Clear Answers for Common Questions

A cell phone holster is a device used to carry and protect cellular phones. Typically, it allows the user to attach the cell phone to his or her belt or at the top of the pants. The phone fits snugly inside the holster, which usually contains a flap that goes ...

Ringbacks are segments of songs that are used with cell phones. When a person calls someone with ringbacks, he or she hears a song the cell phone subscriber specifically programmed for that caller. Instead of hearing the traditional ring while waiting for the person to answer the phone, the caller ...

A WiFi® phone uses wireless Internet technology to make phone calls. There are designated areas in some cafes and public areas known as hotspots where people can use WiFi® devices, including phones. Providing there are no obstructions and depending on the amount of people using the hotspot, the ...

BitPim is a free, open-source software program designed to allow users to perform various functions to personalize cell phones bearing the Qualcomm CDMA chipset. For example, people can use this program and the proper cable to upload a ringtone they have created on their computers directly to phone without ...

A monophonic ringtone is a type of ringtone that is only capable of playing one sound at a time. Ringtones are the sounds cell phones make when a person calls the cell phone subscriber. These ringtones can be modified and personalized in such a way that a specific ringtone sounds ...

A polyphonic ringtone is a cell phone ringtone in which more than one note of a song are played at the same time. It can offer a more complex sounding song than the monophonic ringtone, because it allows harmony, instead of a single line of music. If your cell phone ...

A SIM card is the portable memory chip that serves as the “brain” of your cell phone. Its main function is to connect to your carrier’s wireless network, while also holding your phone number, address book, settings, and text messages. The “SIM” in SIM card stands for “Subscriber Identity ...

Mobile phone spam is alternately called SMS spam or m-spam, and is an abuse of the text messaging services most people receive with their mobile phone. Most people who own a cell phone are already quite familiar with this type of spam. Such spam usually comes in the form ...

A hybrid cell phone plan provides a third option for those who don't quite fit into the standard monthly rate plan or the pay as you go plan. A hybrid plan has some advantages from each that just might suit you better than either of the other two. The ...

Whisper mode is a cellular phone setting available on many phones and headsets produced by Samsung Mobile. By amplifying the power of the phone’s microphone, it allows the speaker to talk more quietly, while still being heard and understood by the person on the receiving end of the call ...

A "pay as you go" cell phone plan is one in which some amount of credit must be purchased before the phone is used. This credit can be used until it expires or runs out, at which point the phone owner must buy more. In most cases, this type of ...

A camera phone is a type of mobile phone that is equipped with a small digital camera. Camera phones began to emerge in the early part of the twenty first century, and were originally quite expensive. Improvements in the technology coupled with popular demand made the appearance of mobile phones ...

A Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) phone is a mobile phone capable of Internet connectivity. A WAP phone can be used to do things like check email, send messages, track stocks, access news and sports headlines, or download music. While it cannot deliver the same visually pleasing Internet experience as a ...

Bluetooth® dial-up networking (DUN) refers to getting wireless Internet connectivity on a laptop by using a Bluetooth®-enabled cell phone. Bluetooth® DUN is a good alternative for wireless Internet when there are no local hotspots or wireless access points to provide faster, more efficient access. At ...

Unlocked cell phones are mobile phones that can be used on any GSM network with interchangeable SIM cards. No matter which carrier makes the card, the phone will be able to recognize it and send voice and data over the network. This contrasts with a locked phone, which is bound ...

Everybody loves cell phones. They bring us tremendous convenience, and let us stay in touch no matter where we go. But not everybody loves cell phone plans. Too often, we're surprised at the end of the month with a big overage charge. Traditional cell phone plans require long-term ...

A hands free device is an apparatus used with cell phones that permits the user to talk on the phone without holding it. Through the assistance of this device, the user can let the phone sit in one area while talking into a microphone attached to his or her lapel ...

A cell phone jammer is a device that emits signals in the same frequency range that cell phones use, effectively blocking their transmissions by creating strong interference. Someone using a cell phone within the range of a jammer will lose signal, but have no way of knowing the reason. The ...

A Firefly phone is a mobile phone specially designed for younger kids. The Firefly phone features only five buttons on the faceplate, which are picture-coded and designed to be pre-programmed by parents. The Firefly phone is kid-friendly in design and has a clip for attaching to backpacks ...

SMS is an acronym that stands for Short Message Service, more commonly known in some places as text messaging or "texting." This technology is a way to wirelessly send messages of up to 160 characters between cell phones or other devices. SMS is not the only texting technology, but it ...

A Bluetooth® headset allows a wireless connection between a headset and a Bluetooth®-enabled cell phone. For those who are not completely up with the advancements of technology, Bluetooth® is a rather low-cost means for different devices to communicate with each other via a secure, short ...

The short answer to this question is yes, cellphones can be used for emergency numbers such as 911 or 112 just like regular landlines. However, in some regions of the world including several US states, emergency services have established alternate emergency numbers which people with cellphones can also use, and ...

A high frequency ringtone, known as “Teen buzz” is a tone too high for most adults to hear, making it a popular ringtone for teens who want to evade classroom rules by sending and receiving text messages and other communications in class. Ironically, the high frequency ringtone represents the creative ...

With the growth of the smart phone, mobile phones with Internet connectivity that work like a handheld computer, phone users have also seen the advent of the mobile phone virus. In 2004, the first mobile phone virus, called Cabir, was unleashed, and proved relatively innocuous. The virus form affected phones ...

A GSM phone is a type of mobile phone that uses the Global System for Mobile Communications to send and receive phone calls. This is one of the two main standards for mobile communication in the world, with the other being Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Generally speaking, a GSM ...

Local number portability refers to a policy mandated by the United States Congress that allows consumers to keep their existing phone number at the same location when switching telephone service providers. This policy was originally initiated as a way to remove unnecessary obstacles for service provider companies who wished to ...

Cellphone covers have different purposes: to make the phone durable, to make it fashionable, or, simply, to protect the phone from scratches. Finding the perfect one is a matter of assessing your own needs. Body Gloves Many cellphone covers are fashionable, but not all increase durability. A Body Glove is ...

It isn’t unusual to go to a public place, such as a supermarket, and hear a chorus of competing musical samples. Some are just tones in a sequence, while other samples are actual radio versions of popular songs. Of course, all of these are ring tones for cell phones ...

Many companies offer previously-owned repaired or refurbished mobile phones at a savings off the original price. A phone that is refurbished has been returned by a dealer or customer to the manufacturer due to damage or other reasons. Refurbished cell phones are checked for defects and, if necessary, repaired ...

With growing consumer awareness about electronic waste, many people are unsure of how to dispose of things like old cell phone accessories. Fortunately, there are a number of environmentally friendly ways to get rid of them, and many cell phone providers are happy to provide consumers with recycling information and ...

Buying a refurbished mobile phone can be a good option under certain conditions. Consumers need to take into account the phone's cost, whether it has a warranty, and its functions and capabilities, as well as their own level of comfort with using refurbished goods. Another important point to consider ...

The cellular phone and cordless phone both share a common ancestry. They both served to allow humankind to get up and move while talking on the phone, and both were developed in the 1970s. From that point, however, the two have evolved perpendicularly, each finding a niche in the domestic ...

As unbelievable as it may sound to the Bluetooth®/earbud generation, there was a time when every telephone service subscriber needed a landline. With the rise of mobile communications such as wireless PDAs and cell phones, however, the question of whether or not you need a landline does become ...

It seems that nowadays, everybody has a cell phone. If you want to join the wave but cannot or don't want to sign a binding contract, prepaid cell phones may be the ideal choice. While under a regular contract you are forced to pay a fixed monthly fee, these ...

A cell phone can be an important part of your life, or it can be merely a convenience. How much you use it and for what purpose is up to you. With today’s technological advances, a cell phone can do just about anything you may want to do out ...

Many people love their cell phones and the thought of upgrading is not a pleasant one. They like their phone’s features and ease of use. They don’t want to have to get used to another phone. However, there are times when upgrading a cell phone is the best ...

There are several considerations when buying a cell phone charger. First, you may need to purchase more than one to satisfy all your charging needs. Second, you may want to have a cell phone charger on hand that can be used in emergency situations when you are not near a ...

Buying a cell phone isn’t a major purchase any more, but having one is an ongoing expense. When considering purchasing a cell phone, you have to first consider your wireless phone provider and type of service. There are several major cell phone service providers to choose from, with varying ...

The cell phones of today have become unbelievably sophisticated. You can access the Internet, send email and talk to people on the other side of the world. All of this technology is available in a small device that can fit into your pocket. The latest addition to this technology is ...

For various reasons, cell phones users want to have their hands free while carrying on phone conversations. For some people, it's a convenience issue: they want to be able to perform other tasks with their hands, like typing or filing or doing housework. For other people, it's a ...

When choosing a cell phone plan, a person first needs to determine what kind of plan he needs. If he is single, a plan that just covers one person would be ideal. If two, three, or more family members need phones, a family plan is a logical choice. The person ...

Third generation or 3G networks represent an international standard for wide-area cellular networks that are replacing 2G networks. The main advantage of these networks is use of a wider radio spectrum resulting in faster data transmission for advanced multimedia services and a larger network capacity. Carriers can deliver these ...

Just about everyone has had the frustration of using the cell phone for an important call and having the signal suddenly drop. Unlike wired phone services, which rely primarily on fiber optic cable and physical switches to provide service within a given geographic area, cell services function with the use ...

The earliest cell phones were far from portable. In fact, the earliest cell phones were not even phones; they were radios. Mobile rigs were the first version of a portable phone. They were used in taxis and police cars as early as 1930, and eventually became popular as a way ...

The prefix tri- means three and the prefix quad- means four. This means that quadband phones have one more band or frequency than triband phones do. How this affects cell phone service depends on the type of service that a person needs, since the more places an individual needs to ...

If you drop your cell phone in water, it is often possible to salvage it. Time is of the essence, however, so the first thing to do is to get your cell phone out of the water as soon as possible. Leaving a cell phone in water for even a ...

The most common and perhaps the most important laws concerning cell phone use are those related to using a handheld cell phone while driving. These laws protect the safety of other motorists, as well as the driver, since people often become distracted when using a cell phone while trying to ...

Many cell phone users do not know what to do with an old cell phone when a contract ends. In most cases, cellular providers will replace the phone with a newer model, but provide no information on how to safely dispose of the old one. If you are switching providers ...

If your cell phone is stolen, you should contact your service provider to suspend your account so other people cannot make calls or texts using it, and notify the police. Once this is done, you can determine how best to replace the phone. If you have insurance on your account ...

Considering the staggering statistic that Americans discard about 151 million smartphones annually, as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it's crucial to contemplate what should I do with my old cell phone.  Disposing of cell phones in landfills is not only often illegal due to the hazardous ...

From time to time, people wonder how easy it is to trace cell phone numbers. In fact, there are several resources that may be employed to find out who is using a cell phone to call your home or cell number. Here are a few options that consumers have available ...

Cell phones can be life-saving communication tools to have ready in a vehicle in case of emergency. However, actually using a cell phone while driving may be life threatening. Many different studies have shown that when drivers use a phone while driving, it can be very dangerous. At some ...

Pollsters actually can call cell phones, but there are a few restrictions which cause most pollsters to simply exclude cell phones from their polls. As cell phone usage rises, some organizations which track polling and the data collected on polls have raised concerns about exclusion of the cell phone only ...

Airplane mode is a setting on many cellphones which disables their wireless communication abilities, theoretically making them approved for use on aircraft. While in airplane mode, a phone cannot send or receive phone calls, text messages, picture messages, or video messages. However, functions like music players, games, calendars, and so ...

Cell phone parking lots, located within five minutes of major airport terminals, are intended to reduce airport congestion. Motorists coming to the airport for arriving passengers can go to one of the nearby lots to wait. Once the arriving party reaches the terminal sidewalk with luggage in hand, he or ...

In 1991, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned passengers from using their cell phones while on board an airplane that is in flight. The ban was instituted because the FCC suspected that the radio frequency emitted by these phones could malfunction an airplane's equipment systems. In complying with this ...

Cell phones have become an unavoidable part of modern life for many people, but their presence in so many places can lead to situations in which users are inconsiderate of others. Just as general rules of etiquette vary among cultures, so do rules of cell phone etiquette. Still, some basic ...