I’m sure you’ve all been in that situation….sat in the phone store trying to decide on a new mobile phone while the salesperson is blabbing away at you about the amazing specifications on some phone…when all you care about is…that it lets you make and receive calls…and of course how pretty it is! Naturally, you don’t want to come across like a bimbo though…so you nod and smile along with whatever they’re saying…3G, GPRS, etc….well…don’t worry, you no longer need to just go along with it! And do you know what? It’s actually not that bad

We’ve put together a quick and easy to read list to help you out with all that jargon that means nothing to you when it comes to mobile phones. Take a look at the list below, and you’ll no longer find yourself just nodding and smiling, but actually understanding what’s going on!

3G- 3G is the current generation of mobile technology, it supports a higher data rates, full motion video, and allows mobile users to access the internet.

Bluetooth - Technology that allows a wire-free connections between devices.
Dual band – All new UK mobiles are dual band, this term refers to mobiles that can switch between two frequencies.

EMS – Enhanced message service, is an evolution of SMS. An EMS-enabled phone can send and receive messages that include formatted text, pixel pictures, animations, sound effects and ring signals.

Fascias – Interchangeable covers for mobile phones.

GPRS – General Packet Radio Service – This is a way to enhance 2G phones so they can send and receive data more rapidly. A GPRS connection means the phone is “always on” and can transfer data immediately. This is the standard digital service used throughout Europe.

Infrared – Wireless data transfer via an infrared port. For example, between two mobile phones or via other devices such as PC with IrDa port.

IVR – Interactive voice response.

MMS – Multimedia messaging service. With a MMS compatible handset, you can send and receive a combination of text, images, sound and video. It’s a more advanced feature than SMS and EMS.

Pay As You Go (PAYG) – This is a pre-pay mobile phone service. It works by allowing customers to purchase credit in advance to give you talk time on your phone.

PC card – This device allows you to connect your mobile phone to your computer.

Tri-Band – Tri band or Triple band phones can operate across three GSM bands, which means they can work in more than 100 countries.

Voice activated dialing – This is a way of controlling the call function on your mobile phone. You say the name of a contact and it will automatically dial their number. This is a function most commonly used with hands free sets by drivers.

WAP – This means Wireless Application Protocol, WAP enables mobile phones to activate the services that mean we can access the internet on our mobile phone.

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