The mobile phone market is incredibly fast moving. As such, many of the things I say in this article will have little relevance in 12 months time. With this in mind, I will hope to cover mobile phones in such a way as to minimise this possibility. I will discuss many of the factors you may wish to consider when making a purchase decision. Of course, the decision is very much yours, but who knows, perhaps I will cover something below that you haven't considered. Cameras Almost every phone now comes packaged with a camera included. The quality of these cameras vary wildly from a very simple flash free 1.3 mega pixel lens to a ten mega pixel camera with high definition video recording. As well as using these cameras for taking photos and recording videos, they also offer functionality in many different ways. Phones with an internet connection for example, can often use on board cameras with communication software such as Skype to make free internet phonecalls. A camera can also often be used as a bar code scanner. Manufacturer In many ways, the manufacturer of the mobile phone is becoming less and less important as more and more focus is leveled at the operating system. Having said that, manufacturers such as Nokia, HTC and Samsung are worth more of a look than the other, less well known, brands. Again, look for consumer reviews and go to a store to hold the phone itself. Many handsets are made by dedicated manufacturers seperate to the name on the box. Two phones with different manufacturer names on may have been produced by the same company. Consider the after sales service, but if your phone is provided on contract, your service provider will probably be the first point of call, especially if you have taken out an insurance policy on the handset (which I would advise if the handset is several hundred pounds to replace). Operating systems This paragraph relates to smartphones such as the iPhone. If you are spending a small amount on your phone this section may not apply. Most new phones issued with a contract however are now smartphones. There are perhaps three main branches of operating system. iOS from Apple, Android from Google and Windows Mobile 7 from Microsoft. Each operating system is updated regularly and new features are added all the time. Be sure to ask which operating system is installed on the phone you're looking to buy and do some research. Obviously, there is no better research than trying the handset yourself but it may also be useful to know if you would have access to new improved versions of the operating system for free. If not it may be worth your while waiting until the next version is provided with the handset you are looking for before purchasing. With a specific note towards those looking to buy an iPhone, they are compatible with iTunes which, if you already have an iPod, may make organising your media relatively easy in comparison to using handsets from other manufacturers. Extra functionality The world of Apps is constantly expanding. Each operating system is now linked to an app store where programs offering extra functionality are sold. Some are free but supported by advertisements where others charge for the service. A huge range of innovative applications are currently on sale, most of which use the internet. Expect to find games, navigation systems, utilities, reference services and company specific apps that allow you to check bookings or accounts directly from your phone. Whichever handset you decide on I hope that what I have talked about helps you with regards to what to look for and what you can expect.
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