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RIGHT CHOICE

Which?

Buyers guide

Mobile Phones
Looking to buy a mobile phone? We bring you the best-performing models to suit every budget

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO BUYING YOUR MOBILE PHONE

MOBILE GUIDE

Dear Reader,
or some of us a mobile phone does much more than just calling and messaging. Its like our pocket computer, camera and music player. For others, basic features will suffice. Depending on what you want out of your phone, you can choose from a wide range of options. With mobile phones being improved so rapidly it can be hard to keep track of what the latest developments are and whether they are useful for us. Are the latest phones worth the price? The price of a mobile phone increases with the number of features it has, and manufacturers usually charge a bomb for newly introduced features. But whether a phone is worth the price or not depends on how important its features are to you, and how many of them you will use regularly. This Which? Right Choice guide will help you look at the best of the options available and make recommendations through our ratings. The best products in a category are marked by us as the Right Choice. Which? Right Choice is a monthly magazine that tests a range of products and services and brings you the results of our independent research. From home appliances to mobile phones and from telecom operators to airlines, we conduct the most comprehensive set of tests and surveys of any publication in India. We are associated with Which?, an organisation that has been safeguarding consumer rights in the United Kingdom and has been in print for over half a century. We hope this guide offers you a good sampling of what our monthly magazine is about. Paul Smith Managing Director

MOBILE PHONES
Looking for a feature-rich smartphone or a budget basic model? Our guide will help you pick the perfect handset

PAGE 6

SMARTPHONE FEATURES
A detailed explanation of what to consider and look for when buying

PAGE 8

RECOMMENDATIONS NDATIONS
Weve narrowed down our top picks in each price category so you can find a phone to suit your needs

PAGE 10-20

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SURFING THE INTERNET
Learn how to use your phones internet capability to its full potential

TYPES OF OS
We give you an overview of the different operating systems that smartphones run on

PAGE 22

PAGE 24

BEST APPS
Our picks of some of the best applications available

BUDGET PHONES
Looking for an inexpensive model? We look at the best phones for under `5,000

SAVE ON BATTERY
Extend your phones battery life with these tips

PAGE 26

PAGE 32

PAGE 30

SMARTPHONE SECURITY
Tips on keeping your phone free of malware

MOBILE PHONE OPERATORS

Our 10-city survey reveals which are the most-preferred mobile phone operators

PAGE 28

PAGE 34 PA

Published by Yohaan Dattoobhai for and on behalf of the owners M/s BGG Information Pvt Ltd. Published at BGG Information Pvt Ltd, 106, Prospect Chambers, Dr D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. To contact us, send an email to info@whichrightchoice.com Design, production and editorial services: Hill Road Media. Cover picture: Roycin DSouza We acknowledge that the trademarks shown/ featured in this guide are the properties of the respective owners. All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of BGG Information Private Limited. It shall not be used for any form of advertising, sales promotion or publicity.

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ABOUT WHICH? RIGHT CHOICE

Which? Right Choice was set up by Which?, a 55-year-old organisation based in Britain that publishes the flagship magazine Which? as well as a range of other titles covering subjects such as holidays, cars and finance. Which? is also a consumer organisation that campaigns for the rights of consumers. Which? Right Choice, the Indian magazine, brings a consumer offering that is independent, authoritative and rigorous. As the Indian market evolves and grows, giving the consumer an everincreasing variety of goods and services,

we believe our advice can help lp you navigate the complex set of choices. Independence is central to our consumer promise as we accept no advertising and carry no commercial content from providers of goods and services either directly or indirectly.

RESEARCH & TESTING

No other organisation investigates products as thoroughly as Which? and Right Choice. Our rigorous, independent expert tests cover more products and services than anyone else, allowing us to reveal the good and the not so good, helping you to make the Right Choice for you. By listening to consumer experiences we design our research to delve beneath advertising, uncovering how things really work so you can be confident that our recommendations stand out from the crowd. We dont stop there. Our independence allows us to name and shame poor products and services and we use our influence to drive changes on behalf of all consumers.

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LEGACY AND HERITAGE

Right Choice is an offshoot of Which?, an organisation that has been transforming the lives of consumers, giving them a platform to recognise their rights and causes. the Best Buy label to guide consumers. It was an instant success and is today an iconic label seen in stores all over. Within 10 years the magazine had 5 lakh subscribers.

LONDON, 1957
Which? was started in a disused garage in east London to offer people independent advice and comparative testing of the new consumer goods that were starting to appear in shops. There was little such advice around at the time. Many thought publishing such advice (and especially naming products) would be impossible because it would be unpopular with manufacturers.

EXPANDING THE GOOD WORK

Today, millions of subscribers in the UK and other parts of the world benefit from its independent advice. Which? now publishes over 10 magazines covering Cars, Computing, Holidays, Finance and Buyers Guides and Which.com a successful online platform. It is no surprise that Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of Britain says, The impact of your work has been profound. Your campaigns and magazines have transformed the way we live, improving products and services in the public and private sectors. I know that you will use this platform to achieve even more for consumers in the future.

SUCCESS COMES QUICKLY

As soon as Which? was launched, ten thousand members signed up in the very first month. In 1958 Which? introduced

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MOBILE GUIDE

Mobile phones
Our guide helps you pick the perfect phone for you
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SMARTPHONES
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SHOULD YOU BUY A SMARTPHONE?
Before buying an expensive smartphone you should think carefully about whether or not youll use its extra features, as they are essentially what youre paying a premium for dont expect the voice call quality, or reception to be much better than a regular phone. If youre certain that you just want a phone for voice calls and texting then it really isnt worth paying so much extra for a smartphone. There are many good quality budget phones you can buy, at a fraction of the price (see Budget phones, p30).

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SMARTPHONE FEATURES
Modern mobile phones can be used for far more than just making mobile phone calls almost all come with a built-in camera and music player, and most can now access the internet and send emails. Decide which mobile phone features youre likely to use and which you can do without. For example, if you love taking photographs but arent too bothered about accessing the internet then youll probably be best off with a camera phone. Remember to look carefully at what feature set each phone offers and be aware that you will probably have to make compromises. For instance BlackBerry smartphones are widely regarded as the best phones for business users, but dont expect them to offer the best entertainment features. Not all smartphones offer the same features, but below are the ones that most devices should be capable of.

HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS

A great deal of a smartphones functionality relies on it being able to access the internet, allowing you to browse web pages, access email and download apps and music.

1 2 3

MUSIC PLAYER
Nearly all smartphones should be able to play music files in the same way as a dedicated Mp3-player. However, be warned that the sound quality can often be inferior to a dedicated device.

CAMERA
Most smartphones are able to take pictures and record video. If these are features youll use often, make sure you check the camera quality, as it can vary quite considerably between different smartphones.

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TOUCHSCREEN
Smartphone touchscreens were popularised by Apples iPhone and have since been used by many other smartphone manufacturers. There are two main types of smartphone touchscreens resistive and capacitive. Capacitive is the more advanced touchscreen technology and offers more accurate control. Touchscreens can be divisive when it comes to their usability. Some people find it awkward to type on a touchscreen keypad, while others would never think of going back to regular buttons. So its a good idea to try out a touchscreen phone before you buy one.

APPLICATIONS
Applications, or apps as they are often referred to, are a key feature of smartphones. They broaden the functionality of your phone, in a similar way to the software you buy for your PC. Different smartphone operating systems have access to different online stores where you can buy apps. So not all smartphones have access to the same apps. For instance, the iPhone uses Apples App Store, whereas Android-based phones access the Android Market.

HOW WE TEST MOBILE PHONES

When testing mobile phones, our expert team devise and carry out a series of tests designed to really put the mobile phones through their paces. For everyday use this includes making a call, storing numbers in the address book and handling missed calls. For models with built-in music players, we test the basic operation such as using and creating playlists, setting the volume and transferring music files. Since many mobiles have large colour screens, we assess how well batteries coped with playing games, taking pictures and using diary functions all of which drain power quicker. Our expert panel listens to the same three tracks on each phone to test the sound quality of its music player. Our experts listen both with the headphones supplied and, if they can be connected, with a second set that we supply. The panel checks for overall sound and for flaws such as distortion. We test out the cameras on the phones by taking pictures of test charts in three simulated light conditions: daylight, office light and home light. The charts include a rotating image to test how the camera copes with movement, and a scene which has elements of different resolution, colour and brightness. We then transfer the photos to a computer to rate the file size and print them out to assess the overall quality of the image.

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MOBILE GUIDE

`30,000 AND MORE

90% APPLE iPHONE 4S
For outstanding performance 44,134 (16GB), 50,900 (32GB), 57,500 (64GB) The iPhone 4S runs on the Apple A5 chip (a dual-core processor) and should offer twice as much processing power than the iPhone 4. We found iOS 5 easy to operate and there is access to iCloud, Apples online storage service that helps you keep all your content co-ordinated across different devices. Sound quality is impressive; calls are very clear. Theres a great 8Mp camera and a front-facing camera for video calls. In reality there are few new features over the previous iPhone version, however previous antenna issues have been fixed and the new voice recognition personal assistant function Siri impressed. Pros Features, long lasting battery, stunning display Cons No memory card slot, no FM radio

82% SAMSUNG GALA GALAXY NOTE

For great touchscreen 34,351 With a 5.3-inch (800x1280 pixels) capacitive touchscreen, the Galaxy Note is certainly big and at 178g its heavy. As the Note is part tablet, part smartphone, Samsung has included a special S pen or stylus for making notes and copying specific areas of an image rather than the whole picture. The Note runs on Androids Gingerbread. It makes use of a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, making it one of the most powerful mobile phones weve seen. An 8Mp camera is included alongside the standard music player and FM radio. The phone can connect to the internet via HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi. Pros Huge touchscreen, powerful dual-core processor Cons Very large, heavy 10
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76% SAMSUNG GALAXY S II

For a large, top quality screen 30,498 (16GB) On the front of the phone is a large, 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, with Samsungs new Super Amoled Plus technology that claims to be energy-efficient. Sound quality on phone calls is average. The phone runs on Android Gingerbread, and Samsungs interface, TouchWiz 3.0. The battery gave us seven hours and 18 minutes of talktime from a single charge. The 8Mp autofocus camera performed well. Theres also a secondary 2Mp camera on the front for video calls. It can access the internet at high speed thanks to its Wi-Fi and HSDPA (3.5G) connections. Pros Great camera and screen, dual-core processor Cons Thin yet large it may be too big for some people

74% MOTOROLA RAZR XT910

For good specifications 33,990 Even though it is thin (7.9mm), Motorola claims that the Razr is strong thanks to its Kevlar (high-strength synthetic fibre) and stainless steel body. It has a responsive 4.3-inch touchscreen and a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor backed by 1GB of RAM. This enables multiple applications to run smoothly simultaneously. Battery life at medium 3G reception recorded an impressive 434 minutes of calls before running dry. However, it manages just 152 minutes of surfing at medium reception. Its 8Mp camera performed reasonably well in our tests. HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi connectivity are included. Pros Thin smartphone, powerful specs, easy to use Cons Short battery life online
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`20,000-30,000
79% SAMSUNG GALAXY NEXUS
For latest Android operating system 29,590 The phone runs on Androids latest OS Ice Cream Sandwich. We were impressed with the latest version of Android and our testers found it very easy to use and an improvement on the Gingerbread version. The Galaxy Nexus was superb for browsing the internet with its 4.6-inch screen coming into its own and even battery life while online was quite impressive. Unfortunately, it doesnt support flash content so some web pages lacked videos or animations, but the browser was very easy to use. The 5Mp camera was impressive. But the music player was a little disappointing and the phone lacks FM radio. Pros New Android OS, dual-core processor Cons No flash support

77% BLACKBERRY TORCH 9810

For good operating system 29,990 Our testers found that the latest version of the operating system, BlackBerry 7, made the Torch 9810 the easiest to use BlackBerry yet and a formidable smartphone. Browsing the internet is easy and battery life online is very impressive managing 395 minutes on medium levels of 3G reception. The Torch excelled in everyday tasks and we were impressed with the range of features on offer . The camera performs well if not outstandingly and although the sound quality of the supplied headphones was disappointing the music player was easy to use. Pros Easy to use, good features Cons Limited app selection 12
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72% HTC RADAR

For front-facing camera 25,000 The HTC Radar is a Windows Phone 7 smartphone featuring the updated Mango operating system. According to Microsoft, this adds more than 500 features including multi-tasking. Theres a 1GHz Scorpion processor and 8GB of onboard memory. The 3.8-inch display has a 480x800 resolution. The 5Mp rear-facing camera can capture HD video at 720p resolution, while the front-facing camera offers VGA video quality and 1.3Mp stills. HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi connectivity are included for quick access to the internet, and you can save on your data allowance by connecting to any nearby hotspots. Pros Nice build quality, front-facing camera Cons Single Core processor

71% LG OPTIMUS BLACK

For a slim, feature-packed phone 22,490 The phone has a four-inch touchscreen display that uses LGs new Nova technology. It is super-thin and is also very light, at just 109g. This is very impressive considering the number of high tech features in it. Battery life on calls is impressive with 5.5 hours of talktime with medium reception levels on a 3G network. However, when online, the battery lasted less than three hours. The phones gesture controls allow you to directly access messages, emails and missed calls by simply shaking the phone. Theres a 5Mp autofocus camera with LED flash. The phone can surf the internet via Wi-Fi or HSDPA (3.5G). Pros Very thin, large and bright screen, good camera Cons Phone is quite large, mediocre battery online
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`15,000-20,000
72% HTC SALSA
For special Facebook features 15,590 The HTC Salsa is a Facebook-focused smartphone with a dedicated button for quick sharing. The Salsa is controlled by a responsive 3.4-inch capacitive touchscreen, with a resolution of 320x480. Though it runs on the Gingerbread version of the Android, it has HTCs own interface called the HTC Sense. The Sense 2.1 includes HTCs new customisable lock screen. Battery life is extremely impressive and it gave us eight hours of talktime. The phone has a 5Mp autofocus camera with an LED flash. Using the internet on the Salsa is made easy with the reasonably sized touchscreen. Pros Dedicated Facebook features, great battery life Cons Poor supplied headphones, average camera

69% SAMSUNG WAVE II

For integrated email accounts app 15,810 The Wave II has a 3.7-inch display, and is a tad heavy at 138g. It runs on Samsungs own operating system, Bada (version 1.2), and it come with some useful apps. Theres Social Hub, a unified inbox for all your email accounts, instant messages and text messages, Music Hub, a Samsung music store that streams previews and offers over-the-air downloads, and an ebook reader app. The battery gave us five hours and 12 minutes of talktime at medium reception levels. The Wave II has a 5Mp autofocus camera with LED flash. It impressed in our internet tests. Pros Large touchscreen, easyto-use OS, good battery Cons Limited app store, average camera 14
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65% SAMSUNG OMNIA 7

For the various Windows Hub features 17,000 This is a fairly heavy smartphone (139g) that runs on the Windows Phone 7 OS. The 4-inch Super AMOLED screen is great, and so is the 8GB internal memory and 1GHz processor. It has typical Windows features like the People Hub, which brings together all your contacts and the Picture Hub, which brings together pictures saved on the phone and also photos that your friends have uploaded to Facebook or Flickr. Battery performance is good, offering six hours of talktime. Theres a 5Mp autofocus camera. You can access the web at high speed using its HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi connections. Pros Large touchscreen, great battery, innovative OS Cons No extended memory card slot, limited app store

63% SAMSUNG GOOGLE NEXUS S

19,500 Running on Android 2.3 operating system (Gingerbread), its packed with features and 16GB of internal memory. The overall battery life is pretty good with four hours and 13 minutes of talktime, but the battery is slow to fully charge, taking over 3.5 hours. The Google Nexus S has a rear-facing 5Mp autofocus camera. Picture quality is generally good, especially in bright light, and theres an LED flash to help out after dark. The phone is equipped with a decent music player, though it lacks an FM radio. Sound quality through the supplied headphones is pretty good. The powerful 1GHz Hummingbird processor keeps everything running smoothly. Pros Feature-rich, large display Cons Short battery life online, basic video camera
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`10,000-15,000
65% SONY ERICSSON XPERIA MINI
13,743 The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini is a compact Android smartphone packing in a powerful processor and some nifty features. Screen resolution (480x320 pixels) is pretty good and the three-inch touchscreen is accurate and responsive. It runs on the Gingerbread version of the Android OS, and is packed with features, including the new Facebook software. The battery (1,200mAh) gave us five hours and 28 minutes of talktime. The phone has a 5Mp autofocus camera with an LED flash and 8x digital zoom. The phone has an FM radio and an above-average music player. The Xperia Mini fits in a 1GHz processor, and should be fast enough for most users. p Pros Impressive camera, great battery Cons Small 3-inch screen

58% HTC WILDFIRE S

13,000 The Wildfire S has a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, and a resolution of 480x320. It runs on Androids Gingerbread OS and is hence feature-rich. It also has HTCs own interface or skin HTC Sense. This includes features such as Friend Stream, which pulls together all your friends social networking updates from sites such as Facebook and Twitter into one app. The phones battery (1,230mAh) gave us just three hours and 34 minutes of talktime. It has a 5Mp autofocus camera with an LED flash. There is also a music player and FM radio. The web browser works well, but the 600MHz processesor may render browsing a little slow. Pros Reasonably priced, lightweight Cons Small screen, poor battery life when on web 16
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57% SAMSUNG GALAXY ACE

14,178 The Galaxy Ace is a light phone weighing just 113g. Its 3.5inch screen has a 320x480 resolution and is nicely responsive. The Galaxy Ace runs on Androids slightly outdated version, Froyo, and has Samsungs own interface, TouchWiz 3.0. The 1350mAh battery gave an impressive 4.5 hours talktime. Sound quality on calls is pretty standard. The music player is average. Theres a 5Mp autofocus camera with an LED flash. It should be able to access the internet at high speed thanks to its Wi-Fi and HSDPA (3.5G) connections. The 800MHz processor isnt the most powerful weve seen, but it should be sufficient unless you have lots of applications running at the same time. Pros Good value, decent all round performance Cons Lower screen resolution

57% NOKIA C6-01

14,979 A mid-range smartphone with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display. Its the cheapest phone to run on Nokias Symbian^3 operating system and it performed well in our tests. The touchscreen is responsive, though small (3.2 inches). The battery gave us three hours and 42 minutes of talktime. Sound quality on calls is OK. The Nokia C6-01 has a decent music player and FM radio that we found easy to use. On the back of the phone is an 8Mp camera with dual LED flash, which can record 720p HD video at 25 frames per second and theres a front-facing camera for video calls. It is HSDPA (the equivalent of 3.5G) and Wi-Fi-capable for fast web access. Pros Reasonable performance and features Cons Short battery life, fixed-focus camera
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`5,000-10,000
59% SAMSUNG WAVE 525
6,110 This phone has decent features for the price but it lacks 3G. It runs on Samsungs own operating system, Bada (version 1.1), which means it is cheaper than Samsungs Android smartphones, but you will be restricted to Samsungs own app store. Sound quality on calls is average, dipping when theres background noise. The phones music player performs well and sound quality is good. Battery life is average, with it giving us three hours and 17 minutes of talktime. Theres a pretty standard 3.2Mp camera without a flash or autofocus, and the picture quality is not bad. You can use the Wave 525 to access the internet, but it lacks 3G connectivity. Pros Affordable smartphone Cons No 3G, not many apps available to download

55% SAMSUNG GALAXY MINI

8,990 On the front of the phone is a small 3.1-inch touchscreen, which has a responsive capacitive touchscreen. It runs on Androids Froyo version, and has Samsungs own interface, TouchWiz 3.0. The Galaxy Mini has a small battery (1200mAh), and gives an average call time at three hours and 32 minutes. Overall call quality is fairly standard. The phone comes with a music player and FM radio. The phone has a 3Mp camera. This is quite basic and lacks an autofocus or flash, though it comes with features like smile shot, panorama and geo-tagging. Picture quality is okay. It should be able to access the internet at high speed thanks to Wi-Fi and HSDPA (3.5G) connections. Pros Budget Android phone Cons Few features, small screen 18
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55% NOKIA C5-03

9,390 The phone is controlled via a 3.2-inch, 360x640 pixel resistive touchscreen. It even has the older Symbian S60, so the OS isnt as slick and fun to use, though it allows you to download apps from Nokias Ovi Store. Sound quality on calls is standard. Clarity does dip a little when theres loud background noise. It comes with a good music player and FM radio. Battery life is impressive, with four hours and 7 minutes of talktime at medium reception levels. Theres a reasonable 5Mp camera. This lacks an autofocus or a flash and has few photographic features. The C5-03 can browse the internet via HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi. Pros Affordable smartphone, good music player Cons Resistive touchscreen, old operating system

52% VODAFONE SMART 858

6,500 This budget smartphone runs on the Android OS (version Froyo). The device is let down by a weak processor and small and slow touchscreen display. The phone has a small 1,200mAh battery, but it gave us a fair five hours and 15 minutes of calls. Sound quality on calls is average in good conditions, but it struggled during calls with loud background noise. On the back of the phone is a very basic 2Mp camera, with no autofocus or flash, but there are handy links to upload snaps to Facebook, Picassa and Twitter. The music player is pretty basic too. The phone can surf the web at high speeds thanks to its Wi-Fi and HSDPA connections. Pros Budget smartphone, unique personalisation Cons Basic camera, weak processor
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BRAND SPECIFICATION
DIMENSIONS (hxwxw) (cm)

OPERATING SYSTEM

30,000 and more 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 APPLE iPhone 4S (16GB) SAMSUNG Galaxy SII MOTOROLA Razr XT910 SAMSUNG Galaxy note SAMSUNG GALAXY NEXUS BLACKBERRY TORCH 9810 HTC Radar LG Optimus Black HTC Salsa SAMSUNG Wave II SAMSUNG Omnia 7 SAMSUNG Google Nexus S SONY ERICSSON Xperia Mini HTC Wildfire S SAMSUNG Galaxy Ace NOKIA C6-01 SAMSUNG Wave 525 NOKIA C5-03 SAMSUNG Galaxy Mini VODAFONE Smart 858
Which? Right Choice guide

44,134 11.5x5.9x0.9 30,498 12.5x12.5x1 33,990 13.1x6.9x0.7 34,351 12.4x6.3x1.4 29,590 13.6x6.8x0.9 29,990 11.1x6.2x1.5 25,000 12.1x6.2x1.1 22,490 12.2x6.4x1 15,590 11x5.9x1.4 15,810 12.3x6x1.2 17,000 12.2x6.4x1.2 19,500 12.4x6.3x1.4 13,743 8.8x5.2x1.7 13,000 10.1x6x1.3 14,178 11.3x6x1.5 14,979 10.3x5.3x1.5 6,110 9,390 8,990 6,500 11x5.5x1.2 10.6x5.1x1.4 11x6x1.5 10.3x5.7x1.3

iOS Android 2.3 Android 2.3 Android 2.3 Android 4.0 BlackBerry 7.0 Windows Phone 7.5 Android 2.2 Android 2.3 Bada 1.2 Windows Phone 7 Android 2.3 Android 2.3 Android 2.3 Android 2.2 Symbian 3 Bada 1.1 Symbian 60.0 Android 2.2 Android 2.2

***** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

20,000-30,000

15,000-20,000

10,000-15,000

5,000-10,000

20

OVERALL PHONE USE

PRICE ( )

RIGHT CHOICE
TEST PERFORMANCE
MUSIC PLAYER

SCORE%

USING THE TABLE

Right Choices are highlighted in red. The more stars, and higher score, the better.

INTERNET

BATTERY

CAMERA

SPECIFICATION
90 76 74 66 79 77 72 71 72 69 65 63 65 58 57 57 59 57 55 52

***** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** *** *** *** *** *** *** **

**** **** **** *** *** *** *** **** *** **** *** *** **** *** **** **** **** **** *** ***

***** ***** ***** **** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** **** **** **** **** **** ** ** **** *** *** ***

***** ***** ***** **** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** **** ***** *** ***** **** ***** **** *** *****

Price Guide prices as on February 6, 2012. Dimensions Measured in centimetres. Operating system The operating system on which the phone runs.

TEST PERFORMANCE
Overall phone Based on ease of use of the phone; sound quality on calls and the reception in weak signal areas; battery life while talking, using the internet, and on standby; and features of the phone. Camera Quality of photos taken under different light conditions, shutter delay, display quality, and features. Music player Rating based on sound quality of the player, ease of use and features. Internet We rate the internet features available on the phone. Battery Depends on how long the battery lasts and how quickly it recharges.

Which? Right Choice guide

21

MOBILE GUIDE

SURFING THE

INTERNET
Use your phones internet capabilities to its full potential

&

9->@<4;:1? A?A-88E /;::1/@ @; @41 5:@1>:1@ B5- @C; 91@4;0?: ;B1> - 9;.581 <4;:1 ;<1>-@;>I? :1@C;>7, ?A/4 -? EDGE ;> HD&$A, ;> ;B1> 8;/-8 *5-F5 (C5>181?? 5:@1>:1@), 8571 E;A 9-E 4-B1 -@ 4;91.

CONNECTING VIA MOBILE NETWORKS

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CONNECTING VIA Wi-Fi

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22

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE
->;A:0 C1. <-31?, @4;A34 -3-5: @45:3? ->1 59<>;B5:3. !-:E :1C 9;.581 <4;:1? 4-B1 95:5-@A>1 6;E?@5/7? -:0 ?/>;88 C4118?, C4581 @;A/4?/>11: 01B5/1? -88;C E;A @; 9-:5<A8-@1 @41 05?<8-E A?5:3 E;A> 25:31>.

COSTS
-?710 @; 5:<A@ @41 <-??C;>0. (?5:3 E;A> 4;91 5:@1>:1@ /;::1/@5;: 5? A?A-88E 9A/4 2-?@1> @4-: /;::1/@5:3 ;B1> 9;.581 :1@C;>7?. A8?;, E;A C;:I@ .1 A?5:3 A< -:E 0-@- -88;C-:/1 2>;9 E;A> 9;.581 /;:@>-/@. ,;A /-: /4;;?1 @; <-E 2;> 5:@1>:1@ -:0 19-58 -//1?? 15@41> ;: - A?-31 .-?5? ;> 5:/8A010 5: - 9;:@48E .A:081. !;?@ 9;.581 <4;:1 ;<1>-@;>? /4->31 <1> 913-.E@1 (!B) ;2 0-@-, @4;A34 ?;91 -8?; /4->31 .E @41 0-E. 1!B ;2 0-@- 5? 1=A5B-81:@ @; -.;A@ 1534@ :;>9-8 C1. <-31? ;> 200 19-58? C5@4;A@ -@@-/491:@?. '45? 9-E ?;A:0 =A5@1 - 8;@, .A@ ?59<8E 0;C:8;-05:3 - 21C 19-58? C5@4 @E<5/-8 #225/1 -@@-/491:@? /-: =A5/78E A?1 A< E;A> -88;C-:/1.

WEB BROWSERS
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

USING THE INTERNET ABROAD

B1 C->:10 @4-@ 0-@- /;?@? ->1 2-> 45341> 52 E;A A?1 E;A> <4;:1 ;A@?501 I:05- -:0 E;AI>1 A:85718E @; .1 -.81 @; A?1 -:E 0-@.A:081 @4-@ E;A 9-E 4-B1 .;A34@. I:?@1-0, 52 E;A >1-88E :110 @; -//1?? @41 5:@1>:1@ 2>;9 E;A> 9;.581 <4;:1 C4581 ;B1>?1-?, E;A ?4;A80 /;:?501> .AE5:3 - ?<1/5-8 5:@1>:-@5;:-8 0-@- <-/7-31. A .1@@1> 501- 5? @; /;::1/@ @; @41 5:@1>:1@ B5- *5-F5, 52 E;A> 9;.581 <4;:1 4-:0?1@ 4-? @45? 21-@A>1.

DISPLAY AND NAVIGATION

EB1: @4;A34 9;.581 <4;:1 05?<8-E? ->1 31@@5:3 ?4-><1>, C4581 :1C @;A/4 @1/4:;8;3E 4-? -88;C10 9-:A2-/@A>1>? @; 9-D595?1 ?5F1?, @41 05?<8-E? /-:I@ /;9<->1 @; - <>;<1> /;9<A@1> 9;:5@;>. '45? 5? 1?<1/5-88E @>A1 52 E;A 5:@1:0 @; C-@/4 2589? ;:85:1, ?; 5@I? 59<;>@-:@ @; 4-B1 >1-85?@5/ 1D<1/@-@5;:? C41: A?5:3 E;A> 9;.581 <4;:1 @; -//1?? @41 5:@1>:1@. I@ /-: -8?; .1 @>5/7E @; :-B53-@1
Which? Right Choice guide

23

MOBILE GUIDE

TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS

ANDROID
Android is popular with manufacturers because its open source software. Open source means that anyone can help to develop the software, without paying licence fees. This is unlike a closed source operating system such as Windows, which is developed only by Microsoft and its associates. Also, unlike most closed source operating systems, Android is completely free to use, so manufacturers, such as Samsung and HTC, dont have to pay anyone to include it on their phones. Android also sells so well because the smartphones that run it are generally much cheaper than the iPhone, while boasting very similar features. So if youre looking for a

budget smartphone, Android is a good option. The latest version of Android is Ice Cream Sandwich which sees features such as a new look interface, Google+ integration, improved multi-tasking and notifications and face Unlock facial recognition software that can be used to unlock the phone.

WINDOWS PHONE 7
In 2010 Microsoft released Windows Phone 7, which was intended as a dramatic revamp of its smartphone operating system business. Windows Phone 7 is very different from previous versions of Windows Mobile. You wont be able to update a Windows Mobile device to Windows Phone 7 you also wont have access to the Windows Phone 7 app Marketplace from an older Windows Mobile device. Windows Mobile devices are being phased out by Microsoft so if youre looking for a Windowsbased smartphone, get a Windows Phone 7 one, rather than one running Windows Mobile 6.5. Windows Phone 7 offers a much more intuitive and user-friendly experience, bringing Microsofts operating system more in line with the likes of the iPhone and Android.

24

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE
BLACKBERRY OS 7
This newest BlackBerry operating system isnt very different from BlackBerry OS 6 but it does provide a new browser that claims to make web browsing up to 40% faster. Theres a new voice activated search feature and the ability to separate business and personal content with BlackBerry Balance. The OS is easy to use. And while it can download apps from BlackBerry App World, this doesnt offer as much choice as on the more popular operating systems.

iPHONE i0S 5
Apples iOS is the operating system used in all the versions of the iPhone and the iPad and the iPod Touch MP3 players. As a full operating system it can run third party applications and this makes the iPhone a powerful smartphone. Unlike Android OS, iOS isnt available on products outside of Apples range, so if you want to use it you will have to buy an iPhone. iOS gives users access to Apples App Store, which features over 500,000 different apps. It is estimated that 37% of these apps are free and the average price of the remaining apps is `170, and with such a variety available you are sure to find something that interests you.

SYMBIAN (Nokia)
Symbian has been used on nearly all of Nokias smartphones. Symbian has the same functions as other operating systems, like access to an app store, customisable homescreens, widgets, and the ability to sync emails. However, it has been criticised for not being as user-friendly as the iPhones iOS and Android, and for not having as good a selection of apps. The latest version, Symbian^3, is a big improvement from previous Symbian operating systems. It is more responsive and adds customised homescreens. Plus you can access downloads from the Nokia Ovi Store. But it is still not as fun or intuitive to use as Android OS or Apples iOS.

Which? Right Choice guide

25

MOBILE GUIDE

BEST APPs
T, ",4+),a" a+ a--, 5,2 1a- 1&# A-S1,/# '!,+, /,40# !a1#%,/'#0, 1&#+ ",4+),a" '1 1, 5,2/ &a+"0#1. Y,2 !a+ /#a" /#3'#40 a+" 3'#4 0!/##+ 0&,10 #$,/# *a('+% 5,2/ !&,'!#. T, %2'"# 5,2 1,4a/" 1&# #11#/ a--0, 4# /,2+" 2- ,2/ 1,- -'!(0 $/,* #a!&. S,*# a/# -/a!1'!a) a""'1',+0 1&a1 !a+ 0a3# 1'*# ,/ #+#/%5, 4&')# 0,*# 0'*-)5 ,$$#/ a .2'!( "'01/a!1',+ a+" a '1 ,$ $2+.

As well as surfing the web, smartphones can also download software apps

BLACKBERRY
B)a!(B#//5 P/,1#!1 (F/##) '45? -<< /-: @>-/7 - 95??5:3 <4;:1 A?5:3 :1->.E 9;.581 <4;:1 9-?@? -:0 G$&, >19;@18E 8;/7 - 01B5/1 ;> C5<1 5@? 919;>E. W'-F' F')# T/a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

ANDROID
A)!&#*5 (F/##) A 3-91 C41>1 E;A ?@->@ C5@4 2;A> 18191:@? (25>1, 1->@4, -5>, C-@1>) -:0 4-B1 @; />1-@1 :1C 18191:@? .E /;9.5:5:3 @419. Ca/"', T/a'+#/ P/, ( 492) '45? 25@:1?? -<< /-: 9;:5@;> E;A> 1D1>/5?1, 35B1 E;A /-8;>51 5:2;>9-@5;:, -:0 >1/;>0 -88 E;A> C;>7;A@ ?1??5;:?. F,,1-/'+1 (F/##) H'-3I - 8;/-@5;: C5@4 2;;@<>5:@? -:0 @41 :1D@ @591 E;A C-:@ @; 3; @41>1, E;AI88 4-B1 05>1/@5;:? 2>;9 C41>1B1> E;A ->1. Fa!# ,,( (F/##) A//1?? F-/1.;;7 2>;9 E;A> 9;.581 1B1>E .5@ -? 1-?58E -? 2>;9 E;A> 4;91 /;9<A@1>.

iPHONE
O/ '1a) ( 147) A ?59<81, <4E?5/?-.-?10 3-91, ;:1 @;A/4 /;:@>;8?, -8;:3 C5@4

26

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE
@41 ;:1-9;>1-3; 2-/@;>, 91-:? @45? 5? <1>21/@ <4;:1 -//1??;>E 2;> C4585:3 -C-E @4;?1 8;:3 @>-5: 6;A>:1E?. G,,%)# Ea/1& (F/##) G;;381 E->@4 -88;C? E;A @; F;;9 @; -:EC41>1 ;: E->@4 5: ?1/;:0? @; B51C 3D 9-<?, ?-@1885@1 59-31? -:0 >;-0 9-<?. F;> >;A@1 <8-::5:3 -:0 05>1/@5;:?, 5@I? - 9A?@. M5 F'/01 W,/"0 ( 49) '45? 5? - 3>1-@ -<< 2;> 711<5:3 <>1-?/4;;8 /4580>1: 1:@1>@-5:10 C5@4 10A/-@5;:-8 <8-E @4-@ .A580? B;/-.A8->E. F)'%&1 C,+1/,) ( 49) F8534@ C;:@>;8 ?11? E;A 2>-:@5/-88E 05>1/@5:3 -5> @>-225/ @; >A:C-E? ;: - :A9.1> ;2 05221>1:@ 9-<?. D'a #1#0 M#a) P)a++#/ ( 99) '45? -<< /-8/A8-@1? @41 ;B1>-88 G8E/-195/ I:01D (GI) -:0 G8E/-195/ ;-0 (G ) 2;> .;@4 91-8? -:0 0-58E 5:@-71?. '45? 9-71? 5@ 1-?51> @; <>1<->1 41-8@451> 2;;0. X-),"#/ T,2!& (F/##) +<8;01> ';A/4 5? - B1>E -005/@5B1 B501; 3-91 C5@4 <81:@E ;2 81B18?, C45/4 ?59<8E >1=A5>1 E;A @; /4-5: @;31@41> -? 9-:E 1D<8;?5;:? -? <;??5.81.

WINDOWS PHONE
K'+")# (F/##) '41 K5:081 -<< @A>:? E;A> *5:0;C? $4;:1 5:@; -: 1%1-01>, 35B5:3 E;A -//1?? @; 4A:0>10? ;2 2>11 /8-??5/? -? C188 -? -88 @41 8-@1?@ 1.;;7?. S&a6a* E+!,/# ( 295) I2 E;A 41-> - @A:1 E;A 8571, >1/;>0 5@ A?5:3 E;A> <4;:1I? 95/>;<4;:1 -:0 &4-F-9 C588 -:-8E?1 @45? -:0 501:@52E @41 ?;:3. AP M, ')# (F/##) A$ !;.581 0185B1>? :1C? -//;>05:3 @; E;A> 8;/-@5;:, C5@4 /-@13;>51? 5:/8A05:3 .A?5:1?? -:0 ?<;>@. La01 FM (F/## 7 /#.2'/#0 02 0!/'-1',+) -?@ F! -88;C? E;A 85?@1: @; E;A> 2-B;A>5@1 9A?5/ -:0 <8-E >-05; ?@-@5;:? .-?10 ;: E;A> 9A?5/-8 @-?@1.
Which? Right Choice guide

NOKIA
W'('H,4 S2/3'3a) K'1 (F/##) A 3>1-@ ?9->@<4;:1 -<< @4-@ 35B1? E;A 5:2;>9-@5;: -:0 -0B5/1 2>;9 ;B1> 60,000 ->@5/81?. EB1>E@45:3 2>;9 /;;75:3 @5<?, @; 01/;>-@5:3 -0B5/1 -:0 @>-B18 5? 5:/8A010. M, ')# Ma-0 (F/##) G>1-@ 2;> :-B53-@5:3 -:EC41>1 .E /->. I@ 4-? - @A>:-.E-@A>: B;5/1 :-B53-@5;: 21-@A>1 -:0 1B1: ;221>? ?<110 8595@ -0B5/1.

27

MOBILE GUIDE

SMARTPHONE

SECURITY
Read our tips on keeping your mobile phone secure
;C:8;-010 -<<? ->1 @41 1-?51?@ >;A@1 5:@; E;A> <4;:1 2;> 4-/71>?. BE ;:8E .AE5:3 2>;9 @41 0105/-@10 -<< ?@;>1?, -:0 :;@ H6-58.>1-75:3I, ;> ;<1:5:3 A< E;A> <4;:1 2;> :;:->13A8-@10 ?;2@C->1, E;AI>1 -8>1-0E @-75:3 @41 25>?@ ?@1< @;C->0 711<5:3 E;A> <4;:1 ?-21. !;?@ 9-8C->1 ;: <4;:1? /;91? 2>;9 <5>-@10 ?;2@C->1, 0A1 @; 4-/71>? @-75:3 <;<A8-> -<<, -005:3 @415> ;C: 9-85/5;A? /;01 -:0 05?@>5.A@5:3 5@ 2;> 2>11. &; 9-71 ?A>1 E;A 8;;7 2;> @41 ;225/5-8 B1>?5;:?. #2@1:, -2@1> E;A 0;C:8;-0 -: -<< -:0 ;<1: 5@, 5@ 05?<8-E? - <1>95??5;:? ?/>11: C41>1 E;A /-: /;:25>9 C45/4 2A:/@5;:? ;2 @41 <4;:1 @41 -<< 31@? -//1?? @;. *4581 8;@? ;2 -<<? :110 -//1?? @; @45:3? 8571 8;/-@5;:, ->1-? 8571 ?1:05:3 &!& 91??-31? ?4;A80:I@ -8C-E? .1 :11010 -:0 /-: .1 1D<8;5@10 @; >-/7 A< .53 .588? A?5:3 <>195A9 >-@1 :A9.1>?. A8C-E? /41/7 C4-@ ->1-? ;2 E;A> <4;:1 E;A ->1 -88;C5:3 -: -<< @; -//1??. (<0-@1 E;A> ?9->@<4;:1I? #& -? ;2@1: -? E;A /-:, -? @41?1 A?A-88E A<0-@1 @41 5:-

.A58@ ?1/A>5@E ;2 E;A> <4;:1. 'A>: ;22 *5-F5 -:0 B8A1@;;@4 C41: :;@ 5: A?1 -? @41?1 ->1 @C; <;??5.81 >;A@1? 5:@; E;A> <4;:1. '41>1 ->1 ?;91 9;.581 -:@5-B5>A? <-/7-31? ;A@ @41>1 @;; (?11 >534@).'41?1 /-: .1 A?12A8 @; /;9.-@ 9-8C->1. I: -005@5;:, @41>1 ->1 - :A9.1> ;2 <4;:1 8;?? -<<? @4-@ C588 0181@1 -:E ?1:?5@5B1 5:2;>9-@5;: E;A 4-B1 ;: E;A> <4;:1 52 5@ 5? 8;?@ ;> ?@;81:, 95:595?5:3 @41 >5?7 ;2 0-@- @412@.

Most malware on phones comes from pirated software

28

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE
MOBILE SECURITY SOFTWARE
Now you can install security software on to your mobile phone. We tested five at our lab, both for iPhone and Android models. Most are free, but you may have to pay for extra features. We tested for ease of use, exposed them to malware from various sources and looked carefully at their features and claims. block calls and texts and remotely wipe the data if your phones stolen. But it didnt find all the malware we had loaded and it was hard to find which malware it had cleaned. n Norton Mobile Security is free for the Lite version. Like Kaspersky, it failed to detect all malware. If your phone is stolen, you can remotely block the phone with a text message. For `599 a year, the full version enables you to lock the phone, which prevents a thief from replacing the SIM card with another. It also lets you block calls and texts. n Trend Micro Mobile Security claims to scan your phones apps. Its free, but `842 a year adds anti-phishing, parental controls and a lost mobile security features. s n Webroot Secure Anywhere Mobile is the best free software we tested, with antiphishing, remote phone lock, locate device, scream, call and text blocking and anti-malware. The 12.99 (`1,062) one-year version adds remote wiping and SIM card locking.

APPLE iPHONE
n Trend Micro Smart Surfing is free

from the App Store. Like most iPhone apps, its easy to install. Its main function is to prevent phishing attacks by blocking access to websites that claim to be genuine and ask for personal information. It works well and you can modify protection levels. Also free, Webroot SecureWeb Browsers main security element is also an antiphishing feature. It didnt prevent us entering one phishing website, but stopped us entering others. With both apps, you have to browse the web from within the app for it to work. Neither will block you from entering a suspicious website if youre using standard Safari.

ANDROID
n Kaspersky Mobile

Security 9 (costs `599 at retail stores but can be downloaded from the Android market for your Android phone as well) has a wide range of features. You can

Which? Right Choice guide

29

MOBILE GUIDE

BUDGET PHONES
52% NOKIA X3-02
3,809 The X3-02 combines a touchscreen with a keypad. The keys are a decent size but the keypad has a fairly unusual layout, with the space key in the bottom right-hand corner. The phone runs on the Symbian S40 operating system. Sound quality on calls is fairly standard when its quiet, but deteriorated with background noise. Battery life is impressive with over 3.5 hours of talktime on a 3G network, and recharging takes just 1.5 hours. The phone has a 5Mp camera and picture quality is above average. The phone can access the internet thanks to its HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi connections but we found it difficult to use due to the small screen. Pros Reasonably priced Cons Short battery life online, sound quality issues

48% NOKIA C2-01

4,279 The small size means that on-screen icons can be hard to make out. It uses Nokias Symbian S40 operating system basic and easy to set up. Sound quality on calls is OK in good conditions, but it struggled when we tested it with loud background noise. Its battery is decent. We were able to get four hours of calls when we tested it on the 3G network with medium reception levels and recharging takes two hours and 50 minutes. The phone comes with a pretty standard 3.2Mp camera. In good conditions it takes reasonablelooking pictures, and can record functional video. Given its price this 3G phones internet browsing speed is reasonable. Pros 3G connectivity at a budget price Cons Basic video camera, no supplied memory card

30

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE
If youre looking for a budget handset, here are some of the latest models. Their scores may not be exceptional, but, for basic tasks, these phones perform well enough

44% NOKIA C1-01

2,389 This tiny model weighs just 80g. The keys are cramped and the handset creaked as we pressed them. Sound quality on calls is pretty standard. The C1-01 has a very small internal memory of 64MB. Battery life is about average, helped by the fact that the phone only works on the less powerhungry GSM network. We managed three hours and 46 minutes of calls when we tested it with medium reception. The phone has a camera, but this is an extremely basic VGA model (0.3Mp resolution) that lacks an autofocus or flash. Without 3G or Wi-Fi, the Nokia C1-01 can access the internet only through the slower EDGE connection. Pros Cheap, lightweight Cons Poor features, no supplied memory card

42% SAMSUNG CH@T 335

5,140 The full Qwerty keypad is meant to make typing emails and texts quick and easy, but we found the keys a bit small. The simple menu makes it easy to navigate. Sound quality on calls is fairly average. However, the mouthpiece struggled when theres loud background noise. The phone can download apps from the Samsung Apps store, though these are basic. More impressively, it supports push email so you will receive emails straight away, rather than having to check periodically for them. Battery life on calls is impressive 462 minutes, although as the phone lacks 3G connectivity this was tested on the GSM network which uses less power. Pros Affordable, push email system Cons Fiddly keypad, low resolution screen

Which? Right Choice guide

31

MOBILE GUIDE

SAV SAVE A E ON AV

BATTERY
!
There are a number of measures you can take to increase your battery life, particularly with smartphones
n

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INCREASING BATTERY LIFE

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32

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE
SAVE ON YOUR MOBILE BILL
You may be paying far more than necessary just because you havent looked at the most current talk plans from your provider. Most providers will help you choose the best plan for you based on your past usage.

1 2 3 4 5

VISIT YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER

SWITCH SERVICE PROVIDERS

Look at what other providers have to offer. Mobile number portability could be your way to better service.

Dont sign up for value-added services (such as flash messages) you dont need or use to bring down your monthly bill.

6 7 8

CUT OUT VALUE-ADDED SERVICES

SWITCH TO PER-SECOND BILLING

SWITCH TO PREPAID
Monthly rentals have been falling steadily, but prepaid lets you control how much money you spend.

If your calls tend to be short, switch to a package that charges you per second. If your calls are quite long, however, per-minute billing offers cheaper rates overall.

USE THE LANDLINE DONT DOWNLOAD

Its more economical to download that ringtone or wallpaper to your computer and transfer it to your phone. Mobile internet downloads can cost more than regular broadband.

When you have access to a landline, use it. Remember that you get a certain number of free calls on your landline connection every month.

CALL, DONT SMS

Sometimes you can save by having a short conversation instead of sending a stream of messages.

9 10

CALL AT OFF-PEAK HOURS

Some service providers offer low cost plans for calls during off-peak hours.

USE SMS PACKAGES

Why pay per SMS if you can pay less by buying a package? If you text a lot, a lump sum package for SMSes could be a real money saver.

Which? Right Choice guide

33

MOBILE GUIDE

Illustration: Gynelle Alves

MOBILE PHONE

OPERATORS
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

Airtel, Vodafone topped in our 10-city satisfaction survey of mobile service providers, Idea outshone Reliance and Tata

OUR SURVEY
To find out how satisfied Indian mobile phone users are with their service providers, we conducted a 10-city survey in November 2010. Of the 3,024 respondents, 51% were male and 49% female. They were all between the ages of 18 and 51 and had been using a mobile phone for at least a year. We asked if they were satisfied with the network coverage, cost of using the phone, customer service, range of handsets, tariff options, accuracy and ease of understanding bills, and whether they would recommend their provider to a friend. Scores were generated based on their responses.

34

Which? Right Choice guide

RIGHT CHOICE

TOP SCORERS
75% AIRTEL
Airtel was the most used mobile e provider among mong our respondents, with a 29% share. It scored well on coverage, tariff plans and bill accuracy. Those who used it liked it because it offers a wide range of innovative plans. For instance, users can opt for up to two add-on connections, charges for all these numbers are included in a single bill, the activation fee for the add-ons is waived and call rates subsidised useful for parents who want a number for their children. But some respondents said Airtel repeatedly asked them for documents and bombarded them with promotional calls and SMSes.

74% VODAFONE
Vodafone, the operator of choice for 23% of respondents, spondents, had a customer score of 74%. It matched Airtel on network coverage, tariff plans and bill accuracy, but some users said they faced network problems sometimes. Vodafone subscribers said its postpaid plans were hassle-free and it had a large network of stores across India. There are 85 Vodafone mini stores in Delhi and 120 in Mumbai. Mini stores are small branches where you can sign up for a new connection, pay your bills and buy recharge coupons. As well as these, Vodafone also has larger outlets if you need more detailed assistance.

72% IDEA
Idea was the fourth most used mobile provider after r Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance. However, it outshone Reliance, with a customer score of 72%. While it fared well in most criteria, it fell short on the competitiveness of its tariff plans, compared with Airtel and Vodafone. Idea users said it had reasonable international roaming charges and good SMS schemes. For instance, Idea offers an SMS pack for `35, which lets you send 1,500 free local and STD messages in a month. On the downside, some users complained they received unwanted promotional calls from the provider.
Which? Right Choice guide

35

WHICH? RIGHT CHOICE

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