Phones Offer More Than Call Options
By Chickowski, Ericka
A good cell phone plan is nothing without a quality phone. As phones continue to sport new bells and whistles, it’ll take a discerning eye to pick and choose what is best for business needs. This is particularly the case for business users who may need added functionality from their phones in order to access data programs for e-mail and text messaging.
The call for such functionality is growing at a rapid rate. A recent survey of approximately 50,000 Consumer-Reports.org subscribers found that more than one-third of those surveyed have used their phone’s text-messaging capability.
When choosing a phone, Michael Shames of the Utility Consumers’ Action Network said to shop for the high quality and functionality, but don’t go overboard – particularly-if you are buying multiple phones for varied users.
“You want it to be functional, but not so complicated that it is difficult to use,” said Shames, the executive director of the San Diego-based nonprofit consumer advocate group.
Some common functions to expedite business on the road include organizers, e-mail functionality, text messaging and Bluetooth, which is a wireless radio technology that allows users to synchronize data between another computer (or another Bluetooth device) without special cabling.
Shames also says that when buying a new phone, avoid the insurance offered by the provider.
“We strongly recommend against phone insurance except for high end phones costing $500 or more,” he said. “There is a little known fact that if you buy insurance and need a replacement, they usually give you an old phone as a replacement. Since you can buy those on the market now on eBay and other places for around $20 to $30, you’re not doing yourself a huge favor with insurance.”
The big trick with choosing a phone is the fact that each carrier has its own line of branded phones that are compatible with its network. As such, your options are limited to this brand if you’ve settled on a particular provider for your service package.
Leading Vote-Getters
The following are the top models for each carrier in San Diego County, as voted by users polled by Consumer Reports.
The full-featured Verizon Motorola E815 model is compatible with Verizon’s high-speed EV-DO data network, providing access to streaming video and faster Web browsing than with the typical cell phone. It offers 4.25 hours of talk-time battery life, as well as Bluetooth compatibility, and comes with a camera.
The Sprint Nextel PalmOne Treo 650 is one of PalmOne’s popular PDA (personal digital assistant)/cell phone crossovers.
The PalmOne Treo 650 offers advanced functionality for the professional who needs access to data on the road. It offers an organizer, messaging, e-mail and Web access, plus a bigger alphanumeric keypad (it also provides an on-screen keypad). Additionally, it comes with an MP3 player, Bluetooth compatibility and a camera with video capture.
The T-Mobile Samsung e335 is a basic flip-top with long battery life (6.5 hours of talk time) and a sturdy constitution. According to Consumer Reports, its keypad and screen are easy to read in all lighting conditions. Though it doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles, it is still voted the best overall phone among those rated by Consumer Reports.
The Cingular Motorola V551 has 6.5 hours of talk-time battery life and was voted the best Cingular phone for its case of use and sensitivity to signal. The V551 is Bluetooth compatible and offers an onboard camera phone.
Copyright San Diego Business Journal Jan 09, 2006