GSM phone buying guide
Since this is a buying guide about the most popular and widely used invention after, say the wheel, so we'll keep it really simplified...
Here is the list of the general features that are present on the box of every phone available out there...
1. Display-
This refers to the no. of colours that can be displayed on the screen of your coloured phone. It starts with 4096 and goes upto 2,62,000. As with most things in life, the more the merrier. Look for a phone with a TFT (thin film transistor) or Active Matrix screen which provides a wider viewing angle compared to the traditional passive LCD technology. Also TFT screens are a must if you plan to play games on your phone or use it to record/ view clips...
2. Sound / Ringtones-
This is regarding the type of ringtones your phone can support. While these days polyphonic ringtones have become the standard, try to look for a phone that can support mp3(s) also, since which proud Indian does not like to play the latest Hindi song as his ringtone in the middle of a movie or in a restaurant??
3. Speakerphone-
Since you will want to eventually do the above thing so you should look for a phone with a good powerful speaker... Especially, if you are a music lover... These days phone companies have started designing phones which are targeted at a certain audience. so you shall have no problem finding what you want
4. Camera-
One of the most common features present in handsets these days, this is quite handy to take spontaneous pictures or video clips. Earlier, we used to have mid-range to high-end range phones having cameras that produced blurry images, but times have surely changed. Nowadays, 1 mp is becoming standard. But slowly, 2mp, 3mp and higher resolution cam phones are flowing in the Indian shores and are available quite freely.
5. Connectivity-
This refers to the various options available on your phone such as Bluetooth/Infrared/GPRS/EDGE. They are explained in brief below-
Bluetooth: Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology introduced to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. In layman terms, it means that you don't have to connect wires for transferring data or to talk handsfree.
Infrared: Similar to Bluetooth, this is also used for transferring data but both devices (for e.g. two phones) need to have line of sight.
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): This feature though is network dependent, but at the same time your phone needs to have support for it. It will enable your phone to connect to the internet and browse websites.
EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution): An evolved version of GPRS, this offers better connectivity and faster data transfer rates.
6. Expandable Memory Slot-
Every phone, no matter how cheap or low on features has some inbuilt memory. Since all of us do need more memory to store that latest mp3 or pic, so most of the newer phones come with an option for extending memory by buying an external memory card.
7. Telephone book memory-
This comes in the most basic of features of any phone. As the name suggests, it refers to the number of phone numbers the phone can store in its internal memory
8. Java compatibility-
Java enabled phones can run a number of applications and games.
9. Battery life-
This is divided into two types:
a) Stand-by time- this refers to the amount of time your phone stays alive if you are not using it. Newer phones boast of a standby time ranging into several days.
b) Talk time - This refers to the actual amount of time you can USE the phone... as in talking
These features should be more than enough to decide your new mobile, right??? Think again...
Above mentioned features are the ones the intelligent advertising gurus want you to notice and fall for…
This is definitely not the real picture…
So, what else do you really need to know?????
First and the most important criterion which people tend to ignore while buying the phone is it's USE...
You and only YOU can decide what you really need the phone for. Do you really need a 7 mp camera? Or 4 GB of songs? Maybe you do or maybe you don't... Spend some, no... Spend loads of time thinking over this before investing because of some new feature it offers.
Patience will fetch you the goods..... For the average Indian, buying a phone is a decision he/she generally doesn't make overnight. So, for e.g. if you are going to buy the phone within a week and have your mind fixed upon some model, just spend 5 minutes everyday thinking about the pros and the cons. Trust me, it'll be worth it!
Secondly, “FIND†your budget. Doesn't make sense?? It just makes your buying process easier... How? I'll tell you.
Right now, in India there are around 25-30 companies (excluding the "imported" chinese goods) which are actively working around the clock producing new models (yeah, there are companies except Nokia, Sony-Ericsson and Samsung!). They are setting up their factories and R&D centres here. So there is no dearth of models to suit your specifications. So there are a wide range of models in every price range. Every price range generally offers similar features. So, after following step 1 i.e. realizing "your" specs, just fix your budget, see all the phones available in that range....
Thirdly, “FIND†your company. Is it right to choose a company just because they really advertise well? Or a better approach is to buy the phone of the same company that your friend did? Because he has been using it since a year and there have been no problems... Got you thinking, huh? So to help you out a little bit, let us look at the major companies operating in India:
1. NOKIA-
The king of them all… Undoubtedly one of the best things that happened to the mobile world… :hap2:
Pros: Builds the strongest phones of all. These phones can literally withstand anything you throw at them, be it a 5 foot drop (happens almost once everyday, doesn’t it?) or a cup of coffee… Apart from the fact that it is the leader with a market share of around 75% (in terms of units sold), it has one of the most easily navigable menus of all.
You want a dirt cheap phone which will be mainly used for talking? Go for the 1100.
You want a phone with all the latest features and at the same time not compromise on looks? The N-series is waiting for you…
Cons: Leaving aside the higher priced N-series phones, the speaker quality isn’t that great in the mid-range phones. Sony-Ericsson scores points over Nokia in that area. The picture quality in mid-range phones is not at all good as compared to its rivals.
Conclusion: Simply put…You want to buy a phone and then not worry about it…That sums it up. You want a nokia!
For the complete range of phones available in India by Nokia, please visit the following link:
Nokia - Phone Gallery - Phone Models - Phones
2. SONY-ERICSSON –
Sony-Ericsson entered India with a few phones all of which seemed exhorbitantly priced for the features offered. But look at the way things have changed! Now they offer feature rich phones in every range possible.
Pros: Right from the j300i which supports mp3 playback and retails around 4-5k to higher end P900 series which can be classified as pdas rather than phones, you will get everything. With the walkman series, i.e. w550i, w700i, Sony-Ericsson posed a real threat to Nokia and challenged its superiority with great looks, superb speakers and for providing an mp3 player like feel. Nokia responds with N-91 which though is heavy on features but you’ll have to sell your old maruti to be able to buy that…
Secondly, the picture quality is much better as compared to nokia phones. They were the first company to introduce 2 mp cameras in its mid-range phones.
Cons: Funnily enough, even with all these great features, you don’t feel confident enough with the phone. It doesn’t give you the feeling that Nokia does. Though that might be due to a combined effect of intelligent advertising and smart marketing, it does the trick. The menus are still difficult to navigate.
Conclusion: Sony-Ericsson is slowly expanding its range and is gaining momentum. They have a winner in the walkman series and in the low end colour phones. So go for it if you want a feature rich phone that justifies its cost.
For the complete range of Sony-Ericsson phones available in India, please visit the following link:
Mobile phones - Sony Ericsson
3. SAMSUNG -
Samsung has a great range in household appliances with great prices; it is unable to do the trick here.
Pros: The high end phones like the D-600 offer good functionality for the price. With sleek looks, good camera, TV out feature… a good buy.
Cons: The low end models from the Samsung do not hold their ground against giants like Nokia and Sony-Ericsson. They are simply not worth it. They look cheap and feel cheap.
Conclusion: If your budget lies in the higher segment, then you should consider Samsung… Otherwise give it a pass. Even models like X620 and X660 which cost a whopping 8 and 9 k respectively do not have support for mp3. But a bit higher and you have the E-series (E530, E880 etc) and the D600 which give good value for money.
4. MOTOROLA –
Motorola, sadly enough has never been able to capture the market in India as compared to its rivals Nokia and Samsung even after being one of the most popular mobile manufacturers.
Pros: Motorola has recently started innovating and experimenting. It is slowly coming out with products customized to suit the Indian consumer’s taste. The lowest priced phone available in India is currently sold by them and is just priced over a thousand bucks.
Cons: The main reason why Motorola phones have not gained popularity is due to the fact that their built quality is not up to the mark. The newer phones like Razr v3i are really fragile and have lot of build issues. Even their customer care is not as caring as it should be...
Conclusion: Though the company has started taking steps to increase their popularity but they need to address the core issues regarding build quality and software issues. Right now, the right thing to do is to stay away till these issues are sorted out.
So, as now you are familiar with the major manufacturers, let us explore some of the main issues you have to and some which you should tackle before purchasing-
EASE OF USE
As I have already stressed quite a few times earlier, YOU are going to buy the phone and you have to see whether you are comfortable with the new phone you buy. So, instead of getting hooked on to the features, try out the dummy pieces they have in their showrooms to get an overall idea as to how the phone will feel in your hand. Or better still, try to find someone who already owns that phone and fiddle around a bit… try typing a message, operate different apps, try saving a contact ( Most important ïŠ ) and in general try to get the feeling of the phone. Does it feel as if you already own it? Or does it give you the same feeling a shoe two sizes smaller than yours does?
By all this I just want to stress that you should not get sucked in by the snazzy looks and the happy looking people in the adverts. Just use your intuition and gut feeling.
NEW PHONE? I WANT IT!
You do? You really think it is wise to invest in the latest phone? Let me give you an example taking into consideration one of the highest selling mid-range sets, the Nokia 6600. Are u aware that when this phone was released it had a price tag of around 26-28k? Shocked? You have all the right to be. This phone today, retails for around 8.5k. Welcome to the world of consumer electronics.
Now many of you have already formed their opinion that waiting does not help since a new product is released almost everyday and then you will keep waiting forever. No, this is not the case.
Not only mobiles, any product that is released by some company having an additional feature is priced high. Why? Because that company is uniquely offering that feature. Soon, other companies jump in and have their products lined up with not only the feature you liked but with an additional one. Yes, the cycle goes on but now instead of one product you have different choices and reduced prices which are automatic as a result of intense competition.
So, the practical way to go about it is to wait and watch. And strike the metal when hot!
3 MEGAPIXELS? I SHOULD GET ONE OF THOSE!!
I have addressed this issue separately since this is of the most common misconceptions floating around today. Mobile manufacturers these days use this as a powerful tool to hoodwink you into thinking it has something to do with camera quality. An image has pixels in two directions; horizontal and vertical They use it because even a tiny linear resolution increase results in a huge total pixel increase, since the total pixel count varies as the total area of the image, which varies as the square of the linear resolution.
In other words, an almost invisible 40% increase in the number of pixels in any one direction results in a doubling of the total number of pixels in the image.
This gimmick is used by salespeople and manufacturers to make you feel as if your current phone camera is inadequate and needs to be replaced even if the new cameras each year are only slightly better.
One needs about a doubling of linear resolution or film size to make an obvious improvement. This is the same as a quadrupling of megapixels.
A simple doubling of megapixels, even if all else remained the same, is very subtle.
The megapixel myth is also prevalent because men always want a single number by which something's goodness can be judged. ïŠ
hyeah: Unfortunately, it's all a myth because the number of megapixels (MP) a camera has has very little to do with how the image looks. Even worse, plenty of lower MP cameras can make better images than poorer cameras with more MP.
GETTING THE BEST DEAL
So by now you’ve finalized the phone you want to purchase and are not sure where to pick it up from? Not to worry. These days, a customer has a lot of options. You can either scout online on sites like rediff.com, indiatimes.com etc for the best offers or you can visit the various Priority showrooms or the “Mobile Shoppees†that have sprawled on every nook and corner.
The important thing to keep in mind is not to get influenced by the grey market. Sure, you’ll get a fabulous discount but the thing you don’t get is the security of owning the real thing. We are all familiar with the red dragon and we should try to make sure we don’t get the “original†piece with duplicate parts inside. So, please don’t compromise to save 2-3 k so that later you sit and regret when your precious phone just stops responding.
That’s about it, I think. So………….
HAPPY SHOPPING!!
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Hey everyone, this is my very first review. Please, please point out if I've missed anything or need to improve on anything. Awaiting your suggestions.
Thank You!! You guys rock!:clap:
