Mobile Phones and PDAs

Mobile Phone information and buying advice

Which design is right for you? What features do you need? Which smartphone OS?
How should you pay for your phone? Insurance information.

Choose the handset best for your needs. You may only require a basic model which simply works for calling and texting. Do you need a business phone for email and office documents? Maybe you want a fashion phone to make a statement about yourself. Is gaming and music important? Or you may want a smartphone that is like a computer and does everything you need and more?

Design Choices - which suits you best?

Bar or Candy Bar - the most familiar design of handset

• Name deriving from the shape of a rectangular bar with the screen and keypad both on the front
• Older or budget models may be quite 'chunky' but more modern phones are sleek and thin
• With an exposed face, buyers may consider employing screen protectors or cases to preserve their phone
• Examples include the Samsung E2230 (pictured)

Slate - similar to the bar design and favoured for smart-phones

• Entire front of the handset made up of a touch-screen display
• Minimal physical buttons
• Keypad and keyboard replicated virtually on screen
• Examples include the Apple iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S2 (pictured)

Slide - comprising of two or more sections which slide open and close

• Top section holds the display
• Lower section slides open to reveal a keypad or keyboard
• Advantage of a full physical keypad or keyboard without sacrificing portability
• Examples include the BlackBerry Torch (pictured)

Flip or Clamshell - places the display and keypad on separate sections joined by a hinge that flips or folds open

• When closed the display and keypad are protected inside the outer casing
• Producing a smaller form factor when not in use.
• When opened for use, the larger size can be more comfortable for calls
• Production of this design is declining
• Examples include the Nokia 2720 Fold (pictured)

Phone functionality - what features do you need in your phone?

Basic Phone - intended just for calls and messaging but not necessarily feature-less

• Many offer music and radio playback, a camera and video recorder in a slim, compact package
• But expect specification to be lower, e.g. camera resolution in the low megapixel range
• If included, web browsing and maps will be basic
• Examples include the nokia classic range (Nokia 6700 Classic pictured) but your local high street retailer will have unknown brand offerings from just £10!

Music Phone - handsets marketed around music playback

• Typically has larger built-in memory
• Memory card slots to expand capacity
• Dedicated music playback controls
• Examples include the Sony Ericsson Walkman range (W715 pictured)

Camera Phone - specialising in superior photography

• Examples of phones with superior cameras include the Nokia N8 (pictured) featuring a carl zeiss lens delivering 12 megapixels or 720p video. F/2.8 aperture and 5.9mm focal length but no optical zoom.
• The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has an exmor baclit sensor for claimed better low light performance
• Nearly every handset now features a camera as standard except the most budget of models
• Whilst not yet replacing a dedicated digital camera, mobile phones can now offer a viable point-and-shoot alternative

Smartphone - replicating many functions of a computer in a highly portable design

• Large displays perfect for browsing the internet and reading emails
• Full screen video playback and gaming
• Powerful features may drain the battery quickly, so be mindful a daily charge is often needed
• Despite being powerful, are still simple to use
• Examples include the budget Orange San Francisco, Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Desire S and the market leader the Apple iPhone 4

Which smartphone operating system (or 'OS')? - because it might influence your decision

Different smartphones have different operating systems which run all the built-in programs (or “apps”) on your handset from playing music, email, facebook and route planning to browsing the web

iPhone iOS

• Apple’s mobile operating system exclusively for their range of iPhones
• Transfer and sync media files via iTunes on your home pc or mac
• The Apple App Store has over 425,000 free and paid iPhone apps (as of Summer 2011)
• iOS features mail, safari and iPod

Android

• Google’s open source mobile operating system adopted by manufacturers including htc, sony ericsson, samsung and more
• Manufacturers typically customise the open source Android os to their own specifications
• The Android marketplace currently has 206,000 free and paid apps (as of Summer 2011)

BlackBerry OS

• Rim’s operating system exclusively for their line of BlackBerry smartphones
• Known for supporting a range of input methods (trackball, trackpad, touchscreen - handset dependent)
• BlackBerry Messenger instant messaging application - send and receive messages with unlimited length. Share photos, video and music. Real time confirmation when messages are delivered and read
• Native support for corporate email
• Favoured for business use
• BlackBerry Balance Tool - Keep personal and corporate data separate. Manage, wipe and encrypt work-related data
• The BlackBerry app world holds 25,000 apps (as of Summer 2011)

Windows Phone 7

• Microsoft’s new mobile operating system marks a fresh start for the company
• features a unique “tile” interface (metro ui) and compatibility with their desktop office programmes and outlook
• The Windows Phone Marketplace currently has 20,000 apps available (as of Summer 2011)
• Support from LG, Samsung, HTC and is the primary smartphone operating system for Nokia

Mobile Phone Deal - which is the best way for you to pay for your mobile phone?

Pay As You Go (PAYG) - buy credit when you need it

• Suitable if you already own a handset or don't use your phone much
• Even a modest £10 monthly top-up will earn you a choice of free minutes and/or text message monthly allowance (dependent on network) which can be used before the credit is even touched

Pay Monthly - you enter a contract to pay each month for a set amount of call time and texts

• Due to a change in the law from May 2011 the operators must offer 12 month contracts but for the majority the most cost effective plans will be 18/24 month deals
• Committing to a contract makes it even more essential to select the right handset for you
• Think carefully about your usage before committing to a lengthy deal. Many overestimate their requirements and overpay
• For example do you really need unlimited data? Research shows most do not exceed 500mb per month which is the most common amount offered with contracts.
• Conversely paying extra per month might be desirable for a lower initial handset cost

Sim-only - short contracts

• Compromise solution for those who do not want to be tied to a long contract but with more benefits than PAYG
• Sim-only plans are short 30 day rolling contracts with text, minutes and data allowances that are comparable or even beat their pay monthly cousins
• No phones offered with these deals, you must supply your own
• Ensure your phone is on the same network or unlocked before you can pair it with a sim-only plan
• Can get better extras than PAYG deals with more flexibility to change than with a long contract
• Rolling 12 month plans are also available with some networks

Changing Network

• If you wish to change network and keep your number then request your PAC code from the network you are leaving. Ofcom say networks should provide it within 2 days with the exception of:
  • failed security check - so no one can "steal" your number
  • tied to a contract - if you are still in a pay monthly contract the network may refuse to give you your PAC code unless you pay off the remainder of your contract

Insurance

• Insurance is advisable but generally it might not be value for money if, for example, the phone value is low and you are a PAYG customer
• Check whether you can obtain mobile phone cover under your existing house insurance
• Some banks provide mobile phone insurance with certain current accounts
• Alternatively shop around for dedicated mobile phone insurance

Updated 26th January, 2012