How to choose a cell phone for men

When it comes to guys and their phones, it's usually not surprising to find that they are far more concerned with features over design. Business users may be interested in the smart phone and PDA functions, while for the most sophisticated jetsetter, having dual SIM cards or even a keyboard for easy text input may be key. Whatever the feature, it goes without saying that they have to perform well enough. Below are some of the more desirable features to have on your phone, depending on your budget. For the various types of phones and their ergonomic attributes, check them out here.

Your lifestyle requirements

Features to consider:

Bluetooth with A2DP support::
Bluetooth makes it easy to transfer/sync photos, videos, music or any other data between devices and your PC, and to connect wirelessly with a Bluetooth-enabled headset. This is one feature that should come standard on handsets today, though check if it has A2DP support as this will allow you to listen to your music via Bluetooth stereo earphones.

Wi-Fi/HSDPA:
This is the ultimate connectivity to aim for, empowering the well-connected guy on-the-go whether for work or play. With either Wi-Fi or High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA, a 3.5G mobile technology) supported on your device, all you have to do is get a good data plan that suits your budget, and you're off.

Once connected, you can stream YouTube while commuting, browse the Web for stuff that guys like to update on, such as sports recaps and stock quotes. You can also check your emails, instant message friends and colleagues to talk tech, update your Facebook, even Skype on your mobile with your girlfriend, saving you long distance costs. The options are virtually limitless.

Push-email:
If your phone supports this, a data plan in your budget range will ensure you get your email fix at anytime. Push-email essentially "pushes" your personal or work email to your handset. Think of it as always-on email, though consider a QWERTY keyboard for easier text input if you email a lot.

Camera and video recorder:
Today's camera-phones can almost rival your basic standalone compact camera on the market. With resolutions that can go as high as 5 megapixels, top-end camera-phones even offer features taken from point-and-shoots, such as Xenon flash as opposed to LED photolights, special optics, editing options, dedicated camera buttons, autofocus, scene modes, macro closeups, image stabilizer, face detection, optical zoom, even direct TV connectivity. Even video recording has been given some tech shine, with DVD-like video capture and optical zoom.

MP3 player:
According to the 2007 report released by MultiMedia Intelligence, 50 percent of phones will play music by 2011. Indeed, evolving from a mere addon on your phone to an onboard player, today's music phones give MP3 standalones a good run for their money. Besides offering cool designs and great performance, some music phones come with stereo headset support, playlists, dedicated music keys for easy access, integrated 3D surround speakers.

Memory:
It goes without saying that with a digital music player, camera and office functions on your phone, you'll be needing loads of storage for the files you will use. An expandable flash memory slot will offer you the memory space you need. The only concern is perhaps the cost of the card that your phone supports.

The two most common memory formats for mobile phones today are microSD and Memory Stick Micro (or M2). The high capacity version of the microSD card, which is also known as microSDHC, has a minimum capacity of 4GB. You might want to buy a handset that supports this format if you are looking at affordable high capacity storage. So before purchasing, make sure your device supports the memory card you want. Not all microSD slots will support microSDHC.

Office and PDA:
Even the most basic handsets offer organizer features. But beyond the standard PIM functions, smart phones can go where no ordinary phone has gone before, offering the ability to read business documents in a variety of formats such as PDF and Microsoft Office, complete personal organizer, full-featured email support, even business card reader, as well as ease of switching between voice and data tasks.

GPS:
Do you need GPS or Global Positioning System? Well, it's a good-to-have feature, particularly if you're unfamiliar with the roads in a foreign country or you're terrible at navigation even on homeground. Look for GPS mapping with automatic routing and voice-prompted turn-by-turn guidance.

For even greater value-add, GPS paired with location-based services means you can choose a category such as restaurants, hotels or theaters. The service then determines your location and sends your phone search results. Once you make your choice, you can get driving directions. How easy is that? Do note that even though your handset may support GPS, you usually will have to purchase the software map. On top of that, location-based services, where applicable, require a monthly subscriber fee.

Other features:
As manufacturers try to outdo each other, we see an increasing number of features being touted, some really nifty, some more fad-like, including touch-sensitive screens that react to taps, swishes or flicks of a finger, which are more intuitive than finger presses and stylus pointing.

Accelerometers (or tilt sensors) have also been put to various uses in the mobile phone. Applications include allowing a user to dial the phone by "writing" numbers in the air, detecting when a phone is rotated, activating it, turning your handset into a game controller, with the potential for more uses. Dual SIM card slots have also been well-received, particularly by frequent travelers, as this translates into automatic configuration of network service for two carriers without the need to swap SIM cards.

Your budget

Depending on the features you desire, mobile phones can easily cost more than S$1,000 without an operator plan. If you want to be the kid on the block with the latest and best, then expect to pay a premium. But if you can wait for older models or special deals from mobile phone operators, though tied to two-year contracts, you might just get the phone you're eyeing for next to nothing.