PARTS AND COMPONENTS OF A CELLULAR WIRELESS PHONE BASIC INFORMATION

Display Screen
� Screen Size If you plan to use the phone for wireless Internet applications, then a larger, multiline screen is a must. Look at how many lines of text can fit on a screen, and how many characters per line.Also be sure to check if you are able to read the letters on the screen or if they are just simply too small.
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Monochromatic versus Color Displays Most wireless phones have monochromatic (i.e., black and white, all amber, or all green) displays, but there are a growing number of phones that offer color LCD displays. Wireless phones with color screens use more memory and are more expensive; they are the cutting edge of wireless phone display technology.

Antenna
Antennas are internal, fixed, or extendable. Extendable antennas must be fully extended to give you their maximum range.The best kind of antenna depends on where you use your phone and how strong the coverage is in that area. Most of the time, an internal or fixed antenna works just fine, but when you are at the edge of a wireless carrier’s coverage area, you may get better quality from a phone with an extendable antenna.

Menu Selection and Scroll Keys
The look and feel of the menu selection and scroll keys varies by phone model.The usability of these keys is very important if you plan to use your phone for Internet surfing or for text messaging.
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Scroll Keys Let you quickly surf through menus, submenus, and phone books.
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Menu Selection Keys Let you choose the option that is currently displayed above the key.
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Phone Menu
Lets you customize your phone to make it your own—for example, the sound of the ring, the volume of the earpiece or the key pad when you press the numbers, and so on.The phone menu is where you will find all these settings; every phone is slightly different as to how the menu is
 aid out and displayed.The user’s manual for your phone will walk you through all the selections.

Other Keys
To save on size, most keypads have multiple functions. Many features are available through the menus, but shortcuts and certain basic functions are available only by pressing the keys in a certain order. For example, to lock your keypad you may press *0, or to speed dial a number you may press #8. Reading the user’s manual that comes with the phone will explain exactly how this works for the phone you choose.

� Keypad Letters When you use a wireless phone to send two-way messages or e-mail, you enter the text using your keypad. Each number corresponds with certain letters, for example A, B, and C are on the 2 key. In order to type a C into your phone, you press the 2 key three times.


� Clear Key Most phones have a key that will allow you to erase the last number or letter you entered (usually labeled CLR). Press the CLR button once to remove the last digit entered or hold it down to erase the entire entry.

� Message Key Most digital phones are able to receive text messages and will also display when you have a voice mail waiting for you.The message key will allow you to access these messages for review.


Battery
The quality of the battery will determine the talk/standby time of your phone. Generally, phones are sold with a standard battery that gives you an average talk/standby time. Extra batteries can be bought as accessories and upgraded later, so we do not recommend making the talk/standby time of the standard battery the decisive factor in determining which phone you choose to purchase (see Chapter 7, “Accessories for Your Wireless Phone”).

Jacks 
If you plan on charging your phone in the car or using a hands-free accessory, then you want to make sure that the phone model that you purchase will support these kinds of accessories. A quick way to verify compatibility is to make sure the jacks for these accessories are physically available.


� Hands-Free Jack Some phones require a special attachment for using a head set or a hands-free device.Others accessories often offer a standard plug that will work with many different types of phones.

� Charger Jack (or connection) Most phones will have a number of charger types available (standard charger, rapid charger, and car adaptor charger).They each have advantages, so if you want a specific charger, make sure the phone supports it.