PhilSpeak: Mobile Madness!

Published June 15, 2011
Category: Columns

Hey there geeks and geekettes! Phil here back to bring you the most interesting tidbits the Internet has to offer. For this month, I bring you the awesomeness and absolute necessity that are cell phones. Thanks to all the choices out there, getting one just got harder. This is where I step in 🙂

There are so many different types to choose from. For starters, you’ve got your vanilla run-of-the-mill phone, which makes/receives calls and allows for simple texting (I say ‘simple’ since they don’t have a full keyboard). If you’re on a budget or if what you’re looking for is something to make calls with, this is it. There are plenty of brands that offer simple models, such as Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, etc. And the best part is these are usually offered free when you go for a plan with the carrier. There are plenty of prepaid options too which also offer simple models.

If you’re going for the big guns, then you want smartphones. These aren’t just phones, they’re pocket-sized computers. Not only can you text and take pics, you also have full access to the ‘Net from it. That means you can use Twitter, Facebook, play awesome games, record High Def video, check movie times, buy stuff on Amazon, talk to grandma, AND order a pizza in less than three minutes! Now that’s multitasking! Well, for me anyway.

Just as I stated on my first blog, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to tech. Even more so with cell phones than e-readers. I’ve put together a list for your reading pleasure. Note: Because there are SO many choices, I’ve chosen the best ones for each carrier. Keep in mind that even if they’re running the same software, the performance will vary.

iPhone 4 – We all know of this one. With its gorgeous high resolution retina display and its 1Ghz A4 processor, this generation iPhone has quickly become one of the most sold cell phones in the world market today. Now available in white or black and in 16 or 32Gb versions. If you’re on a budget you can still pick up the 3GS, the previous generation iPhone, for much less.

You can pick any of these from Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, Virgin Mobile and Three.

If the iPhone isn’t your cup of tea when it comes to smartphones, there’s still plenty left to go. Quickly becoming the most used platform on this market is Android, Google’s phone software. Contrary to the Apple platform, Android is open source. This means that ANYONE can develop for it, regardless of age, education or job.

Here’ s a list of the little robots that caught my eye: