Phone Jargon Help

Learn the meaning of some technical terms.

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Phone Jargon Helper

Get help with technical mobile phone terms here. Hopefully your question can be answered here. If not, let us know by contacting us.

Description
Yes But What Does That Mean?
Body Style
A general description of the body shape and style of a phone.   5 main types to be seen amongst these phones:
  • Normal/Bar - is your average block shaped phone with screen at the top and buttons at the bottom. Solid build, but may suffer from smaller buttons as there is less space beside the screen.
  • Slider - uses a sliding mechanism to hide the buttons underneath the screen. Fairly solid, usually with larger buttons, but may be bulkier.
  • Flip - also known as a clamshell design, folds buttons and screen onto each other. May not be built so solidly, but generally plenty of space for buttons, and screen.
  • Touchscreen - is similar to normal/bar phones, but may remove all buttons in favour of a touch sensitive screen. New style, becoming more popular (iphone style), that uses an oversize screen with no buttons.
 
Digital Camera
Some phones have an integrated digital camera. Quality of the camera varies greatly, and is measured in megapixels (the horizontal and vertical pixel values multiplied together).   Megapixels alone do not make the camera! Some have higher quality lenses such as 'Carl Zeiss' or larger image sensors which can make a big difference. In addition to a camera feature, many phones allow you to use the camera to record video footage also. Quality would be reduced slightly to make this possible.
 
Depth
Considered by many people to be the most important measurement of a phone's dimensions.   Measured in millimetres, from the front of the phone to the back. Gives an indication of how much the phone will stick out of your pocket.
 
FM Radio
Some phones contain an inbuilt FM frequency radio.   Most phones with inbuilt radio require the plugging in of headphones, so that the wire of the headphone cable can act as a radio aerial.
 
Frequency Range
Mobile phones are able to operate on different frequencies. Having more than one frequency in one device is useful to enable roaming between different countries or to allow a better coverage in the same country.   Quad band phones can use 4 frequency bands (covers the whole world), tri band phones use 3, and dual band phones use 2.

The frequency bands are:

  • 850MHz (America)
  • 900 MHz (Europe and parts of Asia)
  • 1800 MHz (Europe and Asia)
  • 1900 MHz (America)
 
Operating System
Simpler phones get by with a basic operating system to control phone functions. Smartphones however require more complex operating systems to deal with advanced functionality.   Different companies generally use their own proprietary OS's such as Nokia using Symbian or Maemo, Apple with iOS, Blackberry has its own OS, whereas Android (designed by Google) has been used by many phones makers such as HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.
 
Physical QWERTY keyboard
Some phones (and mainly Blackberry's) also include a miniature QWERTY keyboard that is fixed or can be slid away. This is good if you send lots of text messages or emails.   Physical keyboards as opposed to virtual touchscreen keyboards generally have a better feel and click as you press each button. The downside is though that these phones can weigh more and are a bit more bulky.
 
SAR Rating (w/kg)
Short for Specific Absorption Rate, and measured in the number of watts of energy absorbed per kg of organic tissue. This is a measurement of the amount of radiation absorbed into the head while using a mobile phone.   The lower the rating the better really. Below 0.5 is low, between 0.5 and 1.0 is average, and above 1.0 is high. A legal limit of 2.0 watts per kg has been set as the European safety level.
 
Screen Size
Previously phones had smaller screen as they just needed to show the number of who were calling or the odd photo. In recent times though, screens have been getting larger on smartphones to play videos, view larger pictures etc.   A larger screen reduces stress on the eyes to view, but results in a larger phone to carry in your pocket. A general compromise would be about 3.5 to 4 inches screen size depending on your hand size and preference.
 
Smartphone
When a phone incorporates an operating system of some sort, it can be classified as a smartphone.   Operating systems (OS) allow you to install programs on your phone that increase its functionality. Symbian, Mac OS x, and Blackberry make OS that allow for anything from GPS satnav, to office applications to be used.
 
Standby
An approximate measurement of the time a phone can remain switched on and ready to use, with a full battery charge.   Normally measured in hours, the standby time varies widely according to the battery type, and capacity. Other factors such as screen size and phone efficiency will affect the overall figure.
 
Talktime
An approximate measurement of the time a phone can be in active use on a phonecall.   Normally measured in minutes, the talktime varies widely according to battery type and phone efficiency.
 
Volume
Indicates how bulky a phone will be. Measured in cubic centimetres.   By multiplying height, width and depth together, the cubic centimetre measurement should tell you how much 'airspace' the phone takes up. This should give an idea how bulky the phone will feel in your hand or pocket.
 
Wi-fi
Wi-fi indicates a phone's ability to connect to your home wireless network.   Wireless network connection allows the phone to make internet access through a fast home network, any open wireless network or any network where you have password access or any hotspot, often found in hotels, food outlets and shops. This would not count toward your monthly phone network allowance.