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