Checklist

If you're in the market for a mobile phone, here are some points to consider.

Reception
If you are going to use the phone in an area where there are weak signals, look closely at reception ratings (these are included in our test results under handset design). Some stores may lend you a test phone to try. You could also ask friends or business colleagues with phones on various networks to see if they can get a signal at your house or work. For phones using the Telecom XT network ask in-store about its reception in rural areas, as some older phones may not work outside urban centres.

The reception of phones with internal aerials is affected by which way the phone is facing (towards a cell site), and whether the user's hand is covering the aerial. So if you're struggling to get a clear signal in a rural location, try turning the phone to face different directions, and make sure your hand doesn't cover the top of the back of the phone.

Battery
Smart phones are known for using a lot of battery power and will require charging much more often than non-smart phones. Battery life can be extended by turning off certain features like GPS and WiFi when not needed.

Ease of use
If you can, try out the phone in a store first to see how easy and intuitive it is to do what you want. Many new phones have touch-screens - although physical keyboards haven't disappeared completely yet. The smaller the phone and bigger your fingers, the harder the touch screen is to use.

Features

Portability
Some of the newer smart phones have very large screens but a slim profile and light weight. Others are quite bulky, so check the dimensions to make sure it's an easy phone for you to hold and carry around.

Cameras
Resolution and general lens/processing quality are improving, but are generally several steps behind dedicated digital cameras. Image quality is usually high enough for posting on the web or making small prints. Just keep in mind that other camera features, such as flash or auto-focus, may be sub-par or non-existent.

Most phones with cameras also offer lower-resolution video recording as well.

Text input options
Predictive text is useful and worth taking the time to learn if your phone only has a small numeric keyboard. Some high-end phones offer full Qwerty keyboards. While the buttons are tiny, it can be faster for punching out texts and emails. Touch-screen devices, such as the iPhone, offer virtual Qwerty-style keyboards.

3G compatibility
3G is the "third generation" of mobile phone technology. 3G technology allows greater transmission speeds, opening the door for multimedia messaging and mobile broadband. All the major telcos offer 3G networks.

Games
The higher connection speeds, large screens and improved memory of modern phones are all the things you need to play increasingly impressive-looking games. However, game quality varies from title to title. If you’re interested in playing games on your phone, try searching the internet for the ones you’re interested in first – it could save you some money.

Browsing/email
Many top-end phones allow internet browsing and sending or receiving email. Keep in mind that the user experience isn’t always pleasant – while some phones have enough processing power to quickly render web pages, others will struggle. If you find this to be the case, try checking to see if your favourite sites have mobile-optimised versions.

Connectivity
Many phones can connect to other devices, such as a PC or other phones, either by wire or wireless (using bluetooth or over a WiFi network). With the right software the phone can share content (music files, photos, text documents) as well as automatically synchronise calendars and address books. Such operations are free: it's the same as copying material from your camera or a CD. But you'll have to pay if you send this information across the mobile network.

Memory
Internal memory (also called dynamic, built-in, or onboard memory) varies widely between handsets. Extra storage capability comes in the form of external memory cards. Memory cards come in many sizes, usually between 512MB and 2GB. Usually phones that can take memory cards are supplied with one. Additional cards can be bought from most electronics retailers.

Mobile phones for trampers

Mobile phones rarely work in the mountains. Almost all of the favourite tramping routes are outside the Telecom and Vodafone coverage area. The best use for a mobile phone when tramping is to let your emergency contact person know you have safely returned to civilisation.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) recommends taking an emergency locator beacon (ELB or EPIRB), mountain radio or satellite phone when tramping. Personal ELBs are lightweight (300g), work anywhere and can be hired from DOC offices in the South Island, outdoor stores around the country, and some tramping clubs (usually to members only). See our Emergency locator beacons report for more information.

Mountain radios are better suited to tramping groups as they are heavier (1.5kg including batteries), and need a 40 metre long aerial for effective communication. Satellite phones are expensive to buy or hire.

Buying advice

Mobile phones can be bought directly from network websites or from a variety of licensed retailers. Shop around – deals are often available.

TradeMe usually has dozens of phones for sale, most of which are offered by individuals or parallel importers. If you buy from this source, consider what sort of help you would get if something goes wrong. Private sellers are not covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act, and although the law does apply to commercial sellers, if they're not at a physical address near you it may be hard to get the law enforced or get a broken phone repaired.