Marc Saltzman
Sun
Bigger than television and the PC, the almighty cellphone has now topped 800 million users worldwide, and is estimated to reach one billion users within three years.
This isn’t too surprising, is it? After all, many have experienced that sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs after accidentally leaving their cellphone at home. Heaven forbid.
Not only is the phone a lifeline to the outside world — friends, family, clients and co-workers — but it’ll soon be a music player, camcorder, portable television, PDA, satellite navigation device, web companion and hand-held gaming system.
Never short on innovation, a half-dozen new cellphones debuted this fall in Canada, each offering a tempting reason to upgrade.
Here are a few noteworthy examples:
THIN IS IN
Rogers Wireless and Motorola have teamed up to create a limited-edition pink version of its award-winning Razr cellphone to help spread awareness for Rethink Breast Cancer ($25 will be donated per handset sold). The ridiculously slender quad-band flip phone (1.39 centimetres by 5.3 cm by 9.8 cm) offers a handful of bells and whistles such as a 4X zoom camera, Bluetooth for supported wireless headsets and printers, and high-resolution colour screens to display 3-D games, screensavers, wallpaper, multimedia messaging or web content. The stunning silver keypad is created out of a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. Price is still to be announced; rogers.com/pink.
TUNES TO GO
You may have heard of the Motorola Rokr music phone with Rogers Wireless, but Bell Mobility subscribers can also get into the groove. Carry a hundred of your favourite MP3 tunes wherever you go with the Motorola e815, a new flip phone with a slot in the side for a TransFlash memory card, which is smaller than a postage stamp to store all your songs or audio books. Or you can store photos and videos on the card thanks to the phone’s 1.3-megapixel camera. The e815 also offers Bluetooth support for wireless headsets, messaging features and built-in speaker. Oh, and, um, it can make phone calls, too. $149 with 36-month plan; Motorola.ca.
MIXMASTER
Cellphone users in search of fun features rather than business applications may opt for the Sony Ericsson Z520. Available from Fido, this fashionable quad-band world phone hides glowing lights around its body that flash in a certain pattern when a call comes in (perfect for in a dark club); you can program a different pattern for different incoming numbers. The VGA-quality camera shoots photos and video, which can then be mixed together in creative ways with Sony Ericsson’s Video DJ software. You can also change the front and back covers of this flip phone to customize its appearance. $75 with two-year plan; Sonyericsson.com.
FASHION FORWARD
Nokia’s latest “premium” handset fuses style and substance. Encased in a slim, stainless steel body, and a stunning screen protected by reinforced glass usually found in luxury timepieces, the Nokia 8801 is one of the increasingly popular “slide” phones that, when opened, reveals its laser-cut keypad and camera lens on the back that can shoot both still images and up to an hour of video footage. This GSM device with Bluetooth support also features voice recording, voice dialing, speaker phone, high-quality ringtones and 3-D graphics. $550 with a two-year Fido plan; Nokia.ca.
ROGER THAT
Available exclusively through Telus Mobility’s Mike network, the Motorola i878 is the company’s latest “push-to-talk” handset (think walkie-talkies), but with many extras such as Bluetooth support, a 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 player, removable memory cards and multimedia messaging. Plus, along with its Direct Connect push-to-talk service that lets you speak instantly with millions of other users in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and South America, the Motorola i878 also offers “push-to-view” picture messaging and the ability to push contact information — such as names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses — for yourself as a virtual business card or anyone in your stored contacts list.
© The Vancouver Sun 2005
