ICT Unit One

Feature

Information

Limitation

Standby time

amount of time you can leave your phone on before recharging

slim phones have smaller batteries, which hold less charge

Talk time

amount of time you can talk on your phone

the more you use the phone, the quicker the charge runs out

SMS

allows you to send/receive text messages using the keypad

can only send 160 chars/message (more is charged as multiple messages)

MMS

allows you to send pictures, video, & sound with text

message restricted to 100KB (pictures compressed, so they lose quality)

Predictive text

allows some common words to be entered by a single key-press for each letter

easy to select/insert the wrong word

Built-in camera

camera built into phone to take digital stills or video clips

quality of pictures depends on the camera resolution (quantity & quality of pics restricted by memory capacity)

3G

gives high-speed internet access so can stream video & audio  (video calling, live web streaming)

limited/no 3G coverage in some areas

Video calling

allows you to stream live calls so you can speak to & see the person using the handset

this will only work on some 3G phones

HSDPA

super-fast 3G which could overtake 3G
(High Speed Downlink Packet Access)

need a HSDPA-compatible phone so phone upgrade will be required

Bluetooth

uses radio signals (short-range wireless signals) to send/receive data from devices close by (<50m)

will not work if device is out of range

Hands-free device

allows you to talk without having to hold phone in your hand (uses earpiece & microphone)

this is being replaced by Bluetooth technology, which works without the use of cables

Music playback

can store music on the built-in memory of the phone & listen to it on the move

music files are large, so storage space is quickly used up

Wi-Fi

Similar to Bluetooth, but range & total data transferable is greater

need to be in a Wi-Fi area for this to work

Mobile Internet

similar to computer internet but pages appear smaller & with reduced graphics

usually only available on 3G phones & only works within signal range; also limited by screen-size

Memory card slot

stores 1-8MB multimedia on a memory card  & easily transfers them to other devices (eg tracks, pictures, video)

not all phones have the same slot size, so may be difficult to transfer files.

Dual/tri/quad-band phones

phones able to pick up different frequencies so you can use your phone in different countries

need the correct frequency to use your phone in a specific country

Roaming

allows you to use a network abroad to carry on making phone calls/sending texts

many networks offer national & international coverage so roaming charges avoidable (roaming expensive)

Phone lock

so only a particular provider’s SIM card will work in the phone

possible to get phone unlocked so it is usable over a different network

GPS

calculates your position using satellites & guides you to your destination

can use a lot of power, eating into the charge