Choosing A Three G Phone
With so many mobile phones on the market these days, many people find themselves lost when it comes to choosing the right one for their needs. For those looking to get the most for their money, buying a Three G phone maybe the best option for many reasons, but they are not perfect. Past generations of mobile phones don’t have nearly as many capabilities as 3G phones, nor do they have the speed.
3G phones are much faster for browsing the internet and data transfer, due to the much better technology and network the phones use. They are even fast enough for advanced feature like video conferencing and watching streaming video clips online from webpages like Youtube. This phone network is able to reach speeds as fast as 2Mbps, which is much faster than previous generations of mobile phones.
Another benefit is that they work on a higher bandwidth, making them far superior in the ability to connect anywhere on the planet, even in very remote locations or in dense forests. With this phone, you never have to worry about getting a signal or losing a call. They can even be used in airplanes, hospitals and even in a spacecraft.
Most, if not all, 3G phones come with built in digital cameras as well. These are usually in the three megapixel range, which makes them great for many common picture taking situations. For extra memory, they normally have a microSD slot, which means endless space.
The only real problems with them is that, because they have many high-tech features, they tend to drain batteries rather fast compared to previous generation mobile phones. Some of the features like video conferencing, can only be used with other owners of 3G phones. Because they are new to the market, some of the third party software available is still a little glitchy. And the last major problem is, with all the advanced technology and features, etc, they tend to cost a little more than previous generation phones.
Considering all that, it would seem that this is the mobile phones of choice, now it’s just a matter of which one to buy.
Understanding The Three G Phone
The three G phone phones are a pretty recent addition to the mobile phone landscape in the United States and are based on the 3G (3rd Generation) networking standards of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). The Three G phone is also called the IMT-2000 standard in other parts of the world.
Simply put, the 3G standard allows phone companies to offer a wider variety of services to their customers than the previous 2.5G standard allowed. The first 3G network was established in Japan and went live in 2001 followed by Korea and the United Kingdom. The first use of 3G in the United States followed in 2003. Because of the more efficient size of the bandwidth provided, this new standard allows operators to offer better quality of service, video calls and broadband data speeds of 14.4 mbits/s under perfect conditions. This speed is not guaranteed with most contracts and can be less if you are walking, or moving quickly in a vehicle.
The adoption of the 3G standard in the United States has been quick and several carriers now offer phones and calling plans to take advantage of this standard. Another advantage of a 3g enabled phone is that since this is a worldwide standard, you can easily roam to other regions and countries with your phone on other networks. Additional rates will apply with the roaming, but it’s still nice to be able to use a phone you’re familiar with when traveling rather than renting one.
Because this has been an established standard for some time, there is a wide universe of phones available as well for 3g that range from the very basic, to several models that incorporate advanced features like texting with full QWERTY keyboards, video download, and even GPS functionality. This last feature is really nice because it allows you to use the phone for driving directions in a pinch.
Finally, the 3G phones use a SIM card that contains your account information and phone number, along with contacts or other data you may have saved. This is nice because it allows you to easily slide this SIM card into another unlocked 3G phone and use it immediately. Also, you can buy local SIM cards from other countries to use when you are traveling in your phone to help reduce calling costs especially if you’re using cell phone family plans.
All things considered, the 3G standard provides for a lot of advanced features over previous standards. The phone manufacturers and carriers are using these features in their services and phones and making the basic handset you had a few years ago infinitely more functional.
Three G Phone: Apple iPhone
If you’re in the market for a three G phone, take a look at the iPhone 3G from Apple. On the surface, the Apple iPhone 3G model appears to look exactly like the original iPhone. It is certainly very difficult to tell them apart physically, but there are subtle external differences and significant internal differences that consumers should be aware of.
Gadget lovers have the choice of two colors – black and white. The black model comes in 8 GB and 16 GB versions. The white model only comes in the 16 GB variety. Unlike previous models, this iPhone’s body is made of glossy plastic rather than aluminum. I found this change disappointing, but I can understand its necessity considering all of the wireless activity that may be brewing within the 3G’s innards.
Not much has changed with the iPhone’s 3.5-inch touchscreen, but that is probably a good thing. The screen is still bright and beautiful, and the touchscreen is as responsive as previous models. This time around, Apple decided not to include a dock with the phone. This is unforgivable considering the old dock is not compatible with the 3G. The virtual keyboard, though it takes getting used to, remains unchanged.
Unlike previous models, the iPhone 3G does not have a recessed headphone jack, as this was an annoyance voiced by users since the iPhone release. Another positive trait regarding audio capabilities is the fact that the speaker is a few decibels louder than before.
Under the hood the iPhone really excels. For a 3G phone, the iPhone zips along with data transfers. Web browsing and downloading speeds as fast as 800 Kbps were observed during informal testing. The iPhone 3G is an AGPS device, and as such, this really increases performance during position acquisition. In these aspects, the phone shows its dominance among other 3G phones.
The iPhone 3G is not without flaws, however. It would be nice have a user replaceable battery and a slot for some expandable memory. Another missing feature is tethering. It would be ideal to harness the power of 3G networks for some laptop duties.
Apple still appears to lead the race in regards to smartphones, but the competition is not far behind. If you want the best 3G phone, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 3G.
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