Features

Today's phones come equipped with many useful calling and multimedia features, including a media player, camera, Web browsing, child-location, and call-management services. Some features, such as programmable shortcuts, Bluetooth, speakerphone, and voice command help to make the phones easier to use.

Bluetooth

This technology enables the phone to work with wireless headsets and most hands-free car systems for tangle-free calls. (But avoid using any phone, even hands free, while driving.) Some phones support stereo Bluetooth headsets for music and other multimedia. And some can wirelessly exchange pictures, contacts, and other files with other compatible Bluetooth devices, such as a computer, cell phone, or PDA.

Camera

Most new phones have cameras with resolutions of 1-megapixel and up that are capable of producing respectable snapshots, though many lack a flash, which is helpful when taking pictures in dark environments. Look for models with 3-megapixel cameras or higher if you intend to print some of what you shoot.

Those models take photography more seriously by pairing sharper image sensors with high-grade lenses, auto focus, zoom, and brightness controls for greater photo control. However, like older digital cameras, higher-megapixel camera phones may be a bit sluggish at taking pictures.

Document editing

All smart phones, and some conventional cell phones, allow you to review documents. Some models add the convenience of creating, deleting, and editing them out of the box.

GPS navigation

All phones have some type of location-based technology to help emergency responders find you when you dial 911 or 112. Many of them support GPS navigation services that access information wirelessly over the carrier network. They integrate GPS with maps and search engines to give you real-time, spoken, turn-by-turn directions to an entered address, and also traffic info. You can even find nearby businesses by name or category. Menus and features are similar to other portable systems. Having GPS on your phone eliminates the need to carry an additional device for navigation, and you'll have the ability to call ahead to a destination with the push of a button. The service's cost typically adds about $10 per month to your cell-phone bill, or it can be used for about $3 per day--handy if you need directions only occasionally. Some phones support free GPS applications, though they're not very practical because they lack automatic rerouting, spoken turn-by-turn directions, and other advanced capabilities.

Hearing-aid compatibility

Some phones interfere with hearing aids. Even those with hearing-aid compatible designations are not guaranteed to work with all hearing aids. Your doctor can help you choose a phone compatible with the aid you use. Or go to www.accesswireless.org.

Mac compatibility

Many phones let you synchronize appointments, contacts, and documents with a computer, but only some can do that with Macintosh computers.

Media player

Most phones have very competent media players, allowing you to view videos and sort music tracks according to genre, album or artist, playlists, etc. They also typically have more than one playback option, such as repeat and shuffle. Some phones, such as the iPhone, have media capabilities better than other standalone players. The small number of phones that lack those convenient features are rather cumbersome to use.

Memory card

Many phones have slots that accept memory cards, typically microSD, to expand storage capacity by as much as 32GB. The removable cards can also serve as an easy way to shuttle files between your phone and other devices--provided that the phone's maker didn't bury the card slot behind the battery cover.

Preset and custom text messages

Besides providing a quiet means of communication, text messages have been known to get through even when networks are overloaded. Most phones come with preset messages, such as "running late" or "call home." And most allow you to program customized messages for an emergency or frequent use, for example: "I''ve dropped Billy at soccer."

Programmable shortcuts

These let you assign functions to the phone's controls (touch screen, jog dial, etc.) so that you can quickly access contacts, text messaging, and other frequently used features.

QWERTY keyboard

Keyboards make composing and editing text and e-mail messages much easier than a keypad does. Some phones have keyboards that try to save space by having some letters, numbers, and symbols share a key. Those "condensed" keyboards, though still more convenient than a keypad, are not quite as easy to handle as full QWERTY keyboards.

Speakerphone

A built-in speakerphone, which allows hands-free use in a car or elsewhere. (But avoid using any phone, even hands free, while driving.)

Standard headset connector

The standard connector on the handset, also known as a 2.5-mm or 3.5-mm connector, is compatible with most aftermarket wired headsets. Some phones with a proprietary connector might include an adapter to a standard connector.

Touch screen

Full touch-sensitive displays respond to light contact with a stylus, finger, or both. They provide an alternate, and sometimes more direct, method to input data and launch phone features and controls. But they often require two hands to operate, and they smudge more frequently than their non-touch counterparts.

Voice command

This feature allows you to dial numbers from your phone book by speaking the name, without the usual training. You can also dial numbers by pronouncing the digits.

Wi-Fi

Cell phone data networks--even those designated "3G broadband"--are much slower than the broadband Internet connections many people have at home. But a rising number of phones have a built-in Wi-Fi radio that gives them faster Internet and e-mail access through home networks and Wi-Fi hotspots. On some phones, the Wi-Fi is just for Web browsing; on others, you can use the connection to swap files with a PC or make calls using Voice Over Internet Protocol.

See also:

Bluetooth headsets

Cordless phones

GPS Navigation Systems

Cell phone service