Cellphones have gone beyond just “send” and “end”. Mobile phones are now about style and status.
“This season’s new handsets—which incorporate the latest wireless technology with the hottest features and designs—clearly demonstrate that today’s ‘cellphone’ is so much more than voice,” says Doug Dawson, communications manager for Nokia, among the world’s leading suppliers of mobile phones.
It seems like as soon as you buy your phone, activate it and start using it, it’s already out of style. Cellphone manufacturers are constantly pumping out more advanced and stylish phones with new high-tech features.
Many new models have PC-compatible capabilities, act like a PDA or have Java games that are pre-loaded or downloadable. For those who are into music, ring tones can be composed with the sounds of multiple instruments playing at once. These new high-quality rings are called “polyphonic”. You can also purchase an MP3 player that attaches to your handset. In addition, many phones use new technology called GPRS, meaning that they are perfect for the traveller and can be used all over the world.
What’s more, the luxury cellphone—made from platinum, 18-karat gold, white gold or stainless steel—became a reality with the launch of the $20,000 cellphone in Paris earlier this year through a partnership between mobile communication companies, Nokia and Vertu.
But if you’re looking for something with a more modest price tag, these phones may be for you:
• The Motorola C330 is the ultimate phone for the teenager, or teenager at heart. It offers a choice of ring tones (or you can compose your own), interchangeable covers and the ability to attach images, animations and ring tones to the messages you send to other wireless users. Described as having a “mini candy bar” design, this cute rectangular phone fits in the palm of your hand, has changeable side grips and downloadable screen savers, wallpaper and animated icons.
• The Motorola V70 looks very different from any phone you’ve seen. It has a rotating cover (instead of flipping your phone open) and a circular display. You can answer a call without opening the cover, or make a call with its voice-activated dialing. This phone has interchangeable display bezels that frame the display screen. GPRS-powered and PC compatible, this flashy phone also has a translucent keypad that glows blue and a screen with reverse white text on a black screen.
• Nokia has also launched style-savvy cellulars, like the 7210 features a spectrum of changeable face plates to complement the colour screen. It offers multimedia messaging, polyphonic ring tones, Java applications and FM radio.
• With a high-speed Internet browser, face plates that light up, glow in the dark or turn your phone into a game pad (complete with a mini-joystick), the Nokia 3590 is the perfect phone for video game nerds.
• The new phone from Sony Ericsson features the Communicam, a digital camera that can be attached to the phone and turns the colour screen into a viewfinder. You can add the images into your phonebook, create wallpaper and share photographs with other users. You can also assign certain contacts in your phone book specific ring tones so you know who is calling. Complete with an organizer with contact and calendar features, the inputted data can be synchronized with your PC.
The phone also has a fast Internet connection, a joystick for gaming, and features Bluetooth technology. It’s called Bluetooth—referring to the Danish King who unified Denmark and Norway—because this technology allows users to connect a number of electronic devices without wires. The most common uses for Bluetooth cellphones include wireless connectivity with your PDA and with a hands-free headset.
Although companies like Motorola are creating a buzz around their Bluetooth-enabled products in North America, service providers in Canada are not carrying these phones yet. Motorola president Frank Maw predicts “Bluetooth will be a major success a couple of years down the road.”
Bluetooth is used in Europe and Asia, but representatives from Bell Mobility and Telus point out that there isn’t the same demand for these products in North America. Also, Maw explains that the frequency these gadgets use to communicate with their wireless counterparts is unlicenced. So if it’s Bluetooth technology you’re looking for, ask your service provider to start carrying these phones and devices, but be prepared to pay a little more than you usually would.
“It will be some time before mass production levels make Bluetooth more affordable for the consumer,” says Don Blair, Bell Mobility spokesperson.
