Cell Phone Terminology

0 Comments | Rating: 0 | |

With as many different kinds of cell phones and wireless plans that are available, it is only natural that a lot of people would be confused by some of the terms that are being thrown around. Here are some short explanations so you'll know what everybody is talking about.

3 G: There has been a lot of hoopla recently over the term "3 G." The term actually doesn't have a very high tech connotation. All it stands for is "third generation." In the cell phone world, there are three commonly accepted "generations" of cell phone technology. The first was the analog network that first came out in the 1980s and was only good for voice communication. The second wave of cell phone technology that came out was dubbed "2 G." The second generation of technology allowed low-speed data transmission, which is how we came to have text messaging and the ultra-slow web browsing you may be familiar with. Finally, out came 3 G.

There are three main "types" of 3 G networks. The common feature is that they allow broadband-level speeds of data transmission, which is how you can view Youtube and Twitter with no problem at all over your phone. These power hungry applications can chew through cell phone batteries, so make sure your model is designed for this type of usage - I have a Nokia E71 which has a good day or more of battery life even with frequent internet use. My previous phone would go flat in just a few hours..

UMTS: Standing for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, is quite common in the United States and Europe. It is an add-on to GSM networks that allows download speeds in excess of DSL modems and some cable modems.

HSDPA: Standing for High Speed Downlink Packet Access, this is a technology similar to UMTS. If you have seen AT&T's recent commercials advertising "3.5 G" technology then you at least have heard of HSDPA. HSDPA is another type of network add-on for GSM phones (by the way, you know that you have a GSM phone or GSM carrier if you use a SIM card) that allows ultra fast download speeds. All you have to know about these two technologies is that they are the high-speed network capabilities that come with GSM networks. Many people argue that GSM is superior because you can use it in Europe, whereas non-GSM phones tend not to be usable while travelling.

EV-DO: If you have a CDMA phone (Sprint, Verizon, or Alltel in the US), then your particular flavor of 3 G is EV-DO. EV-DO stands for Evolution Data Optimized, which is just technobabble for high-speed data transmission. EV-DO is fast enough to compete with HSDPA and UMTS, the only caveat is that it is much easier for your phone carrier to limit your access to high-speed downloading.