| The new fashion statement A mobile phone
| |
| | today's phones range between 10 and 14
|
| is no longer simply a device with which
| |
| | days of standby time and 2 to 8 hours of
|
| you stay in contact with others. Today, a
| |
| | talk time. Obviously memory intensive use
|
| mobile phone is a multi-function fashion
| |
| | shortens the re-charge time. Even the
|
| accessory, as necessary to your
| |
| | most basic phones now come with an
|
| appearance as a hairstyle. From how the
| |
| | in-built digital camera. Some now also
|
| phone 'flips' open in front of your
| |
| | have flash capacity, auto-focus,
|
| friends, to the groove of the ring tone,
| |
| | self-timing, continuous shooting and zoom
|
| your mobile phone is a statement about
| |
| | and macro facilities. Many offer
|
| who you are and how you address the
| |
| | low-resolution video recording and can be
|
| world. And as every parent of a thirteen
| |
| | used for video conferencing and receiving
|
| year old knows, you simply are not a
| |
| | streaming video. Optimally, a camera with
|
| 'whole person' without one. To purchase
| |
| | more than one mega pixel is desirable.
|
| a mobile phone, you need to address a
| |
| | Connections and options A USB port on a
|
| number of issues, not the least of which
| |
| | mobile phone enables it to be connected
|
| is who you will be shelling out a small
| |
| | to your computer to transfer files.
|
| fortune to each month, and under what
| |
| | Wireless connectivity using bluetooth and
|
| conditions, and what you want from your
| |
| | infra-red allows connection between
|
| phone service. On top of that, you will
| |
| | devices such as PCs and PDAs, as well as
|
| want to decide which handset suits best
| |
| | providing hands-free utilities. You may
|
| and what extras and accessories you want
| |
| | also want a voice-activated dialling
|
| to go along with it. au is where you can
| |
| | feature, and voice recording functions
|
| compare a range of different offers from
| |
| | that enable you to send MMS messages and
|
| different phones and service providers
| |
| | voice memos. Phones with polyphonic ring
|
| very easily, and arrive at a decision
| |
| | tone capacity enable you to have a more
|
| that works for you. The centre of
| |
| | musical ringtone, and produce a better
|
| communications Different phones suit
| |
| | sound. At au you can compare all of the
|
| different people, but at the heart of the
| |
| | features of the different brand names and
|
| decision is the question: Is your mobile
| |
| | the prices offered by different vendors.
|
| phone the centre of your communications.
| |
| | This takes a lot of the difficulty out of
|
| The answer to this question will mean
| |
| | narrowing down exactly what you want from
|
| different things to people with different
| |
| | you mobile phone. Connection choices
|
| needs. The student The student's mobile
| |
| | There are essentially two choices for how
|
| phone is very definitely at the centre of
| |
| | you want to be connected to your phone
|
| communications, but quite clearly
| |
| | network: a usage plan and term contract,
|
| students have little money to splurge and
| |
| | or a pre-paid option. All service
|
| therefore need to buy a phone that has
| |
| | providers can offer both and under
|
| access to economically efficient
| |
| | Australian legislation, your phone number
|
| communications. The trendy phone will be
| |
| | is portable between service providers.
|
| important, but at a low cost. It will
| |
| | Some however may charge a fee for early
|
| need to have excellent texting facility,
| |
| | termination of a contract, and some may
|
| be able to accommodate ring tones, and be
| |
| | charge a fee for transferring your number
|
| easy to carry. Of lesser concern are
| |
| | from another service provider, and some
|
| issues such as camera and video capacity.
| |
| | may charge a fee for transferring you
|
| The busy parent Whether working out of
| |
| | number to another provider. These fees
|
| the home or not, a busy parent needs to
| |
| | are entirely at the discretion of the
|
| be able to be in touch at odd times and
| |
| | service provider and have no basis in
|
| in odd places. This person will be
| |
| | actual network cost whatsoever. If it is
|
| seeking a functional handset with a good
| |
| | charged, it is charged simply because
|
| network capacity. Photographic features
| |
| | they can. You need to give some thought
|
| are handy as are texting features and
| |
| | to how you intend (or do) use your phone.
|
| long talk-time. The executive The
| |
| | Call plan contracts are offered on the
|
| executive is constantly on the go, and is
| |
| | basis of how many minutes (or in some
|
| always in touch while on the go. This
| |
| | cases, 30 second units) of call time you
|
| person's phone will have added features
| |
| | use, and at what time of day. Carriers
|
| such as a teledex, web connectivity,
| |
| | promote higher costs for high volume
|
| video and photographic features.
| |
| | times of the day, and often reduce costs,
|
| Additional accessories will include
| |
| | or offer 'free' time during low times.
|
| 'hands-free' capacity and portability
| |
| | Other low cost offers are made for calls
|
| across travel zones. The traveller The
| |
| | between the phones on the same carrier
|
| traveller's phone needs most of all to be
| |
| | network, while others offer discounts for
|
| portable across travel zones and able to
| |
| | bundling packages of home phone, mobile
|
| access networks in international zones.
| |
| | phone and Internet account. It's
|
| Long battery life, video, photographic
| |
| | important to read the conditions attached
|
| and web connectivity features are all
| |
| | to any of these offers. Free calls
|
| important features considered by the
| |
| | between midnight and six am may be of
|
| traveller. Phone choices At the heart of
| |
| | little value to you if you're sleeping at
|
| your decision, is which phone to choose?
| |
| | that time. Pre-paid is popular choice,
|
| Some limitations may apply according to
| |
| | especially if you don't make many calls.
|
| the technology you need. If you live in a
| |
| | It also enables a better management of
|
| rural area, or travel to the country a
| |
| | limited funds. When deciding on your
|
| lot, you will likely need access to a
| |
| | plan, look at costs such as 'flagfall'
|
| CDMA network, and not all handsets are
| |
| | costs and the different rates at
|
| compatible. The majority of Australia's
| |
| | different times of the day. Also check
|
| urban population (95%) is covered with
| |
| | the cost of calls when you exceed your
|
| GSM technology, and there are a huge
| |
| | 'cap' or limit. It is often in this area
|
| number of handsets available that are
| |
| | that the carrier can make money out of
|
| compatible. The technology Other
| |
| | unsuspecting users. Service providers The
|
| technologies that may affect both your
| |
| | carriers of mobile phone services in
|
| choice of handset and your choice of
| |
| | Australia include Telstra, Optus, 3
|
| service provider are the GPRS technology,
| |
| | (Hutchinson), Orange (Hutchinson),
|
| designed for sending data over the GSM
| |
| | Vodafone, Virgin, B and a number of
|
| network, enabling mobile phones to access
| |
| | smaller carriers, or agencies who provide
|
| the internet and receive email messages;
| |
| | services on behalf of other carriers.
|
| and the PTT service (Push To Talk), a
| |
| | Each of the major carriers can offer you
|
| technology that allows mobile phones to
| |
| | the connection to their network on
|
| be used like two-way radios. The handset
| |
| | contract plan or pre-paid, as well as
|
| The next step might be to decide on the
| |
| | sell you a pre-packaged handset. Quite
|
| type of handset you favour. Handsets come
| |
| | often a contract will include a monthly
|
| in different configurations, from the
| |
| | service and you pay for a number of
|
| 'candybar' format (long and slim) that is
| |
| | minutes of talk or sms connections, as
|
| able to fit into a protective carrying
| |
| | well as pay for the handset. Once the
|
| case and be operated by one hand. The
| |
| | contract is ended, you are free to change
|
| screen and keypad are limited by the size
| |
| | the plan to a different one, or change
|
| and shape of the handset. Flip-phones and
| |
| | carriers altogether. Sometimes the plan
|
| slider phones have the advantage of small
| |
| | you select is not right for your usage,
|
| size, but their screens and keypads can
| |
| | and you find that after a few months, you
|
| be larger because of the use of two
| |
| | could reduce your costs by changing to a
|
| halves of a 'clamshell' case. Some slider
| |
| | different plan. Some carriers enable you
|
| phones have keypads on a swivel, offering
| |
| | to do this mid-contract without any extra
|
| a two handed operation. A smartphone has
| |
| | penalty; others may charge you a fee to
|
| a fully functional keypad that enables
| |
| | change your plan. Study any plan
|
| the editing of Microsoft word documents,
| |
| | carefully and imagine how you will use
|
| presentations and spreadsheets. Screens
| |
| | your phone to take best advantage. You
|
| and memory Colour screens are now
| |
| | may also need to compare the services
|
| standard in most models, but size,
| |
| | offered by the different carriers,
|
| resolution and colours can vary, from
| |
| | especially their capacity to service your
|
| between 101x80 pixels to 353x288 pixels;
| |
| | area within their network. There's not a
|
| and between 4000 and 262,000 colours. The
| |
| | lot of point in being with a carrier
|
| better the screen resolution, the better
| |
| | whose network doesn't enable anyone to
|
| backgrounds and graphic images can be
| |
| | call you when you're at home. Use au to
|
| displayed. Mobile phones also now have
| |
| | compare different to find one that suits
|
| onboard memories from between 16MB and
| |
| | you. But before you sign on to any mobile
|
| 96MB (although this is a standard that
| |
| | phone plan, be sure you understand all of
|
| changes quickly). Additional memory
| |
| | the conditions attached to that
|
| (500MB or more) is available on phones
| |
| | contract.Andrew Gates for comparison
|
| dedicated to gaming and mp3 playing, and
| |
| | online shopping service au.
|
| some phones also offer slots for adding
| |
| | au helps you compare the different
|
| additional memory cards. Battery and
| |
| | mobile phones from different brands in
|
| camera Battery re-charge life of a phone
| |
| | terms of specifications and accessories.
|
| is determined by the number of features
| |
| | You can also compare prices from hundreds
|
| and the amount of talk time used, but
| |
| | of different brands and vendors.
|
