NEW BUZZ WITH HANDPHONES (Original)
by Samuel Chua
Introduction
Communication is serious business. The history of communication can stretch as far back as that
of the history of humans. If
the evolution theory of homo sapiens holds true, communication must be
an adaption to that. Ever
since homo sapiens begin interacting with each other, it is an
essential part of life. Pictograms
were created to enhance communication, followed closely by
developments of languages. Scribing
on tablets and walls were common till paper and ink was developed.
But these methods of communication lack the emotion factor
leading to the development of telegrams.
Finally, a genius by the name of Bell created the first working
telephone and successfully allowed two parties to communicate their
emotions to each other over distance in real time.
Telephony boomed instantly and developments just as fast.
Soon, data was also able to be transmitted using the same
medium. Suddenly,
telephones are not bounded by wires but by RF.
Recent developments
Handphones have come a long way. No longer possessing a huge physique, its size has been
reduced greatly partly due to greater miniaturization of chips and
electronic components. Ever
since the GSM standard was introduced and adopted, high market
penetration was experienced. This
economics of scale and automation allows manufacturers to churn out
handphones at cheaper prices. But
controversies regarding the effects of the radiation released from
handphones have started to surface along with controversial equipments
claiming to be effective preventive measures.
But handphones are unlikely to go due to the high dependence on
them to maintain lifestyle, business and social life.
Haven’t got one yet? Let
me guide you.
Price
Puzzled? Wondering
what is the difference between a free handphone offered and a
handphone costing a thousand bucks?
Well, to begin with, a free handphone is actually good enough
for a starter. It
provides all the functions that a user needs, inclusive of caller-ID,
dialing system, SMS capability, telephony and address book.
Lately, the offer has been sweetened further.
Free handphones like Nokia 3310 are handed out.
These handphones pack in more punch even for free.
Additional features included games, large choice of ringer
tones, changeable covers and picture messages capability. To add to it, it is small and light too.
And just when you think nobody will be paying any cents for
other handphones, thousand-dollar handphones pack in a punch with its
data capabilities as well as inclusion of PDA functionalities.
There are models between these two extremes with various
advantages over the free handphones. But the choice depends on how the handphone will be used.
Workaholics? Need to work everywhere?
A high-end handphone will set you back a thousand bucks but it
can provide you with computing power as well as internet access.
An example will be Nokia 9110 Communicator.
Tight budget? Get
your hands on the free models that are being pushed out to the market.
But bear in mind that these models are subsidized and bonds you
to the service provider with a contract for a year to two.
Breaking the contract will set you back a few hundred bucks
depending on how long you have maintained the contract.
Features
Okay. So
you have decided that maybe price is not all that matters. You are a techie? Well,
you are in luck. Handphone
development have gone your way. Packing
in features like in-built modems, connectivity with external devices
and PDA functions, these handphones are fighting for your dollars. Siemens SL45/6688 comes with a MP3 player that will entice
music fanatics out there. Not
to be outdone, Samsung released their SGH M100.
But their prices may not be music to your ears.
Enjoy being empowered? You
may then wish to try Ericsson R380.
Ericsson R380 aims to beat Nokia 9110 at being a mobile data
center, which will interest workaholics greatly.
Okay. So maybe you
just enjoy being different. Congrats.
Most handphones now come with ringing tunes composer.
So get the Mozart out of you and start working on the tune that
will differentiate your handphone from the sea of people out there.
Games are also available in most models but be warned.
Prolonged playing of the games will lead to higher battery
consumption.
Aesthetics
Maybe looks matter more to you then.
Well, Nokia handphones have always been known for their models
with the famous changeable covers.
You never have to live with their default colours and patterns
ever again. You have the
liberty to change your handphone looks as often as your mood changes.
Ericsson tried their hand at aesthetics by breaking out of
their famous rectangular shapes with their T-20.
Samsung have tried to keep to their thin and long shapes while
Siemens have produced phones that are curved and bold in design.
If your handphone will be an accessory to be hung on your neck,
take note of its weight. You
will not look a pretty sight having a Nokia 9110 communicator dangling
from your neck but you can be guaranteed at getting the attention of
the crowd.
Plans
Now that you have gone past all the factors and
have decided on a phone, the next barrier will be choosing the network
to connect your choice to. Pre-paid
cards are the rage now. They
control your handphone expenditures but they have the tendency to run
low at times when you are having that important call.
Besides, their rates are more costly than normal plans.
SMS-crazy? M1
offers 400 free SMS every month as compared to Singtel’s offer of
360 free SMS. GSM 900,
GSM1800 or CDMA? The
choice just became easier. CDMA,
the monopoly network of M1, will be closed down due to its frequency
sitting on the valuable 3G frequency spectrum.
GSM 1800? Once
considered as an inferior network, it is slowly regaining its
reputation. Singtel’s
POD plans offer cheap but comparatively wide coverage.
Starhub’s GSM 1800 offer has just been sweetened by the
incentive of its free incoming call for the next few years.
Future developments
Future handphones can be expected to be full of
features, aesthetically pleasing, light and multi-functional. Connectivity to the net is one major trend future models will
be pushing towards. Handphones
are no longer the dull box-like things they used to be. They will be shockingly decorated and pleasing to the eyes.
Relatively high features to weight ratio seemed to be the way
to go too. Bluetooth
technology has already been slotted for implementation in a few models
to be released by both Nokia and Ericsson. 3G license will be released for bidding soon and it opens up
a whole new world of features that seems unlikely currently.
There has not been any actual economic model available that can
harness 3G effectively as yet. But 3G promises greater interactivity as well as
interconnectivity to the user. But
for all they hype, we are soberly reminded that it may not be
available in the near future as 3G will be using a totally different
protocol which means that islandwide networking must be done from
scratch. But till then, the current models will work for me.
Have you made your choice?
Published Version: Not Available Yet.