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Tech Talk

Buying a cell phone these days can be complicated. Just flip through the ads in the newspapers and you’ll see there’s a mind-boggling array of carriers, plans, devices and options. As you shop around, the three most important questions to ask are: 1) How much will I use the phone? 2) Where will I use the phone? and 3) What options will I need? Here are the key things you should consider before making a decision.

Options: Get Only What You Need

Camera, calendar, instant mes-saging, email, photo bank, music, movies, Internet access, reminders, task management, alarm clock, calculator, memos and, of course, plain and simple dial tone—each of these features comes with a cost, including the time it takes to learn the functions, so if all you want is something that operates on the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle, go with that.

iPhone (AT&T, formerly Cingular) .46 inches thick, 4.5 inches long and 2.4 inches wide 4.8 ounces Wi-Fi wireless technology and Safari Web browser with built-in Google Maps and Yahoo! search engines; e-mail; Visual Voicemail, which allows you to select voicemail messages in whatever order you want, just like email; 2 megapixel camera; iPod technology for playing TV shows, movies, audiobooks and music videos. Users perform all functions with just a touch of their fingers on a 3.5-inch display screen. Will be available in June.

In many cases, a basic clamshell phone can be purchased for the high cost of zero. Many carriers provide them at no charge, depending on the plan you select. Some things to look out for are size (can you handle it well and dial with one hand?); display (are the numbers easy to see and read, especially in bright sunlight?); and accessories (does it come with Bluetooth, a wireless headset, or a wired ear bud and microphone?). I don’t encourage you to use your cell phone in the car, but if you must, a hands-free Bluetooth or an ear/microphone bud are essential.

Two other things to think about are how long you can talk before the phone’s battery dies and how long you can leave the device turned on before you need to charge it. Talk time can range from one to 10 hours, and non-talk time on some devices can last for days. I recommend buying a phone that will give you at least three to four hours of talk time.

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Coverage: Location Matters

If you plan to use the phone only in Hawaii, the most important thing to look at is coverage. All carriers have official and unofficial coverage maps. They will show you their unofficial coverage map and keep the other to themselves so as not to pass too much information on to the competition.

G’zOne Type-V (Verizon Wireless) 1.1 inches thick, 4.1 inches long and 2 inches wide 5.3 ounces Water-resistant and built to withstand temperatures in excess of 140° Fahrenheit, extreme vibration, high humidity, and exposure to dust and salt; video and 3D game player; 2.0 megapixel camera; audible navigation tool; wireless Internet access; voice-activated dialing. Samsung Vision Phone A640 (Sprint) .9 inches thick, 3.6 inches long, 1.8 inches wide 3.2 ounces Bluetooth wireless technology; Internet access; e-mail; VGA camera with digital zoom; downloadable games; customized picture caller I.D.; personal organizer with scheduler, task list, alarm clock and calculator; Wireless Backup for secure storage and quick retrieval of contact information in case of loss, damage or theft.

When reviewing the coverage map, be sure to not only check where you live, but also where your family lives (you no doubt will be visiting them), where you work, where you shop, and where you like to vacation and have your favorite latte. Carriers are constantly upgrading their coverage, but don’t count on it happening soon in your neighborhood if it’s not already there. They have to jump through a lot of hoops to install new facilities because no one wants another tower or antenna in their backyard.

Do you make frequent trips to the Mainland every year? Again, check your carrier’s coverage. The companies with the biggest nationwide networks are AT&T (which recently acquired Cingular), Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Not all networks are created equal, however, so carefully examine what you’re getting for your money.

Nokia 6265i (Mobi PCS) .87 inches thick, 3.86 inches long and 1.89 inches wide 3.49 ounces FM stereo radio; MP3 digital music player; MP3, MIDI and video ringtones; 2 megapixel camera; voice dialing; voice recording; hands-free speakerphone; mini SD memory card slot; Bluetooth wireless technology. Optional stereo headset available. T-Mobile Dash .5 inches thick, 4.4 inches long and 2.5 inches wide 4.2 ounces Wi-Fi connectivity, e-mail, calendar, full keyboard for text messaging, media player, 1.3 megapixel camera, myFaves service, which allows unlimited nationwide calling to the user’s five “favorite” people. Faves can be changed once a month at no charge.

If you’re heading off to Asia or Europe, you can forget about using your American device as countries in those parts of the world use a different system. You either will need to purchase a separate phone or one that is “multi-mode.” Be aware, though, that making international calls can be very expensive—sometimes in excess of $8 per minute. When you’re traveling abroad, it’ll be far cheaper for you to use a phone card to call numbers in the U.S.

And let’s not forget about that sneaky roaming feature. Ask the dealer how you can tell when your phone “roams.” This happens when your carrier has a weak signal and must use the signal of another carrier to complete your call. You’ll be charged a premium for this, which ranges from 10 cents to over a $1 per minute.

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Plans: Sifting Through the Choices

There appears to be as many plans available as there are grains of sand at Waikiki Beach. Most come with a two-year commitment; if you want out before that time is up, you’ll have to pay a cancellation fee that could run as high as $200. To date, local carrier MOBI is the only company that doesn’t require you to make a two-year commitment.

The best advice I can give you is to do your homework; carefully review several different phones and plans and decide what best suits your needs. Because you’ll pay additional fees for special features, select only the ones you’ll really use; a dollar here and a dollar there will add up.

Determine how many minutes you need per month. When in doubt, over estimate. After a month or two, you’ll be able to hone in on a pretty accurate figure. Many carriers will let you increase or decrease your plan’s minutes; I suggest a minimum of 150 anytime minutes per month. Some plans include free evening calls, but be aware “evening” for some carriers starts after 9 p.m.

If you’re just going to use your phone to call family members, it might be a good idea to get a plan that allows you to talk to each other for free or to use time from the same “pool” of minutes. Some companies even allow you to talk without charge to a few close friends and associates who also are signed up with them—or who have been identified as members of your extended cell phone ohana.
One final note: Ask about Enhanced 911 (E911) coverage, which allows your location to be pinpointed within 300 feet when you make an emergency call from your cell phone. The City and County of Honolulu has been using this system with all carriers for the past several months.

Gordon Bruce is the director of the Department of Information Technology and Chief Information Office for the City and County of Honolulu. Call him at 228-6044 or
e-mail gordonb@gjbllc.com.

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