Ultimate Guide to Mobile Broadband by BSA

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MOBILE BROADBAND 01

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03 THE BASICS

Introduction to mobile broadband

04 PLUG AND PLAY

Get online in no time with a USB dongle

05 SPEED test

Real life test for downloads on the go

06 the perfect package Which is the correct price plan for you?

07 network tariffs

A complete list of all mobile broadband packages

10 TOP 3.5G MOBILES

Editor Jon Corke Designer Nik Byrne Published by ÂŠ2008 Clark White Publishing Ltd Editorial offices What Mobile, 3rd floor, 102-108 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5SA Editorial / Advertising 020 7324 3500

A hand-picked selection of the latest high-speed data handsets 10 NOKIA N95 8GB HTC S730 SAMSUNG G800 11 SONY ERICSSON K660i NOKIA N82 LG U990 VIEWTY 12 TOSHIBA G910 SONY ERICSSON W890i MOTOROLA Z10

A printed version of this guide is supplied free with Volume 16: Issue 6 of What Mobile magazine, on sale Thursday 1st May 2008

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MOBILE BROADBAND INTRODUCTION

BROADBAND ON THE MOVE Welcome to the world of mobile broadband. If your head hurts at the mere mention of mobiles and megabits, don’t despair, once you’ve read this guide you’ll be a high-speed data whiz. Here’s a brief explanation of the basics…

How does it compare to my home broadband? Mobile broadband isn’t quite as fast as a fixed-line connection, but it’s catching up very quickly and could surpass home services within a few years. A typical home broadband service offers anything between 2Mbps and 8Mbps, whereas HSDPA currently peaks at 7.2Mbps (with the potential to double to 14.4Mbps by the end of 2008). Vodafone currently offers potential top speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, T-Mobile and Orange offer up to 3.6Mbps, 3 comes in at 2.8Mbps and O2 1.8 Mbps. However it must be noted that the maximum rates quoted are merely theoretical; in practice these are unrealistic and the actual rates you achieve will be significantly lower. What are the benefits? The most obvious advantage of mobile broadband is that you can access the Internet whilst on the move, so it’s a great option for people who travel around or those who have a long commute to work. Different types of user are catered for; heavy users can pay a monthly rate for a substantial data allowance, while occasional users who don’t want to be tied down to a contract

What is mobile broadband? Mobile broadband describes a method of accessing the Internet from portable devices without wires and at high speeds. Users can get a fast web connection from any location at any time of day, as long as they are in range

of the mobile network’s turbo 3G signal. It’s available in two forms; on advanced mobile phones or on laptops connected to a USB stick or modem. How does it work? Each mobile broadband device

contains a special SIM-card that connects to the mobile phone network via HSDPA (High-speed Downlink Packet Access). This is an advanced 3G protocol (often referred to as 3.5G) that enables fast download speeds when browsing the Internet.

can take up a prepay option. What are the downsides? You will need to be in an area of good network coverage to achieve decent download speeds and the rate will suffer if lots of users attempt to access the service at the same time. Mobile broadband users are also reliant on a strong battery in their portable device! Finally, beware of using the service abroad as the data charges can be very costly – check with your operator before you travel. How much does it cost? Each of the five major UK networks offer a range of contract and prepay deals for their USB solutions, targeted at both casual and heavy users. These will include a monthly download limit, giving you a certain data allowance for downloading content such as music and videos. The higher the limit, the more it costs! For full details of all current mobile broadband price plans see our tariff guide on p10. Each network also offers a selection of HSDPA-enabled mobile phones and related tariffs, with data packages for cheaper web browsing. Check out our top handsets on p16.

INSTANT EXPERT In a hurry? Read our quick five-point guide and get clued up before you can say “let’s make the jump to hyperspace”.

Mobile broadband is a service that allows users to browse the web at super fast speeds on the move.

The technology that empowers mobile broadband is HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access). It is often referred to as 3.5G.

It is available in two forms: on a suitably equipped mobile or on a laptop linked to a USB dongle containing a high-speed SIM card.

Data speeds on offer now range from 1.8Mbps to 7.2Mbps; fast enough to rival fixed-line services in your home. This will rise to 14.4Mbps soon.

All five major UK networks currently provide USB solutions for laptop users and a range of mobile broadband handsets, with specific tariffs geared towards both heavy and casual users.

MOBILE BROADBAND USB SOLUTIONS

PLUG AND PLAYTIME With a mobile broadband USB stick or modem you can be surfing the net in seconds – just plug it into your laptop and away you go! USB stick / dongle The simplest of the two devices, this plugs directly into any USB port on your laptop. A slot on the rear holds the network SIM card. In most cases the dongle also contains the software required for it to work on a PC or Mac. A coloured light on the side indicates your current status coverage.

USB modem This works in exactly the same way as the USB stick, the only difference being it’s slightly larger and connects to your laptop via a supplied USB cable. It too contains the high-speed SIM card and features a coloured status light.

Getting started... The first time you plug the USB device into a PC or Mac you will need to go through a quick installation process, which simply involves following the on screen prompts. This only needs to be done once. Within a few minutes you’ll be ready to surf the Internet.

NETWORK OFFERINGS 3 3 has the broadest range of mobile broadband options and also offers the most competitive prices. It has a selection of USB modems and USB sticks available, with tariffs starting at just £10 per month. For a promotional period in May 2008 existing 3 customers can get a bargain rate, with fifty percent off the 18 and 24 month tariffs. 02 O2 was the final UK network to market, launching its mobile broadband service in spring 2008. It’s available to new or existing O2 customers only, offering a USB stick with just one contract and one prepay tariff. Users do however get free Wi-Fi from 7,500 hotspots in the UK, thanks to O2’s association with provider The Cloud.

WE 3 SKINS

Think your modem’s a bit dull? Jazz it up with one of these funky stickers in a variety of designs. www.threeskins.com

Orange Orange has been strangely quiet about its mobile broadband proposal, offering a single USB stick with its Internet Everywhere

package, only available in selected high street stores. It also includes a certain amount of Wi-Fi minutes.

MOBILE BROADBAND JARGON BUSTER 3G Third generation mobile network offering fast data transfer speeds over a wide area.

T-Mobile T-Mobile has reworked its popular Web ‘n’ Walk price plans for mobile broadband users, offering a massive 10GB data allowance per month as part of its top package. It’s the only network to offer the service on a daily basis, charging casual users £4 for each day of usage.

Kbps (Kilobits-per-second) Denotes rate of data transfer. 1000 kilobytes = 1 megabyte.

Vodafone With a theoretical top speed of 7.2Mbps, Vodafone offers the fastest potential speed in the UK and backs this up with decent coverage in major cities and airports. It has a good range of price plans, with roaming options for those who want to browse on their laptops outside of the UK.

Bluetooth A common mode of short range wireless data transfer between devices.

To find out the best mobile broadband package for you, see our comprehensive network tariff guide starting p8.

TRAVEL WARNING Travelling web surfers beware! If you use your laptop to access the Internet abroad you could face some hefty data charges on your next bill, because most of the UK price plans do not include international roaming as part of the data allowance. Of the UK networks Vodafone offers the best international solutions; it includes a travel allowance with some of its tariffs

and charges a fixed rate (£9.99) for a single day’s usage abroad. If you are planning to take your laptop and dongle abroad, be sure to check data costs with your operator before you leave the country. The network will also be able to tell you which foreign service providers it has roaming agreements with, enabling the cheapest possible data rates.

Mbps (Megabits-per-second) Denotes rate of data transfer. These are the maximum speeds achievable from mobile devices: GPRS – up to 56Kbps 3G – up to 384Kbps HSDPA – up to 7.2Mbps

GPRS (General Packet Radio System) Standard data transfer service for GSM mobiles. Often referred to as 2.5G. HSDPA (High-speed Downlink Packet Access) Advanced third generation protocol offering faster data download speeds and higher capacity. Also referred to as 3.5G. HSUPA (High-speed Uplink Packet Access) As above but concerning upload speeds. Not yet available in the UK. WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) Open standard enabling access to simplified Internet sites from a mobile phone. Wi-Fi Wireless technology enabling Internet access over a local network. Also referred to as WLAN or 802.11g.

MOBILE BROADBAND SPEED TEST

USB SPEED TEST

TEST 1: THE CITY

Download a 8MB video clip

Fixed

59s

Vodafone

68s

Orange

OPTIMUM DOWNLOAD RATES (Mbps) These are the officially quoted top speeds that each network currently offers. However they should be taken with a large pinch of salt; in reality the maximum rates are unattainable and the actual speeds you achieve will be much lower.

Download a 6MB mp3 track

Vodafone

T-Mobile

O2*

Orange

3.6 3.6 1.8

83s

TEST 3: HEATHROW

Fixed

2.8

Orange

VERDICT Nearby our Farringdon office Vodafoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rate was the quickest, with Orange lagging behind in last place.

7.2

* Increasing to 3.6Mbps June 1st 2008 Disclaimer: It must be noted that this is a one-off example and by no means a definitive test. The rates we achieved were subject to a variety of factors and results will differ depending on where you are in the country and the time of day. Other determining factors include your distance from the nearest network base station and the number of users accessing the network at the same time. This test should be viewed as an isolated example for illustrative purposes.

3 T-Mobile Orange O2

15s

62s

Just how fast is mobile broadband? And how does it compare to fixed-line broadband speeds that you might get at home? We decided to find out by conducting three speed tests with network USB sticks at different locations in London, then comparing the results to our office ADSL 8MB connection.

Download a 4MB PDF file

T-Mobile

53s

T-Mobile

TEST 2: WEST END

Fixed

29s

Vodafone

23s 35s 39s 41s 46s 52s

VERDICT Finally we braved the chaos at Heathrow airport, which gave the best average rates across the board.

28s 30s 35s 39s 48s

VERDICT Into Soho now and T-Mobile just pips 3 into first place. All times are still well behind the fixed-line rate.

TRACK YOUR OWN BROADBAND RATE For a quick way of checking the current download and upload speeds for your device in your local area, check out www.speedtest.net. This website offers a free broadband speed test for locations worldwide and allows users to compare and share results with others.

MOBILE BROADBAND TARIFFS

FIND THE PERFECT MOBILE BROADBAND PACKAGE Choosing the correct mobile broadband tariff can be a real minefield, with lots to consider – such as how much data you need and how many months to sign up for. Follow our flow chart to find the best package for you

Would you still like to pay on a monthly basis? NO

YES

T-Mobile Web’n’Walk Plus Daily £99.99 + £4 per day

How much data do you require each month? up to

1GB

3 Broadband PAYG £69.99 + £10/month

up to

3GB

3 Broadband PAYG £69.99 + £15/month

up to

7GB

3 Broadband PAYG £69.99 + £25/month

1GB

3GB

5GB

7GB

How long do you want to sign up for?

How long do you want to sign up for? 12

months

3 Broadband Lite £49.99 + £10/month

18/24

months

3 Broadband Lite £10/month

months

3 Broadband Plus £15/month

months

Vodafone 5GB Mobile Broadband £59 + £25/month

How long do you want to sign up for?

months

10GB

How long do you want to sign up for?

YES

Do you want to sign up to a monthly contract?

How much data do you require each month?

START > HERE

months

T-Mobile Web’n’Walk Max £44/month

Vodafone 5GB Mobile Broadband £25/month

Vodafone 5GB Mobile Broadband £19 + £25/month

T-Mobile Web’n’Walk Max £35/month

How long do you want to sign up for? 12

months

T-Mobile Web’n’Walk Plus £15/month

3 Broadband Max £25/month

3 Broadband Plus £15/month

months

3 Broadband Max £25/month

Turn the page for a complete list of mobile broadband tariffs from each network >>

MOBILE BROADBAND TARIFFS

NETWORK TARIFFS

Orange Price Plan & Data Allowance

Contract

USB modem USB stick

£/month

Internet Everywhere 3GB + 250 UK Wi-Fi minutes

24 months

N/A

FREE

£15

12 months

N/A

£19.99

£29

N/A

£TBA

N/A

Price Plan & Data Allowance

Contract

USB modem USB stick

£/month

Web ‘n’ Walk Plus 3GB fair use (excluding VoIP)

24 months

FREE

£15

12 months

FREE

£29

Web ‘n’ Walk Max 10GB fair use (excluding VoIP)

24 months

FREE

£9.99

£35

12 months

FREE

£19.99

£44

N/A

£99.99

N/A

Price Plan & Data Allowance

Contract

USB modem USB stick

£/month

3GB Mobile Broadband 3GB (£15/GB thereafter) £9.99 per day abroad

24 months

FREE

£39

£15

18 months

£59

£79

£15

12 months

£99

N/A

£15

5GB Mobile Broadband 5GB fair use £9.99 per day abroad

24 months

FREE

£25

18 months

£19

£39

£25

12 months

£59

N/A

£25

Mobile Broadband Travel 5GB fair use 200MB included for roaming

24 months

FREE

£111.63

18 months

£49

£111.63

12 months

£99

£111.63

Mobile Broadband (no contract) 3GB (£20). Then £15/GB. Valid for 30 days. £9.99 per day abroad

N/A

£99

N/A

Internet Everywhere Daily £7 per day. 1GB fair use.

A comprehensive listing of all current UK mobile broadband price plans

T-Mobile 3 Price Plan & Data Allowance

Contract

USB modem USB stick

£/month

Broadband Lite 1GB (10p/MB thereafter)

24 months

FREE

£29.99

£10

18 months

FREE

£49.99

£10

12 months

£49.99

£99.99

£10

24 months

FREE

£15

18 months

FREE

£29.99

£15

12 months

FREE

£49.99

£15

24 months

FREE

£25

18 months

FREE

£25

12 months

FREE

£29.99

£25

N/A

£69.99

N/A

Broadband Plus 3GB (10p/MB thereafter)

Broadband Max 7GB (10p/MB thereafter)

Broadband Pay As You Go 1GB (£10), 3GB (£15), 7GB (£25) Valid for one month. Then £1/MB.

(O2 customers only)

Price Plan & Data Allowance

Contract

USB modem USB stick

£/month

O2 Mobile Broadband contract 3GB + unlimited Wi-Fi (The Cloud)

18 months

N/A

FREE

£20

O2 Mobile Broadband prepay 3GB (£20) Valid for one month.

N/A

£119.99

N/A

Web ‘n’ Walk Plus Daily £4 per day of use. 3GB fair use.

Vodafone

Advertisement feature

Mobile U-Life Mobile Broadband Brings You Potential Value Growth According to the latest research by Informa, the mobile broadband service industry is about to experience tremendous growth worldwide over the next five years. The service revenues of mobile broadband will also balloon to more than $400 billion USD by 2012 In this industry, “Mobile broadband service revenues will represent close to half of total revenues in 2012, making it one of the largest and most strategically important segments of the mobile industry.” says Mike Roberts, Principal Analyst at Informa.

Mobile Broadband — the Key to the 3G World According to the data from GSA, from 2006 to 2007, a total of 403 models of mobile broadband products have been released worldwide by just 80 suppliers. .Modems/PC cards account for

Advertisement feature

Huawei — the Best Choice for Mobile Broadband Services

Based on its in-depth understanding of operators’ requirements, Huawei adopts flexible customization strategies to provide customers with tailored end-to-end mobile broadband products and solutions.

Informa reports that non-SMS data revenue increased an astonishing $ 3.2 billion USD from Q1 2006 to Q1 2007. One third of the global mobile broadband revenue comes from such non-SMS data services. Mobile broadband has been a huge contributor to profit increase point in the 3G era. Huawei offers the best options for operators to carry out their mobile broadband services to the market. Huawei provides terminal products to 235 operators in 115 countries around the world, partnering with 31 of the world’s top 50 operators, including Vodafone, T-mobile and Orange to name a few.

Currently, Huawei mobile broadband series cover multiple bands, standards and product forms, ranging from data cards (PCMCIA interface and Express interface), USB modems, USB sticks to FMC products.

40% of such products, with wireless routers accounting for 10%, and phone/consumer devices accounting for 50%. It is estimated that by the end of the year 2008, the total number of HSDPA products will exceed 56 million. Statistics from another credible source indicate that 85 countries have already established 195 HSDPA networks, which demonstrates massive capacity for growth in the market. The industry’s exponential growth is further reflected in the growth of its mobile broadband subscribers, which grew by 90% annually from 2004 to 2007. In 2007, average monthly growth of WCDMA subscribers was over 6.6 million alone. And by the year 2010, the total number of mobile broadband subscribers will be over 600 million.

Huawei maintains a strong level of cooperation with Vodafone, the world’s biggest mobile operator. In China, Huawei is the largest supplier of wireless network cards to China Unicom. With innovative services, Huawei is dedicated to help the operators increase the ARPU, develop user groups and expand brand awareness, not to mention being a key factor in Huawei winning the favor of its operators.

With the implementation of wide-covered networks, sharply-rising user groups, and creative terminal products, the advantages of mobile broadband versus fixed broadband are becoming increasingly apparent. Mobile operators can now provide the benefits of fixed broadband services through mobile broadband to fulfill more efficient and user friendly applications. Mobile broadband will soon be the medium of choice to access the 3G world.

Focusing on persistent innovation of mobile broadband products, applications, and services, Huawei offers value to its customers’ endeavors. With its combination of core technology, proven quality management structure, strict cost control and detailed after-sales service system, Huawei provides cost-effective mobile broadband products with high-quality.

Innovation — Excellent Quality Trusted by Customers Worldwide

In 2007, Huawei mobile broadband achieved wide-range market coverage in Europe, America and Japan., To date, Huawei has sold over eight million units of mobile broadband products with a market share of 43%, achieving the ranking of No.1 on a global basis. Never resting on past accomplishments and always customer-oriented, Huawei will strive to further strengthen its cooperation with its operators. To keep its ideas fresh, Huawei continues to listen to its customers in order to better understand and meet their needs as well as to produce mobile broadband products that are not only user friendly in nature but are also fashion forward in design.

MOBILE BROADBAND HSDPA HANDSETS

SPEEDING FINE

HTC S730

TOP SMART This is a business-oriented smartphone designed for busy professionals on the move, with an intelligent design that features a full slide-out keyboard for speedy typing of emails and text messages. Entertainment isn’t entirely overlooked, thanks to a 2-megapixel camera, multimedia player and Stereo Bluetooth. Running on Windows Mobile

Here we feature nine of What Mobile’s favourite 3.5G handsets, each with HSDPA for Internet browsing at breakneck speed. If swift surfing is an important factor in your mobile experience, one of these phones is for you

NOKIA N95 8GB

BLACK BEAUTY The N95 8GB is one of What Mobile’s most highly-rated smartphones and there’s very little this device can’t do. It has a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, integrated GPS and SatNav software, an excellent multimedia player and Wi-Fi for wireless browsing. It looks the part too, in a sleek black casing with a huge screen and dual-slide system. With a colossal eight gigabytes of internal memory you can download plenty of music and videos without worrying about storage space. Nokia’s web browser features a clever ‘Mini Map’ solution; it displays a thumbnail of the full page enabling you to zoom in and out to find the section you want. You can view sites in either portrait or landscape view, instantly upload photos to Flickr.com and share your thoughts and activities with the world via Nokia’s Lifeblog software. The N95 8GB will satisfy the needs of the most ardent mobile web addict. www.nokia.co.uk

KILLER FEATURES • 5-megapixel camera • 3x optical zoom • Stereo speakers Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

This portable powerhouse is truly at the top of its game

6, it comes equipped with a full suite of Microsoft Office Mobile applications allowing you to download, view and edit documents, and includes a version of Internet Explorer Mobile. A cut-down version of the popular desktop software, IE Mobile allows you to sync favourites saved on your PC. www.htc.com/uk

KILLER FEATURES • Auto-sliding keyboard • Wi-Fi • Stereo Bluetooth

Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

Intelligent, compact and stylish - like a mini computer on the move

SAMSUNG G800

SHARP SHOOTER As the distinction between mobiles and cameras becomes increasingly blurred, Samsung has produced a handset that could easily be mistaken for a highend digital compact. The G800 not only looks the part with its brushed silver finish and sliding lens cover, it also produces images of stunning quality. With 5-megapixels, autofocus and an

KILLER FEATURES • 5-megapixel camera • 3x optical zoom • Stereo speakers

unrivalled 3x optical zoom, this is one of the best cameraphones out there. Captured images and videos can be directly uploaded to shozu.com in an instant. Web browsing capabilities are strong too, thanks to the NetFront browser that can deliver pages in a ‘smart-fit’ scrollable format on the decent sized screen. uk.samsungmobile.com

Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

Top-notch imaging capabilities and great multimedia options

MOBILE BROADBAND HSDPA HANDSETS

SONY ERICSSON K660i

NOKIA N82

MULTIMEDIA MAGIC

SIDE SURFER

A powerful smartphone with stacks of multimedia features such as a 5-megapixel camera, GPS navigation and N-Gage gaming, the N82 packs a punch. It offers high-quality VGA video recording, together with a dedicated video centre that hooks into online services such as YouTube, enabling you to stream or upload movie clips with ease.

A built-in accelerometer switches the display format when you tip the phone on its side, allowing for landscape browsing on the 2.4-inch display. It has the same ‘Mini Map’ feature as on the N95 8GB, together with a virtual mouse cursor. The tiny keypad buttons won’t suit everyone, but this is a top device. www.nokia.co.uk

KILLER FEATURES • 5-megapixel camera • Wi-Fi • Built-in GPS

Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

Not the best looking but a formidably capable smartphone

A sophisticated and elegant candy-bar, the K660i offers decent all-round functionality with a 2-megapixel camera, multimedia player and 3D gaming. Yet the main focus here is the mobile internet and the handset is clearly customised for mobile surfing.

KILLER FEATURES • Horizontal browsing • RSS desktop widgets • Video blogging Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

The improved NetFront browser is intuitive to use and encourages landscape browsing to make the most of the smallish phone display; the screen automatically aligns itself in horizontal mode and the positioning of the onscreen function buttons (eg. Back, Select and Options) changes accordingly. There’s four dedicated keyboard shortcuts for zoom, home, favourites and text input, each with its own coloured icon. The K660i has multitasking capabilities, enabling you to make and receive phone calls at the same time as downloading files. Sony Ericsson has also teamed up with blogger.com to enable simple uploading of pictures and movie clips to your own personal blog site, completing an attractive web package. www.sonyericsson.com/uk

Targeted at mobile web surfers for the ultimate in connectivity

LG KU990 VIEWTY

TOUCH OF CLASS This touchscreen model is loaded with a 5-megapixel SchneiderKreuznach camera that features autofocus and a powerful Xenon flash, making it highly capable at capturing photographs in all lighting conditions. Yet the most impressive feature is its high frame rate video capture (120 frames per second), enabling recorded videos to be played

KILLER FEATURES • 5-megapixel camera • Touchscreen interface • Slow motion video

back in slow motion for artistic effects. Home movies can then be uploaded directly to YouTube via the quick post option. Dominating the front is a large, three-inch display; it’s optimised for fast web browsing and makes a good job of resizing web pages to fit. With stylish innovations this is an impressive model. uk.lgmobile.com

Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

Impressive touchscreen device with YouTube video uploading

MOBILE BROADBAND HSDPA HANDSETS

TOSHIBA G910

MOTOROLA Z10

FILM STAR

WORKERS PLAYTIME

For budding film makers looking to shoot some footage and upload it instantly to the Internet, the Z10 is a smart option. It comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera complete with video recording at an impressive 320x240 pixels resolution and 30 frames per second. There’s a handy set of tools for editing your mini masterpieces, which can then be

KILLER FEATURES • Windows Mobile 6 Pro • Fingerprint security • 3-inch VGA touchscreen Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

shared with friends online at the click of a button. The Z10 is based upon an easyto-use UIQ interface and features a kick-slide opening mechanism so the phone shapes the contours of your cheek during calls. Sky+ users will love the superb Sky Anytime application that enables remote recording of TV shows. www.hellomoto.co.uk

KILLER FEATURES • Kick-slide mechanism • 3.2-megapixel camera • Sky anytime application

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

Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

Chic looks, an innovative design and packed with features

SONY ERICSSON W890i

WALK THE TALK A device aimed at the professional user, Toshiba’s G910 looks like a mini laptop with a full QWERTY keyboard and flip design. It behaves like a laptop too, running on Windows Mobile 6 Professional and offering a full suite of Microsoft Office applications, including Powerpoint, Word and Excel, with the ability to view and edit documents. Push email is also supported, as is Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity. The inner 3-inch VGA screen is touch sensitive and can display lots of information from web pages on the

excellent Opera browser, with limited scrolling required, making internet surfing a pleasurable experience. One bonus feature that might make you feel like a secret agent is the biometric fingerprint reader, enabling security for all the content on the device. The addition of entertainment features such as a 2-megapixel camera and Windows Media Player, plus a highly sensitive GPS receiver means it’s not all work, work, work. www.toshibamobile.co.uk

Enjoy both business and pleasure on this powerful multi-tasker

If you’re looking to download lots of music at lightning speeds, the slimline W890i could be the handset for you. A dedicated PlayNow icon on the desktop enables instant access to an online arena packed with tunes and games. The handset features the latest version of Sony Ericsson’s excellent Walkman software, with

KILLER FEATURES • Walkman music player • Stylish slimline design • SensMe mood playlists

SenseMe software enabling userdefined playlists based on mood. Sound quality has an extra depth thanks to MegaBass and stereo widening, while data storage isn’t an issue with the supplied 2GB memory card. The screen is a tad small for decent surfing on the NetFront browser, but this phone rocks! www.sonyericsson.com/uk

Usability Performance Web browsing Overall

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

A lovely slender design and awesome music features to boot

MOBILE BROADBAND PHONE AS MODEM

YOUR PHONE AS A MODEM

ON A MAC (via Bluetooth)

MOBILE WIFI ROUTER

WMWiFiRouter This is a handy piece of software that enables your Windows Mobile device to become a Wi-Fi access point, sharing its connection with a number of others devices in the local area. All you need is a WM6 device with Wi-Fi, such as the HTC S730 (right), and 15MB of system memory. Cost: €20 www.wmwifirouter.com

2 2) On your Mac choose Set up Bluetooth Device from the Bluetooth item on the menu bar. The Bluetooth Setup Assistant will open. Click Continue and select Mobile phone as device type. 3) Your Mac will search for mobile phones. When you see your device’s name on the list select it and hit Continue. Then hit Continue again. 4) A passkey will appear on screen. You will need to enter this on your phone when prompted and click Yes on your phone to accept connection requests. 5) Check the boxes to Access the Internet... and Use a direct... on the Mac and hit Continue.

ON A PC (via USB cable)

1) Turn on Bluetooth on your N95 8GB and ensure visibility is set at Shown to all.

You can make the most of your phone’s speedy data abilities by connecting it to a laptop and using it as a modem. Just watch out for those enormous data charges! Here’s how it’s done on a PC and Mac with a Nokia N95 8GB.

1) Install Nokia PC Suite onto your laptop. 2) Open the application and click on connect a phone at the top left. 3) In the list of connection types, select Cable connection. Then click Next. Plug in the USB cable when prompted. 4) When asked for a connection mode on your handset, select PC suite. 5) Return to the main menu of Nokia PC Suite on your PC and click the Connect to the Internet icon. 6) You will automatically connect to the web within seconds. You can close the connection by clicking Disconnect.

4 6) For GPRS CID String enter *99#. In the Modem Script menu select Nokia Infrared. Click Continue. The Bluetooth pairing process is now complete. 7) In the Mac’s menu bar, click on the modem icon. Ensure Bluetooth is selected and hit Connect. 8) You should now be connected. To disconnect, click on the modem icon and select Disconnect.

GET THE DOWNLOAD! Make the most of the high-speed link on your handset with our top three made-for-mobile download entertainment services

Grab a goal

24-7 Football See the big match highlights on your mobile before they’re on the telly with Sky’s excellent football package. You can watch Premiership and Champions League goals whilst the match is being played (except on Saturday afternoons) and get a round-up after the final whistle. Plus match previews and video clips of archive footage. Cost £5/month or 50p a clip Availability all networks www.24-7football.co.uk

CATCH A CLIP

YouTube mobile The world’s favourite video sharing website is now available in mobile format. You can browse and search for millions of videos on the move, with the ability to watch favourite videos, rate clips and make comments. Users can also upload their own captured video clips from their mobile to the site. Get involved! Cost Free Availability all networks m.youtube.com

TAKE A TUNE

Dual music downloads Want to get the latest songs on your mobile? Each of the five major UK networks offer a music download service for its customers, with the ability to purchase a track on your mobile and download it to a PC at no extra cost. The services are compatible with most current handsets; check with your network for details. £/track No. of songs 3Musicstore £1.29p 1 million musicstore.three.co.uk Napster on O2 99p 5 million www.o2.co.uk/napster Orange Music Store 99p Not specified jukebox.orange.co.uk T-Mobile Jukebox £1 1.5 million www.music.t-zones.co.uk Vodafone Music Store 99p 1 million www.vodafonemusic.co.uk