Cell Phone Consumer Information

Learning about Wireless Handsets

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A HANDSET

MODE

Is the phone single or multi-mode? Can it operate on analog, digital, or GSM networks, or all three? Does it indicate when it's roaming?

STORAGE

How many phone numbers and other data can the handset store? Does it have a removal data storage option?

SCREEN SIZE

This can be an important factor for viewing phone numbers and other stored data, as well as wireless web content.

SPECIAL OPTIONS

What types of "vertical features," such as CallerID, call waiting, and voicemail, are included with the handset and service plan?

VOICE FEATURES

Does the phone have voice-activated dialing? Does it have a speaker phone?

BATTERY LIFE

What are the handset's talk time and standby time? Standby time is the number of hours or days the phone can stay on before the battery will run out. Talk time is the number of hours a user can talk on the phone before the battery will run out. These times can vary with analog and digital service. Also, a handset's battery will affect its size and weight.

SAR RATING

The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the level of human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) emissions from a handset. For more information and to find out your phone's SAR rating, see http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/sar.html

MOBILE DATA CAPABILITIES

Does the handset have the ability to access the carriers's wireless web services and/or send and receive text messages?

HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY

Hearing aids generally work with cell phones that use analog signals but not currently with those that use digital signals. More information about hearing aid compatibility is on the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau webpage at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/hearing.html.

See also:

• COVERAGE
• PRICING

Last Modified: Wednesday, 14-Feb-2007 12:48:50 MST