The Good Gift Guide
A mobile phone for Christmas
Christmas Rush for the Latest Mobiles
It does seem to be rather incongruous to be sat next to a large fan busily attempting to reduce the temperature to a bearable level while writing about possible items for Christmas "wish lists". However that is the situation I currently find myself in as I check through the different products that Orange feels make ideal presents for many users. As a leading provider of mobile services to both consumer and businesses, Orange has a range of goods on offer. Let’s start with some mobile phones that we can look forward to seeing on dealer’s shelves and, if Orange has its way, being our communication device of choice. Three mobile phones, supporting GSM Tri-band and Class 10 GPRS, are due to appear over the coming months. Described as "the simple way to stay in touch this Christmas", the X1b has an integrated camera and 65K colour screen. Its Tri-band capability means the phone can be used anywhere in the world while a Bluetooth feature allows for hands-free operation. Available now, the X1b has been priced at £59.99 when purchased as a pre-pay phone.
The Orange XM phone promises to turn up the volume on mobile music. It is claimed to be the only branded mobile device with an integrated music player that allows the user to search, preview and download full length tracks using the Orange Music Service (185,000 tracks covering a range of genre). The phone utilises Intel Media Technology and has an integrated 1.3 mega-pixel camera. As standard the phone comes with 10MB of memory plus 64MB of storage on a data card. Expect to pay £99.99 for this phone on Pay & Go.
The third phone is the X2i. This has a built-in VGA camera and 65K colour screen. Weighing 95g, this phone will provide up to 5 hours of talk-time with its Bluetooth feature turned on. The X2i is expected to be available in November. No price information is currently available.
Earlier I mentioned the Orange Music service which has access to 185,000 full music tracks. Although these tracks cover genre such as dance, pop, indie, rock, jazz and more, the number available is rather small fry when compared to sites such as iTunes’ total of 1.7 million and Napster’s one million plus offerings. Pricing is hardly competitive with tracks costing from £1 to download. As part of its music service, Orange phones feature an integrated Orange Active menu which provides access to information about featured artists and bands; news and gossip; gigs, events and charts; plus the ability to download tunes as polyphonic ring tones.
Orange also has numerous add-on items to enhance the mobile phone’s capability. Compulsive snappers might be interested in the ImageMate card reader/writer that can provides the means to quickly transfer images to a computer for printing or editing work. Both 12-in-1 and 5-in-1 versions of this device are available with prices starting at £17.99. Hands-free enthusiasts will appreciate the Bluetooth IBSH-200 headset and dongle for a stereo audio experience (£89.99) or the more sporty appearance of the Orange Karuna headset with voice recognition activation (£39.99). Finally an Orange Dongle (£29.99) enables the capability to transfer data from a phone to computer without the need of extra cables. So isn’t it time you started that letter to Santa?
Orange
Good Gift Guide Recommedation : 4/5
4 Comments:
Even though the popularity of mobile phones is at an all time high, the complexity of the systems driving this technology usually means that only those involved with the industry have a complete understanding on how mobile phones actually work.
Until recently, and like most of today’s millions of mobile phone users, I found myself confused by the amount of information on the subject, and even when I found information which was relevant, the terminology used was best suited to someone with a degree in telecommunications.
In truth, the technology is very easy to understand when the information is presented in simple terms. In this article I’ll try to do just that – simplify the technology.
The concept: Even though technology has become widely known as wireless, this is only true between your handset and your nearest receiving antenna. After that the connection goes through a series of telephone wires until it reaches the antenna nearest to the person you are calling – assuming the call is to another mobile.
Your handset and provider: If you put features to one side, one handset works in much the same way to any other and the same is true of the actual network provider you choose to go with.
Manufacturers such as Nokia and Samsung dedicate themselves at producing the handsets and network providers such as Vodafone and O2 focus on the structure of the network itself.
Cellular networks: The term “Cellular” has been derived from the fact that each antenna only has a reach of a limited area; this area is known as a cell. By placing antennas in various part of the country, providers have created Cellular network. The total area within these cells, determines the coverage of a network service provider.
Making and receiving calls: When you make a call, your mobile phone locates the nearest antenna available for your network and connects you to the wired telephone system. The telephone network then locates the nearest antenna available for the person you are trying to call and connects you to that mobile. The opposite happens when you receive a call.
Your location: For a connection to be successful, your network needs to know where your phone is located. To achieve this you mobile phone is in constant communication with your nearest antenna.
If you move location, and your original antenna no longer has enough reach to connect to your mobile, your phone will automatically search for another one. The new antenna then informs the system of your new location.
This comment is by no means trying to undermine the achievements or the potential the technology has to offer. Instead, it is intended to provide an insight to the key elements of the mobile phone technology which would otherwise remain invisible to everyday users.
When i got the Orange SPV C500 nearly a year ago on upgrade from orange, I was simply baffled at why it was free when Nokias with smaller screens, poor cameras, no memory cards were going on upgrade for £50 ?? But having seen a friend of mines C500, I just had to have it. A year ago the screen quality, the camera, the new windows mobile and media player were things that were so far out of any other phones league it was untrue.It was and still is one of the best phones avaiable.The only advance in phones is the screen resolution and camera quality, oh and an led that some people have the cheek to call a flash. Now that the C550 is out this phone will probably be forgotten.Oh well.
I've had a SPV C500 phone for about 1 month now, my friend bought one about 1 month and 1 week ago and I had to have one, the O.S, is easy to use and it synchs well with my PC, calls always seem to be clear and reception is very good.
The real bonus of this phone is the amount of programs available for it including one that turns it into a DVD Player!! With an upgraded mini sd card (512mb), you can easily fit 4 full length DVD's and a few MP3's, the sound qaulity is good, better through the headphones included.
Go get one and have fun, you won't want another phone, until they release the new version.
I have since tried to buy from the Orange shop and it has proved incredibly difficult as their customer service is shockingly bad. For a company of their size I was dismayed at how hard they make it for you to actually give them money.
If you are buying a mobile phone this Christmas then I would strongly recommend you do not choose Orange as your vendor of choice.
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