Selecting a Cell Phone

More Than Just a Phone

Selecting a cell phone is no longer just about mobile communication ? it is now a lifestyle choice. If you don't select the phone that fits your personality, you won't be happy with it. New cell phones are beginning to have little in common with earlier cell phones. The new models feature color screens, digital cameras, high-speed internet connections, multimedia games, and music playback. In case you were wondering, you can also use them to make phone calls. It's only a matter of time before everyone has these features on their cell phones.

Text messaging or "texting" is now available standard on most cell phones. It is similar to instant messaging except that messages are sent and received by cell phones instead of computers. Multimedia messaging allows you to send audio, video, and pictures as an attachment to a text message. Multimedia messaging was once seen as entertainment, but is rapidly becoming valuable to the business world. Real estate agents take photos of houses with their cell phones and employment agencies may use camera phones to photograph job applicants ? all away from their office.

Dial In On the Options

Cellular providers in the United States use either GSM or CDMA technology. When you buy a cell phone, it is tied to either GSM or CDMA cellular network, but can't be converted from one to the other. If you ever switch cellular providers, you may also need to switch phones. Most cellular providers now have high-speed data networks. These data networks work with high-end cell phones and special network cards you can purchase for laptops. Data networks usually transmit data slightly faster than a dialup internet connection. These networks are still being developed and are yet to be available everywhere. Look for higher speed networks to be much more common by 2006.

If you want to purchase a camera phone, consider what quality of photos you need to take. Most camera phones have less than a one megapixel resolution, which produces low-quality images. If you need to take clear photos, look into a camera phone with 3 or more megapixels.

Voice Dialing and Bluetooth are becoming standard in many phones to make it easier and safer for people to use their phones while driving. Voice Dialing allows you to speak a person's name into your phone, which will automatically find the person in your address book and dial the number for you. Bluetooth lets you connect a headset to your phone without wires. Some luxury cars are beginning to offer Bluetooth connectivity so that you can take calls in your car through the built-in speaker system.

Some newer cell phones are being designed with an emphasis on entertainment. They can be used to play music MP3 files, stored video and even movies, and video games. In general, the newer phones are all getting smarter and more specialized.

After you're done choosing the features that you want, don't neglect the practical aspects. Look at how often you will need to change the battery, whether the screen and keypad are too big and too small. Also, caveat emptor: most cellular providers lock you into a one or two year contract when you purchase a phone from them. If you cancel your service, they will charge you an early termination fee.

About The Author

Deryck Richards is the founder and managing partner of Desktronix. With an extensive educational background in computer information systems, Deryck currently manages hosting and data center operations for Desktronix. He also provides system administration and technical support directly to small businesses as he has since 2000. His areas of expertise include networking, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems and he is the author of The Guide to Technology for Small Business. For more information on Desktronix, visit www.desktronix.com.

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table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm%3Fid%3Dcell-phones-sometimes-cause-real-pa-08-10-13cid=0ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNGlakf2i4C5EjQ4egD9-XxSAivo9wbCell Phones/b Sometimes Cause Real Pain/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fScientific Americannbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Various studies have reassured us that bmobile phones/b will not give us cancer. But bcell phones/b can cause real pain. That’s according to an article in press b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cellphones13-2008oct13,0,594460.storycid=1257234645ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNGL32LJ_f7zc8bi0lyQCLcCp9Udigimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=JunAkLD0uhoJimgurl=www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-10/42868467.jpg width=75 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Los Angeles Times/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cellphones13-2008oct13,0,594460.storycid=1257234645ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNGL32LJ_f7zc8bi0lyQCLcCp9UdigAn evolution from talk to text/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLos Angeles Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The US bcellphone/b industry has changed dramatically since that first call 25 years ago. By Alana Semuels, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Bob Barnett#39;s bphone/b b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/myxer-launches-5-million-campaign-to-drive-mobile-web-adoption,576095.shtmlcid=1257238033ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNEr9esvCvBKCNhcv3G6eiNIfpdDDQMyxer Launches $5 Million Campaign to Drive bMobile/b Web Adoption/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fEarthtimes (press release),nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Campaign provides 1000 independent bcell phone/b retailers in the US with $5000 each of online advertising at Myxer.com DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/google/20081013005378/encid=1257257829ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNEO_FVoAnF021_EJTDDYZpUj85HUgWilson Electronics Announces General Availability of SignalBoost b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBusiness Wire (press release),nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In addition, users benefit from longer bcell phone/b battery life, since the bMobile/b Professional provides the bulk of the output power needed for signal b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/google/20081013005050/encid=1257270949ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNGAnCHYCA7K8hN6EZ0ZW8QuW0zAJwDual Persona Client Provides Staff with Single Number Reach Both b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBusiness Wire (press release),nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1“After installing the DiVitas bMobile/b UC solution, we have noticed a significant drop in our bcell phone/b minute usage because we are now leveraging our WiFi b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081013TDY02308.htmcid=1256941711ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNEzplic7yQyMFH5TlG1XUnFZl9gygbCell phone/b talk hours surpass fixed-line use/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Daily Yomiuri,nbsp;Japannbsp;-/font nobr21 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The number of hours people spent talking on bcell phones/b surpassed the number for fixed-line telephones for the first time in fiscal 2007, according to a b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20081011p2a00m0na018000c.htmlcid=1256941711ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNHZh-duu0fz9GdwJOXkUMRdWE4bFAbMobile phone/b talk time surpasses fixed-line bphone/b usage for first time/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMainichi Daily News/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp%3FArt_ID%3D20276cid=1256941711ei=UnrzSOepD6jk6gOPkLGAAQusg=AFQjCNGBvaakasa_eKMGXQapGp-6xbb9NwJapan bMobile Phone/b Calls Top Fixed-Line Calls in FY #39;07/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrJapan Corporate News (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256941711hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
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