Tips for choosing a low-cost mobile phone

When they cost as the "iron bridge", a special issue of choice does not exist. Was actually a cell phone, and the point (as in Soviet times - just beer, without some sort of splendor).

But not before we had to look around, cellular communication of toys for the rich has become a technique for people. That is, for anyone who has at least some, if not the biggest profits. And today, when it comes time to change your phone or buy a second, third, fourth "tube" (for his son, daughter, to myself if the old phone in the ass, and throw a pity), we stop at the window mobile shop and look in amazement at these collapse. How many of them different! But ... different there? What distinguishes this model from this? Why is a phone worth significantly less than the hundreds of dollars off scale for the other hundred? No, we certainly know - is a simple budget model, but it is "cool" smartphone with lots of "gadgets" The only question is - whether this pile of high technology of their money.

Talk about exciting moment of buying a new phone. On the elementary things that are not taken to write (we're with you educated people to pay attention to such trivial matters).

Thus, price and technical specifications - these are the two most important criteria that determine our choices.There is another - like or dislike - but we'll talk about it separately.

In this situation prices. The cheapest phones - those that are, say, $ 130 - taken attributed to non-prestigious (which really nonsense) budget model. Meanwhile, it is very real phones, which is all that is needed to ensure a smooth, stable, high-quality voice communications. Moreover, they can send and receive SMS, may have a built-in digital camera with a sensor resolution of small (typically, CIF, at least VGA), a voice recorder for a couple of minutes of recording, built-in calendar and a few games. From outward signs mention only two. The first - form factor, ie the traditional candybar phones in the shell, clamshell and fashionable sliders. Second - the antenna, or a separate serving of a body, or hidden.

Advantages of clamshell phone that he is very well protected. His on-screen buttons are hidden half a machine, they can not click randomly. In addition, the clamshell screen is protected from scratches, and the phone itself in the folded state is very small. No wonder "female" model is most often performed in a folding form factor - powder-box, not the phone. On the other hand, ordinary, neraskladnoy phone is more convenient in the sense that it should not be disclosed. Try to open a cot with one hand, not all of it is obtained from the first time.And jumped off the finger and zahlopnuvshayasya at a critical moment the screen cover - is not accepted the challenge and, accordingly, abandoned call. In folding phones comfortable keyboard - button is bigger and they are more spacious. Do not need a cot, and the system locks the buttons from accidental operation.

Slider - is a cross between monoblock and extra bed. Sliding the phone as well as the clamshell, can integrate the big screen, comfortable keyboard and a reasonable amount of housing. However, because of the display, which is imposed on the outer side of the upper halves, the slider looks more like a candy bar than a book. A year ago, the sliding form factor was considered an attribute of image or business units facing $ 300 and above.But already on the shelves of many shops you can find inexpensive communication slider price from 3 to 4 thousand rubles. For example, model CF110 and AL21 from Siemens or a series of phones from Fly or Sagem.The main thing is that the tendency to reduce the cost of such solutions is growing rapidly, and will soon appear inexpensive and sliders from the producers of the first five.

As for the antennas, then no benefits from the external antenna protruding from the shell before the antenna is not built. The difference in sensitivity? But how to compare very different in design phones? No, the benefits of serving antenna (from a purely practical, rather than a technical point of view) that ... phone is easier to get out of a holster or pocket. Tiny "ladies" clamshell that slippery scrap of soap - and strives to extricate itself from the hands. But large-sized serving phone antenna can be small, but a nuisance. However, in our times, an external antenna was atavism. In the candy-bar and slider is not used, and the clamshell with "pin" is now rare.

Screen budget phone can be color or monochrome. Frankly, only color he can be, because the number on the market of new devices with monochrome screens, rapidly approaching zero. And this is not the best thing that could happen with cheap phones. The fact that entry-level models are equipped with color passive matrix, which in bright ambient light, darken and become nearly indistinguishable. Monochrome screen as best it can be seen in the sun. If the phone is purchased to work on the air, for walks, as the second device, it may make sense to search exactly phone with a monochrome screen.

Dimensions ... Ultra telefonchiki the size of a cigarette lighter or a credit card really scary thing is uncomfortable.Yes, they are cute, look very impressive (especially in miniature purse). But how to dial these microscopic buttons, clinging to each other? How do I view the phone book and SMS, if bukovki on the screen is less than a grain of rice? We miniaturization has its reasonable limits. A good cell phone - a small phone. But it does not dwarf the phone, which is difficult to deal with.

Challenge ... Polyphony is a very good thing. The problem is not that the phone is "ugly squeaks. Ability to install polyphonic ringtones (better still ringing in format MP3) would give her phone personality. It is not about high aesthetic spheres, and of grave practical realities. Try to distinguish your own phone call from the other, say, a crowded bus. Actually, this is the "chip" of polyphony. Vibrating alert is also something very, very useful.Vibromotorchik in the phone should be, even if it is a very simple and the cheapest machine. Actually, the way it usually happens (not only shakes large communicators, such as the Nokia 9300 and 9500, which simply does not fit in your pocket).

The lack of a cheap camera phone must not confuse. Even in the more technically advanced business-class phones by photo does not turn the phone in camera. And very popular today cameraphones with sensors 2 or 3 megapixel cameras are not, but only phones with built-in camera. Do not forget about the physical size of the sensor on the simplified optics, the error in color balance (and the fact that the phones are building cheap sensors are CMOS, not CCD - hence the small dynamic range, low sensitivity, susceptibility to noise and errors in exposure) .

If you really really want a cameraphone, you should look at the devices from Sony Ericsson smart phones or Nokia (for example, N90). However, this is not the budget class, and money for this purchase will need much more ...