Everyone has their opinion on which cell phone you should get, but which cell phone is really right for you? Whether you are a student, a casual user, or a business man/woman, there are countless options for a variety of users. Trying to decide which one is right for you can be a daunting and confusing task. Knowing what you will primarily be using the phone for should help make the decision easier.
Let’s start with the three basic types of cellular phones/devices which include smartphones, multimedia devices, and basic talk/messaging phones. The Smartphone category includes devices such as Blackberry Curve and Palm Treo. These types of phones are available with touch screens and they are all equipped with 3G technology. They often include business applications such as email, calendar, and contact organizers that sync seamlessly with PCs. Many include document viewing and editing capabilities, as well as multimedia applications and GPS navigation. They should have Bluetooth capabilities and most of them should have cameras and/or camcorders. Think of these devices as handheld computers that increase productivity in a business environment tenfold.
Voice and messaging cell phones are the least expensive and most straightforward cell phones. These devices are excellent for the average user who does not need all the multimedia or business applications. If you plan to use only the standard voice and/or texting capabilities, these phones are for you. Examples of these include the LG Rumor 2, which featured a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for quick texting and an MP3 player. The LG Lotus is a small, stylish, square phone with a fun QWERTY keyboard and some basic Sprint Video / Music capabilities.
Full multimedia phones are all the rage right now with a variety of users from students and trend-stalkers to parents and grandparents who want instant access to videos and photos of their little ones. These phones include all the latest features and access to the most popular downloadable apps; They are similar to smartphones such as Blackberry but usually have more social networking audience. They are often sleek, touchscreen phones that include access to email, video streaming capabilities, web access, MP3 players, cameras and camcorders, Bluetooth, GPS, contacts, outlook, and calendar sync.
Examples of such “do-it-all” phones are the HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Hero, and Samsung Instinct. Other similar phones include the Palm Pre which is available exclusively from Sprint and won Best in Show and People’s Choice Awards at this year’s CES. HTC Hero is Google’s latest Android phone and is Google’s answer to the iPhone. It has a highly customizable user interface with an amazing touch screen. It syncs easily with Outlook email, contacts, and calendar, has a 5-megapixel camera, is capable of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and allows for seamless streaming of web applications. There are also thousands of downloadable apps, such as games, productivity suites, and music.
Find out your needs and uses for a cell phone and then take a look at what type of phone best suits your needs because paying more for things you don’t use is simply not necessary.
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