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Which Mobile Phone Should I Choose?

There are literally hundreds of different mobile phones available online for UK consumers, ranging from fully refurbished second hand mobiles to the latest all-singing, all-dancing mobile phones, featuring colour displays, picture and video messaging and more. It’s probably fair to say that we’ve reached a point in the market where there aren’t really any bad mobile phone models, but some have more features and options than others. Many mobile phone websites feature customer reviews of the latest phones to help you make up your mind. When choosing your new mobile phone, the following factors are well worth bearing in mind:

  • Size and weight - Modern mobile phones have been shrinking at an alarming rate. Most sites should show you images of the phones they can provide, as well an indication of size and weight. There are mobile phones on the market little bigger than credit cards - but such a small size will carry a price premium.
  • Battery life - This is usually given as two values. The first is talk time, a measure of how long you can actually make or receive calls on one charge. The other is standby time, which is expressed as hours or days and refers to how long your phone can remain switched on ready to receive incoming calls before the battery needs charging. Remember, figures quoted by manufacturers are figures for ‘ideal conditions’ (whatever they are!) and are likely to vary in actual use.
  • Phone memory - Most mobile phones allow you to store numbers on the SIM card, but this means you are limited by the capacity of the card - usually no more than 100 numbers. Look out for phones that enable you to save additional numbers on the phone itself.
  • Hands-free - This is available for most mobile phones on the market and makes using the phone whilst carrying out another activity much easier. As it is dangerous and illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving, a hands-free-kit can prove to be a very useful accessory indeed.
  • Voice dial - This handy feature allows you to access stored phone numbers simply by saying a name or phrase. It’s a useful feature if you’re on the move, especially in tandem with a hands-free-kit. There’s usually a limit to how many numbers can be accessed by voice dial. Full phone specifications should be available online.
  • Predictive text - Text messaging has proved extremely popular, but typing out messages on a mobile phone keypad can be both time consuming and frustrating. Predictive text is a feature available on some phones. It means the phone contains a dictionary of common words and will try to guess which word you’re typing, saving you the effort.
  • WAP - This stands for Wireless Application Protocol, a cut-down version of the Internet designed to be accessed by suitably enabled mobile phones and personal organisers. WAP allows you to access mainly text based information from your mobile phone wherever you are, for example travel information, cinema times or stock market prices. Some WAP services also support email too.
  • Roaming - This feature allows you to use your mobile phone abroad, providing your network has a partner network in the country that you’re visiting. To use your mobile phone in Europe you’ll need a dual band phone, and in America and the Caribbean you’ll need a tri-band phone. Be aware that you’ll pay a premium for calls made abroad and that it may take longer for calls made on other networks to appear on your bill. Roaming was the preserve of contract mobile phone holders, but most pay-as-you-go mobile phones now support this feature. So make sure you’ve packed your phone as well as your suntan lotion before you head away on holiday this year.
  • MMS - This stands for Multimedia Messaging Service, an upgrade to the previous Short Message Service (SMS) or text messaging. MMS isn’t available on all networks or supported by all mobile phones, but it enables you to send messages that feature pictures and sound. MMS can also be used with the latest generation of picture mobile phones, enabling you to take pictures and send them to other mobile handsets, or as email to computers.
  • Data capability - Opt for a mobile phone with an infrared port or Bluetooth capability and you will be able to use your new mobile phone as a modem, allowing you to get online via a suitable laptop or personal organiser. Data transmission speeds are usually slower than a dial-up from a fixed land line, but if mobile computing is important to you, you may wish to upgrade your mobile phone service to include GPRS high speed data. This doubles your Internet connection speeds, making mobile computing a real alternative to using fixed land line dial-ups.

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