Proudly supported by
Australia has world-beating mobile phone infrastructure. 3G networks are now up and running and wireless broadband is now within the reach of practically everyone. But with the variety of options available, you're going to want to research your options.
Technically Speaking
Firstly, let's get the GSM (Global System for Mobiles) versus CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) versus 3G (Third Generation) debate out of the way. CDMA is dead asa doornail, and since 3G phones are able to access GSM when 3G network support isn't available, it's not a question of either/or, but simply whether or not you want 3G. Multiple carriers now allow 3G-GSM roaming across Australia and, in fact, most of the planet.
Telstra, Hutchison's 3, Optus and Vodafone are now offering mobile content portals, video on demand. push e-mail, prepaid mobile services (usually with some service access restrictions), and if you're looking for portable broadband access then EDGE and HSDPA are available on GSM and 3G networks respectively.
Making Plans about a Plan
Services are similar, but prices vary immensely. Here's a quick rundown of the basic
All carriers offers a range of contract-based usage plans. They mostly differ when it comes to the price per thirty seconds of call time, overseas call costs and value of included calls. Post-paid contracts are handy because you receive a single bill, and unlike prepaid accounts, you can set up automatic payment and won't get dropped in the middle of a call when the money runs out. If you want to save money and still avoid end of month surprises, then a capped-plan contract costs less for usage if you're willing to commit to a minimum monthly fee.
Those of us with an ABN (Australian Business Number) can take advantage of options available to large businesses. You can have multiple phones share a monthly usage allowance and their fees combined onto a single account by your carrier. Some plans offer free calls and text between phones on the same business plan, which could save you fortune.
And prepaid plans? Thanks to their time limits, they sametimes actually give you more calling time per dollar than post-paid plans. The drawback is that it's use-it-or-lose-it: if you don't use the allocation within a specified time period, it's gone. The other little hitch is that you need to own your own phone. There are cheap prepaid-and-phone bundles if your needs aren't particularly severe. The biggest advantages are that no-one can rack up massive phone bills on your dime if they manae to pinch your phone, you can limit your own or your kids' spending, and you're able to switch carriers with no cost whenever you like.
Starting Afresh
If it's time to move on from your current plan, the best way to select a new one is to take a look at your old receipts and pick a plan to suit your usage habits.
- Were you a daytime user? Or did you typically only use the phone after work? If it's the latter, you'll want to get a plan that offers lower off-peak and weekend rates.
- Did you generally use up all your bundled call time? Try a more expensive plan. The rates are lower and the contract is generally easier to alter.
- Did get charged a lot for data? Be sure to pick a plan that won't surprise you with a massive bill just because of your web and muktimedia usage. This is a frequent issue for users of GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) services on GSM networks.
- Did you send a mess of SMS? Picka plan that prioritises savings for texting.
Remember that plans can usually be upgraded as your usage changes, but not downgraded to something cheaper. You may pick an expensive plan that would save you money if you were to maintain your usage, but you could end up paying for nothing if your habits change.
Committing to a contract can also net you that hot phone that's the object of your gadget lust. You can also usually spread the cost of a phone you want over your contract.
If you're entirely new to owning a phone (it happens) it's not possible to base a purchase on your history. Be very wary of zero dollar phones and their bundled contracts. After a 24 month contract lock-in and not much use, it may be cheaper to have just bought the phone you wanted and a cheaper plan.
On a really small budget? One way to save money in the long term is to buy some prepaid time and a phone in a bundle. Use the built-in call meter and engage in normal use for a couple of months. It will cost a little more at first, but you can save literally hundreds of dollars later by allowing practical experience to dictate the right plan choice to you.
Data, and Making It So
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) the unpleasant cellular equivalent of dial-up internet. GPRS is present in all GSM phones. Usually used to access online portals enabled with WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS is a nightmarishly slow and prohibitively expensive nightmare.
Web pages--unless optimised to take up less space specifically for WAP--load at a glacial pace. This makes them essentially unusable. Not only do you spend ages downloading the pages, you also tend to pay per kilobyte. A single page can cost over two dollars to download. E-mail can cost a small fortune if you send and receive a lot.
If you're not a user of data services will not foreseeably be, don't worry too much about this part of the contract. If you are a user, actively find find out how much data is going to cost. If you're a regular e-mailer, then you'll want to consider a BlackBerry by Research In Motion. They're are offered with flat-rate usage plans can save you a small fortune.
3G data was expensive at first but per-megabyte pricing is out and bundled flat rates are in for various services. Since you can also use a 3G phone as a broadband modem (3mbps using HSDPA), these bundles are perfect for advanced users or people who work on the move.
Now that you've figured out what network and plan you're after, it's time to pick the actual phone.
It's easy to picka phone based on looks, but be sure you spend a little time browsing the feature list for one that meets your needs. The design of the the phone is not an unimportant consideration: you're paying for something and so you should at like the way it looks. Just be careful you don't pick up a phone that becomes a chore to use because of poor functionality.
Features
- SIM integrated address book
- Desktop contact and calendar synchronisation
- Support for MP3 and other compressed audio
- Bluetooth
- Silent/vibrate and normal modes accessed with on button
- An easily legible screen of reasonable size
- Responsive, fast, easily-navigable interface
- Wi-Fi for browsing and VOIP
- Video support
- Office document format support
- An easily audible ringer
- Controls dedicated to music functionality (if you plan to use the phone as a player)
- Music download and ringtone management
- Radio
- Speakerphone
- Push to talk
- Voice dial
- Landscape and portrait display modes
- Good camera resolution and lens quality; if you plan on doing lots of videoconferencing, also consider a unit with dual videoconferencing and photographic lenses
Form Factor and Functionality
- Candybar Basic phone with a keypad on below the screen. Reliable and tough, but sometimes limited in functionality.
- Clamshell A flip-open phone. Conveniently small, but size can limit usefulness.
- Slider Allows a larger screen and a full keypad in a phone a similar size to the candybar.
- Touchscreen PDAs and smartphones like the Apple iPhone sometimes feature touchscreens that replace conventional buttons. Some include a slide-out keyboard.
- QWERTY Much wider phone, but very easy to type on and useful for regular e-mailers
- Swivel some phones now offer screens that swivels like the one on a video camera.
|