I have owned a number of cellular phones over the last few years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been especially extraordinary, some have most definitely been crap. The most common problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the battery. The battery has either broke or it just would not last long enough and I would need to purchase and carry a replacement battery.

I always use my mobile phone heaps, both for my career and for personal use, so having a backup battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is aggravating. My latest phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for when I am not in the office.

Cell Phone Batteries

These are the details of my most current phone (yes, I know it is a bit past it, I really should get a new cellular phone):

HP iPaq h6320 (Cingular Wireless)

Product Short Spec:

Carrier:

Cingular Wireless

OS provided:

Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC

Installed RAM:

64 MB

Processor:

Texas Instruments OMAP1510

Wireless connectivity:

IrDA,

Bluetooth,

IEEE 802.11b

Dimensions (W x D x H):

2.94 in x .82 in x 5.42 in

Input device type:

Stylus,

Touch-screen,

Detachable keyboard,

5-way navigation button

Weight:

6.7 oz

Smartphones ShortSpec:

Band/mode:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900

RAM installed size:

64 MB

review

So I guess the real question is do I spend the money buying a new HP iPaq h6320 (Cingular Wireless) cell phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a long lasting battery? Replacement batteries are reasonably cheap but a new phone would be great. I must make a decision…

I have owned many cellular phones over recent years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been especially outstanding, some have most definitely been rubbish. The only problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the cell battery. The battery has either broke or it just would not last long enough and I would need to buy and carry a replacement battery.

I do use my mobile phone heaps, both for my career and for home use, so having a backup battery is often worth it but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is disappointing. My newest phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for when I am travelling.

Cellular Phone Battery

These are the details of my current phone (yes, I know it is a bit past it, I really should find a new mobile phone):

LG CG225

Positives:
The LG CG225 offers clear call quality, a simple VGA camera, and world roaming in a compact, unassuming design.
Negatives:
The LG CG225’s volume level for regular and speakerphone calls is somewhat low, the inner display has a low resolution, and there’s no self-portrait mirror.
Facts:
The LG CG225 is neither terrible nor remarkable, but better midrange handsets are in Cingular’s lineup.

In the last six months, LG and Cingular have gotten to know each other well. Beyond just dabbling in GSM phones as it has done in the past, LG introduced seven new Cingular handsets this year, including the LG F700; the carrier’s first push-to-talk phone, the LG CU320; a 3G-equipped model; and the basic LG C1500. But now in an effort to increase its lineup even further, LG has rolled out yet another Cingular phone, the LG CG225. Offering a midrange set of features in a fairly standard design, the CG225 comes with a VGA camera, a speakerphone, world roaming, and instant messaging. Call quality was clear but volume was a bit low in our tests, and we weren’t in love with the washed-out display. The CG225 is priced fairly, however, at $99, but you should be able to get it for free with service.

Despite its black color scheme, the CG225’s design is roughly similar to the LG C2000’s. Both have a stubby external antenna, but the CG225 is slightly smaller at 3.4 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches and 3.3 ounces. The CG225’s postage stamp-size external display is identical to the C2000’s. It shows date, time, battery life, and signal strength. Phone number caller ID is supported as well, but the screen does not show picture caller ID. Though the text is monochrome, a color backlight makes the screen much more readable. The color remains active as long as the phone is open, but it turns off shortly after the flap is closed. You can always turn it back on, however, with a flip of the volume rocker on the left spine. The camera lens is above the display. There’s no flash, but unlike in the C2000, there’s no self-portrait mirror and since the display doesn’t act as a viewfinder, you’re out of luck for those vanity shots. On the upside, the phone is solidly constructed and feels comfortable in the hand.

The CG225’s internal display is a bit small (1.5 inches), and though it supports 65,000 colors, the 128×128-pixel resolution gives it a dull effect. Colors are washed out and the screen is overly bright on the whole. Personalization options are limited as well. You can change the backlighting timer and the contrast but not the brightness or the font size. The navigation keys, on the other hand, are well designed. The tactile four-way toggle acts as a shortcut to the contacts list, the messaging menu, a folder for downloads, and instant messaging. Shortcuts like these are always useful but be advised that these can’t be changed. Inside the toggle is an OK button, but it opens the Web browser only when in standby mode. Surrounding the toggle are two soft keys, dedicated shortcuts for the camera and photo folder, a Clear/Back button, and the Talk and End/power keys. A camera shutter is on the right spine, while a volume rocker and a covered headset jack sit on the left spine. In a poor design decision, the rubber plug covering the charging port isn’t hinged to the phone; if you’re not careful, you’ll lose it. The backlit keypad buttons are flat with the surface of the phone, but they’re large and tactile.

Features on the CG225 are roughly comparable to the C2000’s. The phone book holds 255 contacts, with room in each entry for three phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts). You can also assign callers to groups and pair them with a picture for photo caller ID. But it’s worth noting that the picture doesn’t show up on the external display, and you can assign any of the 18 polyphonic ring tones to only a caller group and not an individual contact. The phone’s other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, voice dialing, a calculator, a unit converter, a world clock, a tip calculator, and a notepad. The CG225 comes with support for AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ instant messaging. It also has a half-duplex speakerphone, though you can’t activate it until after you’ve made a call, and there’s no speaker on the phone’s exterior.

The CG225 camera doesn’t have a flash or a self-portrait mirror.

The LG CG225’s VGA camera is ordinary. You get 640×480, 320×240 and 160×120 resolutions; a 4X zoom (not usable at the highest resolution); a multishot option for taking up to nine shots in a row; a self-timer that you can set to 5 or 10 seconds; brightness and white-balance adjustments; three shutter sounds, as well as a silent option; and three color effects. A handy memory meter keeps track of the available storage (up to 74 at the lowest resolution). Photo quality is what you’d expect from a VGA camera: fine for displaying online but nothing you’d want to print out. The CG225 does not record video.

The CG225 ha standard image quality for a VGA camera.

You can personalize the LG CG225 with a variety of wallpaper and sounds, but it has few integrated options. If you want more selections, you can download them with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Additional ring tones are available as well. You get two Java (J2ME) demo games: Tetris and Midnight Pool. For extended play, you’ll have to buy the full versions or purchase other titles.

We tested the LG CG225 world phone (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS) in San Francisco using Cingular’s service. Call quality was good overall; we could understand our callers plainly and had no trouble getting a signal. Callers reported decent quality as well, and we encountered no interference from other devices. Our only problem was that the volume was somewhat low. We had some trouble hearing callers in noisy environments, and they had trouble hearing us. The speakerphone is functional but not exceptional. Since there’s no exterior speaker, you must rely on the internal earpiece, which isn’t very powerful.

The CG225 has a rated talk time of six hours and a promised standby time of 10 days. We managed to eke out an impressive seven hours of talk time in our tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the LG CG225 has a digital SAR rating of 0.85 watt per kilogram.

So for now the right question is do I spend the money getting a new LG CG225 cellular phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a better performing battery? Replacement batteries are very cheap but a new phone would be fun. I must make a decision…

I have owned plenty of cell phones over the last few years, as I am sure everyone has, and while none have been particularly extraordinary, some have absolutely been useless. The only problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the cell battery. The battery has either died or it just would not last long enough and I would need to get and carry a replacement battery.

I tend to use my mobile phone a lot, both for my job and for personal use, so having another battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is disappointing. My current phone is working ok but I would like a replacement battery for when I am travelling.

Cell Phone Battery

These are the details of my current phone (yep, I know it is a bit past it, I really should purchase a new mobile phone):

Symbol MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant

Product Short Spec:

OS provided:

Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Phone Edition

Installed RAM:

64 MB

Processor:

Intel 624 MHzXscale

Wireless connectivity:

Bluetooth

Input device type:

Stylus,

Keyboard,

Touch-screen

Smartphones ShortSpec:

Band/mode:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900

RAM installed size:

64 MB

review

So I guess the right question is do I spend the money buying a new Symbol MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant cell phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a longer life battery? Replacement batteries are fairly inexpensive but a new phone would be good too. Always decisions need to be made.

I have had numerous cell phones over the last few years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been that extraordinary, some have most definitely been useless. The most common problem I have ever had with my cellular phones has been with the battery. The cellular phone battery has either stopped working or it just would not last long enough and I would need to get and carry a replacement battery.

I do use my mobile phone often, both for work and for private use, so having a second battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is so annoying. My newest phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for those times when I am on the road.

Cell Phone Batteries

These are the details of my latest phone (yes, I know it is a bit obsolete, I really should find a new cellular phone):

Pantech PN-218

Positives:
The Pantech PN-218 offers voice commands and a speakerphone. Also, the landscape display may be attractive to some users.
Negatives:
The Pantech PN-218 has a dull design, an awkward shape, and poorly designed controls.
Facts:
The Pantech is certainly different, but we couldn’t get past the design flaws.

In late 2005 UT Starcom introduced the CDM-180, the square cell phone with the weird display. At the time, the CDM-180 didn’t receive rave reviews and it soon disappeared into the Verizon graveyard. So we were very much surprised to see Pantech pick up the same design with its PN-218. Available for Alltel, the PN-218 is a near clone of the Verizon phone, which in all honesty is not a good thing. We’re still unimpressed with the landscape display and the phone’s overall design. On the upside, you can get it for just $9 with service. To find ringtones and accessories for this phone, plus advice and tips on how to use it, check out our Cell phones ringtones, accessories, and help page.

Design
Like its CDM-180 counterpart, the PN-218 lacks traditional cell proportions, so it looks almost square when viewed from the front. It’s a strange shape to say the least and it’s still a design we’re not entirely comfortable with. It’s not that it isn’t pretty–indeed not every cell phone has to be–rather, it’s just that the PN-218’s dull silver color scheme and overlapping square shapes make it look like a kid’s walkie-talkie. At 3.02 inches high by 2.15 inches wide by 0.96 inch thick and weighing 3.79 ounces, the PN-218 is marginally bigger and heavier than the CDM-180 and it has a surprisingly solid feel. It still slips easily into a pocket, yet the square shape can feel a bit awkward in the hand. But that’s a judgment call on your part.

The external display is a bit small (1 inch, 96×94 pixels) for the phone’s overall size but it supports 65,000 colors and shows all the necessary information including the date, time, battery life, signal strength and caller ID (where available). Below the display is a small speaker while a covered headset jack, a camera control, and a volume rocker sit on the left spine. Like on the CDM-180, the camera lens and flash sit at the top of the phone’s rear face. We’ll say again: this isn’t the most convenient location, as it is right where we wanted to rest our finger. Also, since the lens faces slightly upward, you have to tilt the phone in a strange position in order to take a photo of something straight in front of you. There’s no self-portrait mirror but you can use the external display as a viewfinder for vanity shots.

Inside the PN-218 you’ll discover the reason behind the handset’s unique dimensions. At 1.8 inches (160×128 pixels), it’s about the same size as many other cell phone displays, but the landscape orientation clearly sets it apart from other handsets. We’re on the fence, though, as to whether different also equals good. While it’s convenient for typing (and reading) long text messages, you also have to do a fair amount of scrolling when navigating a menu with a lot of options. The display does support 262,000 colors but it’s not terribly bright or vibrant. Only the backlighting time and the contrast are adjustable, and be warned that some users may find the dialing and message text to be too small.

The keypad buttons were mostly unimpressive. The navigation toggle and central OK button are much too small and too flush with the surface of the phone to use comfortably. The toggle doubles as a shortcut to four functions but it’s a bit annoying that in standby mode the OK button opens the camera rather than launching the main menu. Other controls consist of two soft keys, the Talk and End/power buttons and a Clear key. Though they’re much bigger than the toggle, they’re also flat with the surface of the phone. And the same goes for the keypad buttons–though they’re a decent size they didn’t lend themselves to dialing by feel. On the other hand, they have bright backlighting for dim situations.

Features
The PN-218 offers a somewhat small 300-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, a Web address, and notes. You can assign contacts a picture and one of 15 polyphonic ringtones, and you can save friends to caller groups. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a voice memo, a scheduler, an alarm clock, a memo pad, a calculator, a world clock, and a stop watch. On the higher end you also get a speakerphone and voice dialing.

The PN-218’s camera comes with a flash.

The PN-218’s VGA camera includes a lot of options. You can take pictures in three resolutions (640×480, 320×240 and 160×120) and choose from three quality settings. Other options include brightness and contrast settings, five color effects, a contrast, a self timer and four shutter sounds (there’s also a silent option). The flash works relatively well for brightening dim situations.

You can personalize the PN-218 with a variety of wallpapers, screensavers and sounds. You can download more choices and more ringtones with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gamers are out of luck, as the PN-218 doesn’t come with any titles.

Performance

We tested the dualband (CDMA 800/1900) PN-218 in San Francisco. The Bay Area doesn’t have native Alltel coverage, so we were using Sprint’s service for roaming. Check back soon for a full report on the call quality.

The Pantech PN-218 has a rated battery life of 3.5 hours talk time and 8.4 days standby time. According to FCC radiation tests the PN-218 has a digital SAR rating of 1.42 watts per kilogram.

So for now the right question is do I spend the money buying a new Pantech PN-218 mobile phone battery or do I just buy a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are fairly inexpensive but a new phone would be nice. Always decisions need to be made.

I have bought a number of mobile phones over recent years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been particularly great, some have most definitely been rubbish. The main problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the batteries. The cell phone battery has either died or it just would not last long enough and I would need to get and carry a replacement battery.

I tend to use my mobile phone regularly, both for my job and for private use, so having another battery is often worth it but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is so annoying. My latest phone is working ok but I would like a replacement battery for when I am travelling.

Cellular Phone Battery

These are the details of my current phone (yep, I know it is a bit old, I really should find a new mobile phone):

Nextel Motorola i670

Positives:
The Motorola i670 offers admirable performance and the usual assortment on Nextel’s signature features.
Negatives:
The Motorola i670 is bulky, has a poor display and no external screen.

Facts:
If you can get past the design flaws, the Motorola i670 is a decent Nextel phone for making calls.

It’s been a few months since Nextel introduced a new cell phone, so were we eager to get our hands on its new Motorola i670. What awaited us is a typical low-end Nextel phone–one with basic but dependable features and a bulky design that makes no effort to make a style statement. That’s not a bad thing–the carrier always has stuck with what it does best. So, if you’re a Nextel fan and want a simple phone for making regular and Direct Connect calls, the i670 is worth a look. Though there’s no external display and the internal display is nothing fancy, the i670 will hit your wallet if you pay full price ($249). Fortunately, service rebates can lower the cost to a reasonable $49.

Like most Nextel flip phones, the i670 is relatively bulky at 3.5 by 2 by 10 inches and 4.1 ounces. Granted, that’s an improvement over some of the carrier’s previous behemoths but it still makes for a tight fit in a pocket. That said, the i670 has sleek lines and it takes its overall shape from the previous Motorola i850. Though the phone is not protected by layers of rubber coating like other phones from the carrier, it does enjoy a solid construction.

The i670 is a typical Nextel-designed phone.

As we said, one drawback of the i670 is that it doesn’t have an external display. As a result, you have to open the phone to see a caller’s identity and to check the battery life. The other exterior features are reminiscent of previous phones from the carrier. The left spine holds a covered headset jack, a volume rocker, and a control for making push-to-talk (PTT) calls over Nextel’s Direct Connect network. On the top of the handset are a speakerphone control and a key for sending calls directly to voice mail without answering. Beside them is the stubby extendable antenna, while the covered charger port is on the bottom of the handset. Finally, the speaker is in its usual place on the bottom of the rear flap.

Unfortunately the i670’s internal display is a partial step back in Nextel’s screen evolution. While the carrier’s newer phones support 262,000-color displays, the i670 display shows only 65,000 colors. You can change the backlighting, time, and font size, but the screen isn’t particularly vibrant or sharp. Also, we miss the more attractive and intuitive menu structure we saw on the Motorola i870. On the upside, however, the i670’s navigation array is spacious and user-friendly. The rubberized covering also makes them quite tactile. A four-way toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. Inside the toggle center is an OK button surrounded by dedicated power and menu buttons and the Talk and End keys. There are also two soft keys that double as programmable shortcuts. The backlit keypad buttons are large and widely spaced. We enjoyed the raised texture in particular.

Though the i670’s feature set is relatively sparse, it still has all the Nextel business-friendly offerings you’d expect. The 600-contact phone book has room in each entry for seven phone numbers, an e-mail address, an IP address and a Direct Connect number. Contacts can be further organized into a variety of groups for regular or PTT calls, and you can pair them with one of 12 monophonic or 5 polyphonic ring tones. Other features include a vibrate mode, a calendar, voice dialing, call and voice memo recording, a memo pad, text and multimedia messaging, the aforementioned speakerphone, an airplane mode, and onboard GPS. You also get Nextel’s Direct Connect walkie-talkie service (including Group Connect, which lets you chat with up to 20 others via PTT at once) and Direct Talk, which gives you out-of-network walkie-talkie chat with another Direct Talk handset at a range of up to 6 miles.

Personalization options were limited to a choice of wallpapers and two menu styles. You’re stuck with what’s on the handset already, but you can always download more options with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Alternatively, you get a fair choice of Java (J2ME) applications including two game demos (Space Invaders and Tetris); 1KTV, an on-demand pseudo-TV service; and the Trimble Outdoors and TeleNav subscription-based navigation service that takes advantage of the i6700’s GPS support.

We tested the Motorola i670 (iDEN 850) in San Francisco using Nextel’s service. Call quality was very good, offering loud and clear conversations. Listeners on the other end reported the same conditions, despite being able to tell we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was good as well, though it’s not worth much in noisy conditions outdoors. Since the speaker is on the rear of the phone, we’d advise placing the handset upside down on a table when making a speakerphone call.

The i670 has a rated talk time of 2.75 hours and a promised battery life of 5.4 days. In our tests, we fell short of the rated talk time by 15 minutes but got 6 days of standby time. According to FCC radiation tests, the i670 has a digital SAR rating of 1.05 watts per kilogram.

So I guess the right question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Nextel Motorola i670 cell phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are quite cheap but a new phone would be nice. Always decisions need to be made.