The new fashion statement
A mobile phone is no longer simply a device with which you keep in touch with others. Today, a mobile phone is a multifunctional fashion accessory, just as necessary for your appearance as a hairstyle. From how your phone opens in front of your friends to the rhythm of your ringtone, your mobile phone is a statement about who you are and how you address the world. And as every parent of a thirteen-year-old knows, you’re just not a ‘whole person’ without one.
To buy a mobile phone, you need to address a number of questions, one of which is who you will pay a small fortune to each month, and on what terms, and what you want from your phone service. On top of that, you’ll want to decide which phone is the best fit and what extras and accessories you want to go along with it. Myshopping.com.au is where you can easily compare a range of different deals from different phones and service providers, and come up with a decision that works for you.
The communications center
Different phones follow different people, but at the heart of the decision is the question: Is your mobile phone the center of your communications? The answer to this question will mean different things to people with different needs.
The student
The student mobile phone is definitely at the center of communications, but clearly students have little money to splurge and therefore need to purchase a phone that has access to cost-effective communications. The fashion phone will be important, but at a low cost. It will need to have excellent texting capabilities, be able to accommodate ringtones, and be easy to transport. Of lesser concern are issues like camera and video capability.
The busy dad
Whether you work outside the home or not, a busy parent must be able to stay in touch at strange times and places. This person will be looking for a functional phone with good network capabilities. The photo features are useful, as are the text messaging features and long talk time.
The Executive
The executive is constantly on the go and always in touch while traveling. This person’s phone will have additional features such as teledex, web connectivity, video and photo capabilities. Additional accessories will include ‘hands-free’ capability and portability in all travel zones.
The traveler
The traveler’s phone must, above all, be portable between travel zones and be able to access networks in international zones. Long battery life, video, photo and web connectivity capabilities are important features that the traveler considers.
phone options
At the heart of your decision, which phone to choose? Some limitations may apply depending on the technology you need. If you live in a rural area or travel a lot to the countryside, you may need access to a CDMA network, and not all phones are compatible. The majority of Australia’s urban population (95%) is covered by GSM technology and there are a large number of phones available that are compatible.
The technology
Other technologies that may affect both your choice of phone and your choice of service provider are GPRS technology, designed to send data over the GSM network, allowing mobile phones to access the Internet and receive email messages; and the PTT (Push To Talk) service, a technology that allows mobile phones to be used as two-way radios.
the headphone
The next step could be to decide the type of phone you prefer. The phones come in different configurations, from the ‘candybar’ format (long and slim) that can fit in a protective case and be operated with one hand. The screen and keyboard are limited by the size and shape of the phone. Flip phones and sliders have the advantage of being small, but their screens and keyboards can be larger due to the use of two halves of a clamshell. Some slider phones have rotating keypads, which offer two-handed operation. A smartphone has a fully functional keyboard that allows editing of Microsoft Word documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.
Screens and memory
Color displays are now standard on most models, but size, resolution, and colors can vary from 101×80 pixels to 353×288 pixels; and between 4,000 and 262,000 colors. The better the screen resolution, the better backgrounds and graphic images can be displayed. Mobile phones now also have built-in memories between 16 MB and 96 MB (although this is a rapidly changing standard). Additional memory (500 MB or more) is available on phones dedicated to gaming and mp3 playback, and some phones also offer slots for adding additional memory cards.
battery and camera
The recharge life of a phone’s battery is determined by the number of features and the amount of talk time used, but today’s phones range from 10-14 days of standby time and 2-8 hours of talk time. . Obviously, heavy memory usage shortens the reload time. Even the most basic phones now come with a built-in digital camera. Some now also have flash capability, autofocus, auto-sync, continuous shooting, and zoom and macro features. Many offer low-resolution video recording and can be used for video conferencing and receiving streaming video. Optimally, a camera with more than one megapixel is desirable.
connections and options
A USB port on a mobile phone allows you to connect to your computer to transfer files. Wireless bluetooth and infrared connectivity allows connection between devices such as PCs and PDAs, as well as providing hands-free utilities. You may also want voice activated dialing and voice recording features that allow you to send MMS messages and voice notes. Phones with polyphonic ringtone capabilities allow you to have a more musical ringtone and produce better sound.
At Myshopping.com.au you can compare all the features of the different brands and the prices offered by different vendors. This takes much of the difficulty out of narrowing down exactly what you want from your mobile phone.
connection options
Basically, there are two options for how you want to be connected to your phone network: a usage plan and term contract, or a prepaid option. All service providers can offer both and under Australian law your phone number is transferable between service providers. However, some may charge a fee for early termination of a contract, and some may charge a fee to port your number from another carrier, and some may charge a fee to port your number to another carrier. These fees are entirely at the discretion of the service provider and are not based on the actual cost of the network. If it is charged, it is charged simply because it can be.
You need to give some thought to how you intend to (or use) your phone. Calling plan contracts are offered based on the number of minutes (or in some cases, 30-second units) of airtime you use and at what time of day. Carriers promote higher costs for peak volume times of the day and often cut costs or offer ‘free’ time during off-peak hours. Other low-cost offers are for calls between phones on the same carrier network, while others offer discounts for home phone, mobile phone, and Internet account packages. It is important to read the conditions attached to any of these offers. Free calls between midnight and six in the morning may be of little value to you if you are sleeping at that hour.
Prepaid is a popular option, especially if you don’t make a lot of calls. It also allows better management of limited funds. When deciding on your plan, look at costs such as ‘flag down’ costs and different rates at different times of the day. Also check the cost of calls when you exceed your ‘cap’ or limit. Often it is in this area that the operator can make money from unsuspecting users.
service providers
Mobile phone service operators in Australia include Telstra, Optus, 3 (Hutchinson), Orange (Hutchinson), Vodafone, Virgin, B and various smaller operators or agencies that provide services on behalf of other operators.
Each of the major carriers can offer you connection to their network on a contract or prepaid plan, as well as sell you a pre-packaged phone. Very often a contract will include a monthly service and you pay for a number of talk minutes or sms connections, in addition to paying for the phone. After the contract ends, you can change the plan to a different one or change the operator completely.
Sometimes the plan you select isn’t right for you, and you find that after a few months, you could lower your costs by switching to a different plan. Some companies allow you to do this in the middle of the contract without any additional penalty; others may charge you a fee to change your plan. Study any plan carefully and imagine how you will use your phone to get the most out of it.
You may also need to compare the services offered by different carriers, especially their ability to serve your area within their network. There is little point in being with an operator whose network does not allow anyone to call you when you are at home.
Use Myshopping.com.au to compare different ones and find one that suits your needs. But before you sign into any cell phone plan, make sure you understand all the terms attached to that contract.