The best features of 3G phones
A built-in digital camera is not the only recent innovation in phones, behind the scenes a bigger change is happening. Network connectivity is getting a dramatic boost in speed, enabling phone users to do the same things they are used to doing on their computers: manage email, photos, music and video. 3G phones have been designed for the next generation broadband-speed wireless networks.
You don't have to know anything about 3G technology in order to enjoy the new possibilities, but a few key facts will help you to evaluate what you might want to try to do with a 3G phone. Our brief guide to the 3G networks explains the technologies and phone/network compatibility issues, while this article discusses 3G phones and their features.
- Photo by Siemens
A 3G phone must be better than a 2G (GSM or CDMA) phone, right? Yes, 3G phones have the same features as 2G phones, plus plenty of new functionality, such as the capability to play videos, show live TV, play MP3 music, access email, display a live video conference with a friend, send and receive megapixel digital camera images and many more things are available. Some of the phone features depend on the services the 3G network operators are providing, and won't work without the service.
Are you thinking you won't ever need those new services? Most of us didn't believe we would ever type messages on a phone's small numeric keypad. Yet, text messaging has become one of the best-loved applications in modern technology. But are you still sure you would never access email on your phone? Or you would never watch the latest TV news on your phone? Don't bet serious money on not doing it, you may change your mind as soon as you get your first email, or seeing a Britney Spears video on the phone.
Speed matters in every network, and wireless communication is no exception. The two major 3G technologies, WCDMA/UMTS and CDMA 1x EV-DO, deliver such high-speed data communication capability for phones, which in optimal network coverage conditions is comparable to home broadband. Although the numbers for communication speeds are theoretical, and the real data transfer speeds often are considerably lower, for instance, when the phone is moving, the numbers indicate the design limits of a particular technology.
| GSM/WCDMA technology family | CDMA technology family |
3G | WCDMA/UMTS, HSDPA. Voice and broadband speed data access. WCDMA 2 Mbps, HSDPA 10 Mbps. | CDMA 1x EV-DO and EV-DV. Voice and broadband speed data access 2.4 Mbps. |
2.5G | GPRS, EDGE Voice, multimedia messaging. GPRS data 64 at Kbps, EDGE data at 384 Kbps. | CDMA2000 1xRTT Voice, data communication at 307 Kbps. |
2G | GSM Voice communication, text messaging, data access at 9.6 Kbps. | CDMAOne IS-95 Voice communication, data access at 64 Kbps. |
Many laptop computer owners have installed a wireless network (Wi-Fi) at home and have noticed that Wi-Fi is a pretty fast technology, with a maximum speed of 10Mbps for the type 802.11b network. So why can't phones use the faster Wi-Fi instead of 3G? Wi-Fi was designed to replace cables between computers and network hubs. The operating range of Wi-Fi is about 30-100 meters/100-300 feet and you can't move to another Wi-Fi access point without reconnecting. Also, there's no universal method of knowing where and how you can access a Wi-Fi access point. That said, advanced phones, such as Nokia 9500, and Qtek 2020i and iPAQ h6315 PDAs can connect both to Wi-Fi and mobile networks for optimal network connectivity.
If your neighborhood is covered by both WCDMA and EV-DO 3G networks, you have the luxury, or rather, the difficulty, of getting to choose between the two networks and for shopping for a compatible phone. The following checklist will help you to decide which way to go:
| UMTS / WCDMA | CDMA 1x EV-DO |
1. Network availability | Primarily Europe and Asia, also America, find the networks at your location | Primarily Asia and North America, check out the networks at your location |
2. Number portability | If you have a GSM phone (the one with a small removable SIM card inside the phone), you can keep your existing number in many cases. | Keeping the same number is not possible when upgrading from 2G (CDMA or GSM) phones. |
3. Phone selection | Plenty of phones available in Asia and a selection of phones in Europe. | Plenty of phones available in Asia, mainly in South Korea, and a selection of phones in North America. |
4. Services in addition to phone calls and text messaging | High-speed access to email and Internet, send and receive photos, send and receive video, watch TV. | High-speed access to email and Internet, send and receive photos, send and receive video, watch TV. |
5. Service plan | Check with your local service providers: if you intend to use email, or video, choose a plan with enough megabytes. | Check with your local service providers: if you intend to use email, or video, choose a plan with enough megabytes. |
- LG VX8000 EV-DO phone
- Motorola E1000 WCDMA phone
Is an EV-DO phone better than an UMTS/WCDMA phone? No. It's a matter of the phone and the network service, and how they perform together. The coverage of 3G networks is not yet as extensive as 2G networks, and a phone with both 2G and 3G connectivity is a good choice because it provides better coverage. At the moment, UMTS/WCDMA has a better worldwide reach, and improved roaming and number portability, whereas EV-DO phones and services offer some innovative features and services, at least, in Asia.
3G phones are becoming widely available and affordable and soon we will be able to relate to them as our personal, portable communication and entertainment centers. Then, we will have tough choices to make: whether to listen to our own music collection, or to listen to the radio; to watch TV, or to watch a video; to check email messages, or to check out new comments posted on the personal blog. Or just phone home.
Related stories:
3G network technologies
How to copy ringtones, pictures and other fun stuff to your phone for free
Guide to camera phones
Product Reviews:
LG VX8000
Motorola E1000
Nokia 6680
Samsung A890
Sony Ericsson V800
No comments:
Post a Comment