The Hindu Business Line : Mobile phones

Coming as it did at a time when mobile telephony was at its infancy in the country, the hapless quizzers could be pardoned if they thought that `No-kia' was the latest addition to Hinglish, the lingua franca of students.

(For those of you who must know the answer, it turns out that Nokia is the name of a river in Finland from which the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones gets its name!)

With demand for mobile services going through the roof, that for snazzy mobile phones could not have been far behind either. Indeed, the rate at which new mobile phones have multiplied in the market can easily give rabbits a complex. While consumers are fairly familiar with the brands available today, they may be at their wits end when it comes to choosing a phone for themselves. It is turning out to be a case of too much choice being no choice at all.

What we will attempt to do is examine the basic features of a mobile phone that first-time buyers must look at. We will then come up with a list of phones that best make the cut in a given price band. We will confine ourselves to GSM phones, as the choice of CDMA instruments is limited in comparison.

Key pad size and navigation

For starters, pick up the phone that you intend to purchase and see whether you are comfortable holding it. Increasingly, the trend is towards miniaturisation of mobiles, but these phones need not be the most easy to handle. As phones get smaller, the distance between the phone's mouthpiece and the user increases. Extraneous signals might be picked up during a conversation, distorting voice clarity in the process. Moreover, as these phones get smaller, the size of the keypad also shrinks proportionately. And unless you have slim fingers, chances are that you will end up pushing all the wrong buttons!

And if you are one of those messaging freaks (given a choice, college students will not mind receiving lectures notes SMSed to them, crisp and concise), it is all the more imperative that you choose a phone on which the keys are well laid out for hassle-free messaging.

Another helpful feature could be the predictive text input facility that completes words for the user as he types the first few alphabets. This can save members of the messaging tribe from ending up with sore fingers.

Check how easily are you able to navigate through the various choices on the menu. You should be able to access important features such as the address book and the message menu with the least number of clicks.

The menu on some phones takes time getting used to; settle for the one that you are comfortable with.

Battery life and durability

The phone's battery life should play a critical role in the purchase decision. Settle for the one that gives you the maximum talk time. If you travel extensively to remote places (where power points will be hard to come by), you should accord priority to this feature.

Look for phones that have Lithium - Ion batteries. Not only are they lighter, they also offer significantly higher talk time. Another advantage is that these batteries can be charged even before they are completely discharged; this is unlike the nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries that need to be recharged only after they are fully discharged. In any case, phones with Ni-Cd batteries are far too heavy to be carried about in one's pocket.

Durability is another parameter that one must pay attention to. If you have children at home who would like to use the phone as a toy, ensure that the phone is properly encased in a pouch. Generally, the more state-of-the-art phones that incorporate a camera are more sensitive to rough use. In such a case, you will be better off settling for a phone, which, though slightly larger in size, is rugged and handles the wear and tear better.

Other key features

When picking up a mobile, the following aspects also need to be looked at:

If you have a large number of contacts, you would need a phone that can accommodate more entries in the address book. Capacity on some phones is restricted to what is available on the SIM card; others have a phone memory, apart from the SIM memory. Settle for the latter if your needs warrant it.

Increasingly, a mobile phone is being seen as a statement of one's personality; users would like to personalise the phone's features accordingly.

This could either be in the form of downloading the latest ringtones or by changing the colour of the phone's skin. If you are a music buff and would like to have a different ringtone every other day, ensure that the phone allows you to download the latest tunes.

You can also check on whether the phone has a "vibrator alert" mode. If you live in an isolated place, it is always better to operate the phone in this discreet mode; a loud ringtone could attract the attention of mobile phones thieves.

The latest phones are equipped with a host of optional accessories. A hands-free kit is in order if you are prone to having rather long conversations.

For instance, if you are at a workstation and the person at the other end is seeking information, the hands-free mode is more convenient.

Also run a check on the service centres that can handle minor repairs.

Resist the temptation to buy a phone from the grey market though it is cheaper; such phones will not be covered by a warranty and the cost of repairs will have to be borne by the buyer.

What the choices are

AS A rule, it is better to stick to a well-established brand, rather than opt for a lesser-known model simply because it offers you a cost advantage. Brands such as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG, have been around for a while and their expertise in manufacturing mobile phones is proven. Even if you want to graduate to a higher-end model a few years down the line, your branded handset will fetch you a decent price in the second-hand market.

But, ultimately, one is constrained by the budget. The objective should be to attain a balance between economic viability and a functionally rich phone. As an indicative guide, the choices would be:

For a budget of under Rs 5,000, you would be better off looking at phones such as the Nokia 3315 and the Sony Ericsson T 105;

If you can stretch the budget to Rs 10,000, the choice widens: Nokia 8250, Samsung SGH - C 100, Sony Ericsson T 310, among others, merit a look.

Beyond this price range, features get richer, with FM radio, better display capabilities and even a camera thrown in. If you decide to go ahead and make a statement with your phone, you could choose between the Nokia 6600/ 7250 and the Sony Ericsson T 610.

If you are the laptop-toting, jet-setting type who lives out of a suitcase and is conversant with such mumbo-jumbo as GPRS and Bluetooth (unlike a black eye, this is not a painful condition); knows how to synchronise the laptop with the mobile phone through an infrared port to transfer data on the fly; and transmits photographs as MMS messages, chances are that you already own a top-of-the-line instrument that also doubles up as your alter ego! You need to be clued in on the Web sites of all the major manufacturers to help you decide an upgrade.

Whatever the model you zone in on, ensure that the key pad remains locked when the phone is not in use and avoid using the phone while you drive. Happy calling!

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