How to Sound like You Know Stuff About Cell Phones

After two and a half years in the cell phone business I have learned that the majority of customers know very little about cell phones. They feel like they need one and so they carry it, but beyond making calls they have little idea what the device they are carrying can do.

That means you have a great opportunity to sound really smart when the subject of cell phone technology comes up. Think about it. When was the last time you were in or at least overheard a conversation about cell phones? I've been paying attention when I'm not at work and it seems like people are talking about cell phones all the time. With almost 95% of all Americans carrying one and half the world's population subscribing to service*, chances are that someone you know - maybe yourself - just got a new phone recently.

Sometimes questions come up in conversation and usually they are just rhetorical, since the one with the new phone doesn't expect anyone in earshot to actually know the answer. But they've got a surprise coming. This is your time to shine.

Below are some of the most common questions people ask about cell phones:

Q. How do I put a new contact into my phone?

A. Every cell phone has an address book feature and, although the method varies, usually adding a contact is as simple as entering the Menu screen, selecting Address Book, then Options, then Add Contact. Sometimes it's even easier. With many smartphones you just open the address book, tap a plus sign on the touch screen and just touch where you see "name", "number", etc. to enter that information.

Q. They said this was a smartphone. Who knows what that means?

A. "Smartphone" is just a blanket term for phones that can access the full Internet. Simply put, they do just about everything a laptop can in a smaller package. They make checking e-mail, using a calendar, listening to music and downloading applications easy. Yes, easy. Today's basic cell phones are far less user-friendly. They are like trying to type commands into DOS on a computer (remember War Games?) when you've got a mouse and Windows available to you.

Q. Why do I have two little chips in my phone?

A. Although this is not true of all cell phones, many of them use a "Smartchip" or SIM card. This stands for Subscriber Identification Module, meaning its job is simply to identify who is using the phone so when someone calls, the network knows to ring that phone. You can't store anything on it except phone numbers from the address book and sometimes a few text messages. Its color varies depending on the carrier ("carrier" means T-Mobile, AT&T, Vodaphone, etc.) and is usually in the shape of a small rectangle with one chipped corner. The other chip is a memory card, used for storing pictures, video, music and sometimes other media as well. It is smaller and black and can be used with an adapter to transfer media to a computer. Some smartphones come with one already installed.

Q. How do I change my ringtone?

A. It is almost a universal fact that changing the ringtone on a phone is done through the Settings function. Settings can usually be found under Menu and is denoted by a gear or wrench icon. From there you select anything that looks like it has to do with the sounds your phone makes, i.e. Sounds. In many cases you have to enter the Profile sub-menu. A "profile" is a set of settings for the tone, volume and vibration during an incoming call, and has a name like Normal or Outdoor. If you want to keep it simple just select Normal, then Options or Edit, then Ringtone. The older the phone is (like DOS) the more steps you need to take, opening folders like Audio Files or Tones and Graphics until you find an actual list of ringtones. Select and save your changes. Note: if it takes more than five minutes to figure this out, the best answer to the question is, "Get a different phone."

Q. How do you do texting?

A. With almost any phone you can start in the address book, select a name, select Options or SMS (Standard Messaging Service) and choose to send the person a message rather than call them. To read messages you have received, there might be a shortcut - which often is easier to find through experimentation than by reading the manual - but the surefire way to get to the Messaging function on some smartphones is to touch the icon in the shape of a cartoon talk bubble on a main screen, or on other smartphones and basic phones, enter the Menu and select Messaging. Then select Inbox or Conversations.

Q. I can hardly figure out an answering machine. How am I supposed to use the voicemail on this?

A. On smartphones just tap the Phone icon (in the shape of an old-fashioned receiver), then the Voicemail icon, usually in the shape of a tape rolled up at both ends. Touching it will automatically call into the voicemail service and play your new messages or display a list of your messages on the screen. Tap to listen. On basic phones just press and hold the "1" key - it might even have the voicemail icon printed on it beside the "1". This key is usually programmed to speed dial the voicemail service.

Q. Can I get the Internet on this thing?

A. Yes. Almost every single cell phone in use today has some form of Internet access. Even if it isn't a smartphone it will offer a mobile web browser with a stripped-down version of the Web. Again, it's under Menu and might be called Browser or Web or some carrier-branded application name with a globe for an icon. Whatever it is, it will go to websites of a sort and you will pay oodles of dollars for the privilege of mobile access if you don't have a plan in place for it.

Just the bit of information in this article is enough to make you sound like an expert in cellular technology to the average man or woman on the street. So use it with confidence. Because it's good to feel like you know stuff. And to make others feel like you do, too.

*Sources: www.ctia.org, www.guardian.co.uk