Cell phones are more than just convenient communication tools: They allow you to check e-mail, sync with the calendar and contacts on your PC, dial a number by the sound of your voice, look up breaking news on the Internet, take photos, play games, send text messages, view and edit documents, listen to music, and more. But choosing a phone--and the service plan to go with it--requires some legwork. Your choice of phone may depend on your choice of wireless service provider. If you're shopping for a carrier, you first need to figure out which carrier offers the best coverage and the best monthly service plan in your area. Then you'll have to select a phone from the assortment your chosen service provider offers. With the exception of a few handsets, most phones work only on one provider's system because carriers have mutually exclusive networks, and many carriers lock their phones so you can't take the same phone to another provider.
The third generation of mobile communications technology, commonly called 3G, is becoming more widely available. It's supposed to boost data-transfer performance to 2 megabits per second from the more common data-transfer rate of 19.2 kilobits per second, and is particularly handy if you use a phone to wirelessly access data such as e-mail, text messages, and the Web. The availability of 3G service remains a mixed bag. Sprint and Verizon Wireless use the Evolution Data Optimized (EvDO) network, which offers average download speeds of 400 to 700 kbps and potential maximum download speeds of 2 mbps. Cingular's 3G network, called High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), is available on only on select handsets. (Cingular's HSDPA is also available for use with PC Cards.) HSDPA promises average download data rates of 400 to 700 kbps with bursts to more than 1 mbps. Currently, most Cingular phones still support Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), which promises data transmission speeds of 384 kbps, and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), with an average speed of 40 kbps but a capability of going up to 115 kbps. fore info here.
