Types of Mobile Phones
"I prefer using my cell phone because it is a more advanced device and I have invested a lot of time in making it work for me (e.g. learning navigation shortcuts, personalizing the features and maintaining the address book). On the other hand, my home phone is just a dumb terminal - I consider it in the same category as my toaster."
(1) Types of Mobile Phones
Broadly speaking there are three categories of mobile phone but such is the range of features and pace of development that the dividing lines are not clear and they change. Some phones may fall into more than one category.
Basic Mobile Phones
Feature Mobile Phones
Java Enabled - However, whether a service and all its features will work to best advantage on a particular mobile phone or not depends on a number of factors. You have to check which phones a service supports. This is usually easily done on the provider's website.
In principle, Java should work the same on every phone that supports Java applications. However, there are lots of differences in Java implementations between phone manufacturers and even between phones from the same manufacturer.
A non-standards compliant Java implementation on the part of the handset manufacturer may be the reason why a mobile application can't do all that is expected of it such access a mobile phone's native address book.
Another factor, is the evolution of Java. It can be found in two forms, MIDP 1.0 and a newer form MIDP 2.0 which gives more scope to applications like calling applications.
Smartphones
A smartphone is a mobile phone that runs an operating system, like a computer, providing standardised interfaces and a platform for application developers. In general, smartphones make it possible for third party developers and vendors to offer richer and more integrated add-on services. The Mobile VoIP or mobile calling application has greater access to the phones underlying functions.
The popular mobile phone operating systems are, Symbian, Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile, RIM (BlackBerry) and Google's Android. Symbian has a low market share in the United States but is the market leader in the rest of the world (which is by far the bigger market place for mobile phones). This area is also evolving rapidly.
(2) Important Phone Features
A Data Connection
You need a mobile phone with a data plan and Internet connection for signalling to your service or for using a browser and website to set-up calls. (You also need a data plan for Mobile VoIP but that is discussed below.)
Most modern 2G (Second Generation) mobile phones have access to a data communications channel based on packet switching like the Internet which can be used for access to the Internet.
For 2G mobile phones it is known as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).
The data communications channel can be "always on" like a fixed broadband internet connection. Usually, you only get charged when you send or receive data and you don't have to first set up a connection to send anything.
You need to ensure your contract with your mobile phone service covers GPRS access to the public Internet. Even though your mobile phone may be capable of GPRS data communications you will not be able to use it unless the service is included in the package you have with your provider.
When you have the service you need to have an Access Point for the public Internet and you may need to set it up on your phone. Access Points, despite their techie sound, are very simple. They are basically network addresses to which your GPRS service connects to give access to other networks, like the public Internet, or your company network, or your service provider's own web service and so on.
3G Data
You need 3G mobile data to provide sufficient quality. Your data connection carries the VoiP voice itself as well as the call set-up signalling. 3G networks are also being upgraded to higher quality and capacity data.
If you use 3G data for VoIP you need to have a contract with your regular service provider that allows VoIP over the data connection.
A WiFi Data Connection / So-Called Dual-Mode
Dual-mode is needed so that the phone can work on both WiFi local area networks which you are likely to have at home and in the office and public hotspots (such as at airports, hotels and coffee bars) as well as on cellular mobile phone data networks.
Integrated VoIP or Stand-Alone
You can get mobile phones with VoIP capability built-in by the manufacturer that come with a pre-installed VoIP client, dialler, and a suitable Internet telephone interface and menu for the user. If you have such a phone, the Mobile VoIP service may provide just settings which can be downloaded and automatically installed or, in addition, an interface application which makes using VoIP and the service even easier.
The advantage of integrated systems is that the selections for making either a mobile VoIP call (Internet call) or a conventional cellular call are also more closely integrated and easier to use.
This area is evolving (sometimes very quickly!). Nokia have very recently introduced a mobile phone which has only the most basic VoIP functionality built-in and the Mobile VoIP service application as a consequence has to do a lot more and provide the full user interface.
Other Mobile VoIP services provide a downloadable application which includes all the necessary VoIP functionality, referred to as a stand-alone application. They are completely self-contained and do not rely on the mobile phone having any VoIP functionality built-in.
(3) What Type of Phone Do You Need?
For mobile VoIP you need ….
For mobile applications you need …
For web-based calling you need ….
For local numbers any phone will do ….
