermore, there are still a lot of problems getting a digital signal in buildings.
Ergonomics & Looks
Phones are getting smaller and smaller nowadays. The colors are getting flashier and some phones let you change the faceplate (Nokia). One should choose a phone that suits your own personal taste and is comfortable for your use. For instance, the new Nokia 8260 and higher models are very small. However, for me, these phones are just a little too small. I prefer the phone actually traversing from my ear to my mouth. So in terms of comfort for me, the Motorola StarTac remains a favorite. Of course, you aren’t reading this to find out what I like, you want to know what you like. Well, the only way to find out is to look at it for yourself. Test out dialing a few buttons and talking on it. I know that may sound strange now, but you will invariably be happier with a product you are happier with.
Buying Tip
I have found that large resellers such as Circuit City, Office Depot, Staples, etc. often overcharge for their phones. As a matter of fact, even buying phones directly from the manufacturer or service provider is often more costly. The best place to find the most advanced phones at the cheapest price is often the small resellers. These small resellers often have package deals that give you huge rebates and sometimes even give you the more advanced phones for free. As a matter of fact, a few months ago when AT&T were selling their Nokia 8260 phones for $150 (with activation), my local reseller was giving it away for free with activation. The phones are under the same warranty and you get the same service provider, so what’s the problem? Nothing… buy from your local neighborhood wireless reseller.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
coffeeaddict
|
|
Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 31 members
|
|
|
Buy Cell Phones
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.