Professional smart phones

Smartphone picks for the 'new' professional: Five for you

Whether it's a transition from a student's life to that of a professional or just job-hopping for financial gains or career advancement, it signals the time for a makeover. And what better way to welcome change than the upgrading of your mobile-gramophone into a new-age smartphone.

Finding the right kind of phone that has a professional look and features could be as challenging as searching for the 'ideal' job, with the new being similar to the chaos of the old. Then there is the cost factor - is it worth spending a fortune on a smartphone? Well, the good news is that there are 'cool' smartphones you could flaunt without shelling too much.

Here are 5 smartphones we think would enhance your 'social status', cater to your business needs and will not pound your pockets (these cost Rs 15,000 or less) -

Nokia e71

Features - 3G, Email, Instant Messaging, MS Office, Assisted GPS, Java downloadable games, Video player

User interface - 2.36" TFT display, Full QWERTY keyboard, Symbian OS 9.2

Memory - Internal: 110 MB, External: microSD flash memory of maximum 8GB

Battery - Lithium polymer battery 1500 mAh, Maximum talk time of 630 minutes

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BlackBerry Curve 8520

Features - Email, Instant Messaging, Inbuilt & downloadable games, Video player

User interface - 2.46" TFT display, Full QWERTY keyboard, Touch-sensitive optical trackpad, BlackBerry OS, HTML browser

Memory - Internal: 256 MB, External: microSD flash memory of maximum 32GB

Battery - Standard Lithium battery 1150 mAh, Maximum talk time of 270 minutes

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HTC Touch Viva

Features - Email, Instant Messaging, Pocket Office, Games, Music player

User interface - 2.8" TFT resistive display, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS, Pocket IE browser

Memory - Internal: 128 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM, External: microSD flash memory

Battery - Standard Lithium battery 1100 mAh, Maximum talk time of 480 minutes

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Asus P565

Features - 3G, Typical & Push email, Instant Messaging, Pocket Office, high sensitivity SiRFstarIII GPS, Business card scanner

User interface - 2.8" TFT resistive display, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS, WAP browser

Memory - Internal: 128 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM, External: microSD flash memory

Battery - Standard Lithium battery 1300 mAh, Maximum talk time of 240 minutes

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Samsung Corby Pro

Features - 3G, Email, Instant Messaging, Office document viewer, Assisted GPS, Games

User Interface - 2.8" TFT resistive display, Full QWERTY keyboard, Accelerometer sensor, WAP browser

Memory - Internal: 150 MB, External: microSD flash memory of maximum 16GB

Battery - Standard Lithium battery 960 mAh, Maximum talk time of 480 minutes

Cell phones make many feel ignored : maya of Tech

Having a decent, uninterrupted conversation with someone is becoming extremely difficult because everyone’s interested only in their cell phones. Going out to eat with Crackberry addicts (Blackberry owners) is so annoying as they are either playing the game Brickbreaker or are boasting about how high their score is if there is a fellow addict in the group. The phone’s instant messenger service is even more irritating when hanging out with friends, as realisation dawns that you are not the only one the guy you fancy is messaging constantly.
iPhone lovers are no better ’cos they feel very insecure about the fact that many feel the Blackberry is superior. They have taken it upon themselves to lecture fellow iPhone owners on how important it is to remain a loyalist and after the lecturebaazi is over, it’s time to show-off all the latest software they have downloaded.
Vertu, Dior and other ridiculously expensive phone owners are equally insufferable. Now, no one wants to be portrayed as a rich flake. “I like a simple phone with basic features like messaging and calling features, my secretary is there to check mails and I have a camera for pictures,” is one silly line you have to constantly listen too. Another one is, “Oh the concierge feature is such a blessing. Sitting in Delhi, I got my son a table at Maddox (one of the hippest nightclubs) on Friday night in London.”
Next in line are the Simple Simons, with non-fancy phones. Since there are no features to boast of, they rely on the most basic function of all — incoming calls — to demonstrate how much in demand they are. Be prepared to listen in on their conversations forever while sitting with them.
Fitness expert Leena Mogre has noticed that this incessant need to text or chat even tempts her clients at the gym. “Cellphones can be very distracting and while doing weight training and other rigorous exercises. We have a strict policy against cell phone usage. If the rule is flouted, the phone is confiscated,” says Leena as this is the only way to prevent injury.
You can be that strict only at a gym, place of worship, school or workplace. Designer Manish Gupta confesses, “I am quite addicted. Without the phone it seems that life is still. But I use only the basic function i.e calling and messaging which I think nobody can live without.” Workaholics like Madonna sleep with their Blackberry so that they can answer urgent calls and emails 24x7.
So how do you get someone’s undivided attention when the conversation doesn’t revolve around the reading of a will, a case verdict or an answer to a proposal? A rare exception in the mobile crazy world, designer Nalandda Bhandari says, “The responsibility lies in one’s hand. It depends on how he/she prioritise things in his/her life.” Nalandda, doesn’t own a laptop at home as she doesn’t want to work after work and doesn’t carry a Blackberry for the same reason.
Honestly, it’s impossible to be like her for most of us. So looks like the best way to get your fair share of attention is to be the person, at the other end of the line. This way you will have their full attention.