every week we answer your most pressing tech questions.
2007-09-19
By Wil O'Neal
Not a day goes by that I don't give technological buying advice to someone. Of course, having spent more than 10 years reviewing technology and games for everyone from Playboy and CNET.com, to The Source and G4TV, I've spent a fair amount of time playing with some of the hottest (and sometimes crappiest) gadgets around.
With that in mind, we decided to launch a weekly Q&A column where I help you wade through the mire that is the world of technology. Of course, this being the first week, I'll start you off with one of the most common questions that I get asked.
Q. I need a new cell phone. Which one should I get?
A. I am asked this question more than any other. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the most difficult to answer. Typically it comes down to this: Do you want a simple no-frills phone? Do you want a multimedia phone with a good camera that can also play music? Or do you want a smart phone like a BlackBerry, Treo, or iPhone?
If you’re in the market for a no-frills phone that you’ll use primarily for making calls and sending text messages, your best bet is to visit your service provider’s web site and see what deals (read: which phones they’re giving away for free if you re-up your service agreement) they’re currently offering. Typically, at the low end of the cell phone spectrum, phones are more similar than dissimilar. That said; stick to brands that you know and trust like Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, and LG.
A few examples are the Nokia 6215a ($0) for Verizon Wireless, the Sony Ericsson W300i ($0) for ATT (formerly Cingular), and the Samsung Trace ($0) for T-Mobile. All of these phones are currently being offered for free by their relative service providers if you sign a new two-year contract.
In the middle of the cell spectrum, things tend to get more confusing and quality and features can vary wildly. If you’re willing to spend anywhere from $100 to $200 on a new phone (while still signing a new two-year deal) your options are seemingly endless. It is in this range where you’ll find decent camera phones (phones with cameras that take pictures at resolutions higher than 1-megapixel) as well as capable music-playing phones. The trick here is that most of these phones will do one thing well while skimping on the other.
The Nokia 5300 Xpress Music ($80) for T-Mobile is a great music playing phone and can double as an MP3 player. You can get one right now at T-Mobile.com for as little as $80 if you sign a new deal. That said; its 1.3-megapixel camera doesn’t take great pictures and it lacks a flash. On the other hand, the Samsung A717 ($150) for ATT&T takes great pictures with its 2-megapixel camera.
If you want a smartphone I can assume that price is less important than packing in all of the features that you need. If you want to buy a smartphone that works with your employer’s corporate network ask the IT guys at work what they suggest and whether or not they’ll offer support.
Typically, corporations like the BlackBerry, as well as the Treo. Also, and more and more companies are jumping on the Windows Mobile bandwagon. The great thing about these devices is that they typically have full QWERTY keyboards which make sending text and email messages easy while also letting you keep tabs on what’s going on back at the office by working seamlessly with your company’s Microsoft Exchange server. Models to check out are the BlackBerry Curve ($200) and Nokia N62 ($200) both for AT&T, and the Motorola MOTO Q music 9m ($200) for Verizon Wireless.
If however you’re going to use your smartphone mostly for personal use, you can’t ignore the iPhone ($400). While it’s a great smartphone it’s not compatible with most corporate servers. Another great smartphone for personal use is the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 ($200). That’s right, the text-focused device made famous by Paris Hilton is in fact a smartphone and with its full QWERTY keyboard, it’s a great communication device.
Got tech questions? Email ‘em to Wil.
