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Phones

Mobile phone buyers guide

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Author: Nathan Taylor

So, youve finally decided to join the mobile phone revolution. Or maybe you're looking for a new phone that does a bit more that your current handset. Mobile phones in recent years have become very powerful devices, incorporating the features of personal digital assistants, portable MP3 players and even notebook computers. If you're interested in upgrading, we've got you covered.

Mobile phone marketing types typically like to break down the mobile phone range into two broad types: the basic phone and the smartphone.

Nokia's N73 - a smartphone with integrated multimedia and PIM-like functionality. 

 

The first are the phones that make simplicity a virtue. For a considerable proportion of the populace, the only features of any importance in a phone are its call and SMS abilities, and the capacity to remember phone numbers (which are stored in the SIM card). There is no need for fancy application support, email, PC connectivity or other extraneous capabilities. The phones may or may not have cameras, and an increasing number support MP3 music playback.

Smartphones are devices that have some kind of PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) functionality. This includes advanced contact management, web and internet access, email support, productivity applications, synchronisation with PC data and the host of other features you commonly find in a PDA.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of smartphones: phones that have PDA capabilities added in, and PDAs that have phone capabilities added. The former tend to have smaller screens and look and work like mobile phones, with a front-mounted keypad.

 

The latter look more like PDAs, often use a stylus, have larger touchscreens, and no physical front-mounted keypad. Some people love them, others find the prospect of holding a PDA to their ear too strange (handsfree kits can spare that awkwardness, however).

It has to be said, though, that with all the features being packed into even the most basic phones now, the distinction between the two market segments is becoming less obvious.

Pictured above is the O2 Xda II mini, a PDA-like smartphone.

Page 1 of 12  Next - Customising your phone  

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