Brooke Yan asked:


There are now more than 190 million cell-phone subscribers, more than one per household, on average. A small but steadily growing number of people use a cell phone (a.k.a. a mobile phone) as their only phone. Phone manufacturers and wireless-service providers are promoting new generations of equipment that let users do much more than merely make phone calls.

Despite its popularity, wireless service has a reputation for problems: dead zones, where you can’t get service; calls that inexplicably end in midconversation; inadequate capacity, so you can’t put a call through when you want; hard-to-fathom calling plans; and errors in bills. Problems like those are why one-third of the cell-phone users we’ve surveyed say they’re seriously considering a switch of carrier.

Switching is now much easier than ever, thanks to the government mandate on local number portability. However, keep in mind that the phones themselves aren’t portable. If you switch carriers, expect to buy a new phone.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

The cell-phone itself is only part of what you need. You also have to sign up for service with a wireless provider and choose a calling plan. You can find phones in many outlets, including independent wireless retailers, electronics stores, and Web sites.

The providers. The major national companies are Cingular (which merged with AT&T Wireless), Nextel, Sprint PCS (which is in the process of merging with Nextel), T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. There are also numerous local or regional providers.

You’ll often find phones described as tri-mode, dual-band, tri-band, or multi network. Those terms describe the ways a phone can connect to one or more wireless networks. Here are the specifics:

* Tri-mode phones can access a digital network in two frequency bands and older analog wireless networks.

* Dual-band phones can connect to a digital network, but in two different frequency bands. GSM providers often use the term 850/1900 MHz instead of dual-band.

* Multinetwork phones are compatible with more than one digital network, often in two frequency bands. Some can also access analog networks.

* Tri-band or ‘World Phones’ operate on GSM networks in both the U.S. and abroad. Those with 850/1800/1900 MHz capability can operate on two bands domestically and one internationally. Those with 900/1800/1900 MHz capability operate on one band in the U.S. (1900 MHz) and two bands internationally.

The calling plans. Most providers offer a range of plans based around a “bucket” of calling time minutes. The more minutes in the bucket, the more the plan costs you each month. However, the total number of minutes isn’t the most important figure. Some of those minutes may be good anytime, others available only on nights and weekends; if you exceed the allotment of minutes, you’ll be charged 35 to 50 cents per minute, depending on the plan. Cingular, alone among the major carriers, lets customers roll over unused minutes to the next month. Most plans require you to sign a one- or two-year contract and levy a hefty fee if you want to cancel before the contract expires.

Prepaid plans can be a good alternative if you’re averse to a long-term contract. Many wireless providers, as well as Virgin Mobile, Liberty Wireless, Metro PCS, and Tracfone, offer prepaid calling. You pay in advance for airtime minutes, which typically last 45 to 60 days before they expire.

The phones. Some are simple rectangles with a display window and keypad on the front. Others are curvaceous or have a flip-open cover to protect the keys. The major phone manufacturers are Audiovox, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo, and Sony-Ericsson. Light weight is pretty much standard. All the newer phones can send and receive text messages up to 160 characters long to or from any other cell-phone user, and most phones now come with a full-color display. You’ll also see phones that can play popular computer games, are integrated with a digital camera, offer wireless Internet access, or that are combined with a personal digital assistant (PDA).

IMPORTANT FEATURES

Some cell-phone makers and service providers are offering so-called 3G service, which enhances the speed of data transfer. 3G services deliver reasonably fast, secure connections to the Internet and allow you to use the cell phone for playing and downloading audio and video, multimedia messages, and e-mail.

Among basic cell-phone features, look for a display that is readable in both low- and bright-light conditions. Be sure it’s easy to see the battery-life and signal-strength indicators and the number you’re dialing. The keypad should be clearly marked and easy to use. Programmable speed dial allows you to recall stored names and numbers by pressing one key. Single-key last-number redial is useful for dropped calls or when you’re having trouble connecting. Most phones these days have voice dial, which lets you dial someone’s phone number by speaking their name. But the number and name have to be in your phone’s contact list, and you have to program each voice dial name–a time-consuming process. Voice command-enabled phones don’t require training. You can dial anyone’s number in your contact list, and even dial a number not in the list by speaking the digits.

In addition to ringing, most handsets have a vibrating alert or a flashing light-emitting diode to let you know about an incoming call, useful when you’re in a meeting or at the movies. Handiest is an easy-to-mute ringer, which switches from ring to vibrate when you press and hold one key. Volume controls on the side let you change the earpiece volume level without moving the phone too far from your ear. You can’t do that if the volume controls are on the keypad. A speakerphone boosts the earpiece volume and microphone sensitivity, so you carry on a conversation without having the phone against your ear.

Some cell-phone models include a headset. That capability is sometimes demanded by various local laws for drivers using cell phones. A standard headset connector (also known as a 2.5-mm connector) is the most common type of headset connector. If you frequently use headsets but **** fussing with cords, consider a phone with Bluetooth voice capability, which allows you to use a cordless headset. Not all phones with Bluetooth are equal. Bluetooth data lets you transfer pictures and contacts, etc. to other Bluetooth-enable devices like printers, PDAs, and computers. Bluetooth data capability is found on GSM phones, but no on CDMA phones.

Many CDMA phones have analog backup capability, which may be important if you travel through rural areas, or places where your digital carrier doesn’t provide service. Phones with analog capability can sometimes connect in places where digital-only phones cannot.

Phones vary widely in keypad design and readability of screen displays, as well as in the ease of using the function menu or performing such basic tasks as one-button redial and storage of frequently called numbers for speed-dialing later. It’s important to handle a phone in the store before you buy, to be sure its design and your fingers are well-matched.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Begin by selecting a service. Finding good service where you want it can be a challenge. The best way is to ask your friends and business associates–people who literally travel the same roads you do–how satisfied they are with their cell-phone service. In addition, keep in mind that Verizon Wireless has consistently come in first in Consumer Reports satisfaction surveys and so is worth considering first.

Choose a calling plan. You need to determine when and where you’ll be using a cell phone most in order to select a plan that’s right for you. As a rule, a national calling plan (which typically eliminates extra long-distance charges or fees for “roaming” away from your home calling area) is worth considering first, even if you don’t travel often. With a regional plan, roaming charges can be stiff if you make calls too far away from your home.

If two or more family members use cell phones, consider a family plan that lets up to four people share a large monthly pool of minutes for a small additional monthly charge. If you aren’t sure how many minutes of phone time you’ll use in a month, choose a plan with more minutes than you think you will use. It’s often better to let minutes go unused than to have to pay stiff per-minute charges if you exceed your allotment.

Select a phone. You can spend as little as $20 or as much as $600 on a cell phone. You need to begin your selection in the right price tier. Once you’ve settled on a price range, follow these steps:

First look for practical features. Cameras, games, music players, and the like are appealing, fun, and even useful for some people. However, features such as a folding case, volume controls on the side, and an easy-to-mute ringer will prove useful every day.

Hold the phone. In the store, take the phone in your hand and make sure you can comfortably access most keys with one hand. Try to make a test call and access the menu items on a working demo. We’ve found that phones with radical shapes are difficult to use. So are keys that are small, oddly shaped, or arranged in unusual patterns, especially if you’re trying to dial a number in dim light.

Check the display. Most color screens perform well in dim light, but some are hard to see in daylight. Try the phone outside or under bright light. In our tests, phones that display incoming and outgoing numbers with large black fonts against a white background were the easiest to read under most conditions. Also make sure indicators such as battery life and signal strength are clearly visible.

Consider insuring pricey phones. All major carriers provide insurance that covers lost, stolen, or damaged phones, typically for about $4 to $5 a month, with a $35 to $50 deductible. At those rates, it wouldn’t pay to insure a low-priced phone. But if you paid $200 or more, then insurance may be worth considering. Some insurance plans require a police report. Damaged phones are replaced, often with a refurbished model

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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Brooke Yan asked:


It’s easier than ever to have a phone where you want one. The newest breed of cordless phones lets you put a handset in any room in the house, even if no phone jack is nearby.

However, manufacturers still offer a bewildering array of phones: inexpensive models that offer the basics; multihandset, full-featured phones with a built-in answering machine; single-line and two-line phones; digital and analog phones, and different frequency bands. In many instances, a phone will have a phone-answerer sibling. Many phone-answerers come in a phone-only version. If you have a cordless phone that’s several years old, it’s probably a 900-MHz phone. Newer phones use higher frequencies, namely 2.4 or 5.8 GHz. They aren’t necessarily better than the older ones, but they may provide more calling security and a wider array of useful capabilities and features.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

AT&T, Bell South, GE, Panasonic, Uniden, and VTech account for more than 70 percent of the market. VTech owns the AT&T Consumer Products Division and now makes phones under the AT&T brand as well as its own name.

The current trends include phones that support two or more handsets with one base, less expensive 2.4- and 5.8-GHz analog phones, and full-featured 2.4 and 5.8-GHz digital phones. Some of the multiple-handset-capable phones now include an additional handset with a charging cradle. About a third of the cordless phones sold include a digital answering machine.

A main distinction among cordless phones is the way they transmit their signals. Here are some terms that you may see while shopping and what they mean for you:

Analog. These phones are the least expensive type available now. They tend to have the better voice quality and enough range to let you chat anywhere in your house and yard, or even a little beyond. They are also unlikely to cause interference to other wireless products. But analog transmission isn’t very secure; anyone with an RF scanner or comparable wireless device might be able to listen in. Analog phones are also more likely than digital phones to suffer occasional static and RF interference from other wireless products. Price range: $15 to $100.

Digital. These offer about the same range as analog phones, but with better security and less susceptibility to RF interference. And, like analogs, they are unlikely to cause interference to other wireless products. Price range: $50 to $130.

Digital spread spectrum (DSS). A DSS phone distributes a call across a number of frequencies, providing an added measure of security and more immunity from RF interference. The range may be slightly better than that of analog or digital phones. Note that some DSS phones–usually the 2.4-GHz or the multiple-handset -capable phones with handset-to-handset talk capabilities–use such a wide swath of the spectrum even in standby mode that they may interfere with baby monitors and other wireless products operating in the same frequency band. Price range: $75 to $225 (for multiple handset systems).

Frequency. Cordless phones use one or two of the three available frequency bands:

* 900-MHz. Some manufacturers still make inexpensive, 900-MHz phones, usually analog. They are fine for many households, and still account for about one-quarter of the market.

* 2.4-GHz. The band most phones now use. Unfortunately, many other wireless products–baby monitors, wireless computer networks, home security monitors, wireless speakers, microwaves ovens–use the same band. A 2.4-GHz analog phone is inherently susceptible to RF interference from other wireless devices, and a 2.4-GHz DSS phone may cause interference in other products. However, DSS phones billed as “802.11-friendly” are unlikely to interfere with wireless computer networks.

* 5.8-GHz. The band that newer phones use. Its main advantage: less chance of RF interference because few other products currently use this band. Some phones are dual-band, but that only means they transmit between base and handset in one band and receive in another; you can’t switch to or choose one band or another.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

Standard features on most cordless phones include handset earpiece volume control, handset ringer, last-number redial, a pager to locate the handset, a flash button to answer call waiting, and a low-battery indicator.

Some phones let you support two or more handsets with just one base without the need for extra phone jacks. Additional handsets including the charging cradle are usually sold separately, although more phones are being bundled with an additional handset and charging cradle.

An LCD screen, found on many handsets and on some bases, can display a personal phone directory and useful information such as the name and/or number dialed, caller ID, battery strength, or how long you’ve been connected. Caller ID displays the name and number of a caller and the date and time of the call if you use your phone company’s caller ID service. If you have caller ID with call waiting, the phone will display data on a second caller when you’re already on the phone.

A phone that supports two lines can receive calls for two phone numbers–useful if you have, say, a business line and a personal line that you’d like to use from a single phone. Some of the phones have two ringers, each with a distinctive pitch to let you know which line is ringing. The two-line feature also facilitates conferencing two callers in three-way connections. Some two-line phones have an auxiliary jack data port to plug in a fax, modem, or other phone device that can also be useful.

A speaker phone offers a hands-free way to converse or wait on hold and lets others chime in as well. A base speakerphone lets you answer a call without the handset; a handset speakerphone lets you chat hands-free anywhere in the house as long as you stay within a few feet of the handset.

A base keypad supplements the keypad on the handset. It’s handy for navigating menu-driven systems, since you don’t have to take the phone away from your ear to punch the keys. Some phones have a lighted keypad that either glows in the dark or lights up when you press a key, or when the phone rings. This makes the phone easier to use in low-light conditions. All phones have a handset ringer, and many phones have a base ringer. Some let you turn them on or off, adjust the volume, or change the auditory tone.

Many cordless phones have a headset jack on the handset and include a belt clip for carrying the phone. This allows hands-free conversation anywhere in the house. Some phones have a headset jack on the base, which allows hands-free conversation without any drain on the handset battery. Headsets are usually sold separately for about $20.

Other convenient features include auto talk, which lets you lift the handset off the base for an incoming call and start talking without having to press a button, and any key answer.

Some phones provide a battery holder for battery backup–a compartment in the base to charge a spare handset battery pack or to hold alkaline batteries for base-power backup, either of which can enable the phone to work if you lose household AC power. Still, it’s wise to keep a corded phone somewhere in your home.

Some multiple-handset-capable phones allow conversation between handsets in an intercom mode and facilitate conferencing handsets with an outside party. In intercom mode, the handsets have to be within range of the base for handset-to-handset use. Others lack this handset-to-handset talk capability; they allow you to transfer calls from handset to handset but not to use the handsets to conference with an outside caller. Still other phones allow direct communication between handsets, so you can take them with you to use like walkie-talkies. Some phones can register up to eight handsets, for instance, but that doesn’t mean you can use all eight at once. You might be able to use two for handset-to-handset intercom, while two others conference with an outside party.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Decide how much hardware you need. The basic options are a stand-alone phone, a phone with a built-in answerer, or a phone that supports multiple handsets from one base. A stand-alone phone is best suited for small families or people in a small apartment with little need for more than one phone. The built-in answerer, a common choice, adds a big measure of convenience. A multiple-handset phone is good for active families who need phones throughout the house; this type of phone lets you put handsets in a room that doesn’t have a phone jack.

Select the technology and frequency band. A 900-MHz phone should suit most users, but that type may be hard to find because 2.4- and 5.8-GHz models dominate. You’re likely to find the widest range of models and prices with 2.4-GHz phones. But if you want to minimize problems of interference with other wireless products, look to a 5.8-GHz or 900-MHz phone. Analog phones, apt to be less expensive than digital, are fine for many people. But if privacy is important, choose a DSS or digital phone.

To be sure you’re actually getting a DSS or digital phone for its voice-transmission security, check the packaging carefully. Look for wording such as “digital phone,” “digital spread spectrum (DSS)” or “frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS).” Phrases such as “phone with digital security code,” “phone with all-digital answerer,” or “spread spectrum technology” (not digital spread spectrum) all denote phones that are less secure.

Phones that use dual-band transmission may indicate the higher frequency in a larger print on the packaging. If you want a true 2.4- or 5.8-GHz phone, check the fine print. If only the frequency is prominently shown on the package, it’s probably analog.

Settle on the features you want. You can typically expect caller ID, a headset jack, and a base that can be wall-mounted. But the features don’t end there for both stand-alone phones and phone-answerers. Check the box or ask to see an instruction manual to be sure you’re getting the capabilities and features that matter to you. As a rule, the more feature-laden the phone, the higher its price.

Performance variations. Consumer Reports’ tests show that most new cordless phones have very good overall voice quality. Some are excellent, approaching the voice quality of the best corded phones. In our latest tests, most fully charged nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) or nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries handled eight hours of continuous conversation before they needed recharging. Most manufacturers claim that a fully charged battery will last at least a week in standby mode. When they can no longer hold a charge, a replacement battery, usually proprietary, costs about $10 to $25, and may be difficult to find. Some phones use less-expensive AA or AAA rechargeable batteries. (To find a store that will recycle a used battery, call 800-822-8837.)

Give the handset a test drive. In the store, hold the handset to your head to see if it feels comfortable. It should fit the contours of your face. The earpiece should have rounded edges and a recessed center that fits nicely over the middle of your ear. Check the buttons and controls to make sure they’re reasonably sized and legible.

Don’t discard the corded phone. It’s a good idea to keep at least one corded phone in your home, if only for emergencies. A cordless phone may not work if you lose electrical power, and a cell phone won’t work if you can’t get a signal or the circuits are full. A corded phone draws its power from the phone system and can function without household AC power.

MESSAGE CENTERS AND ANSWERING MACHINES

Digital answering machines come as stand-alone devices or as part of a phone/answerer combo unit. The main advantage of a combo unit–less clutter–has to be weighed against the loss of one part of the combo if the other goes bad. Answerers usually have standard features and capabilities such as a selectable number of rings and a toll-saver, answerer on/off control, call screening, remote access from a touch-tone phone, and a variety of ways to navigate through your messages. Most have a message day/time stamp, can delete all messages or just individual ones, allow you to adjust the speaker volume, and can retain messages and greeting after a momentary power outage.

Other answerer features you may want to consider are the number of mailboxes, advanced playback controls, remote handset access, conversation recording, a message counter display that indicates the number of messages received, and a visual indicator or audible message alert that lets you know when you have new messages.

In Consumer Reports’ tests, most answerers delivered very good voice quality for recorded messages and good quality for the greeting. Phones that let you record your greeting through the handset (i.e., using the remote handset access) usually sound better. Some let you listen to your greeting through the handset, as opposed to listening though the base speaker; that gives you a better indication of how the greeting will sound to the calling party. Price range: $20 to $80 (stand-alone units); $30 to $240 (combos).

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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