I have owned plenty of mobile phones over recent years, as I am sure everyone has, and while none have been particularly great, some have absolutely been useless. The main problem I have ever had with my mobile phones has been with the batteries. The cell 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 generally use my mobile phone heaps, both for work and for private use, so having a backup battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is a pain. My current phone is working ok but I would like a replacement battery for times when I am travelling.

Cellular Phone Battery

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

Motorola V235

Quick take: The Motorola V235 is sleek little flip phone decked out in silver and black. It doesn’t have an external screen, but its internal screen has 65,000-color support. Features include a VGA camera with
video capture and playback, full-duplex speakerphone, support for MP3 ring tones, text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging, up to 9MB of memory, a wireless Web browser, and J2ME MIDP 2.0 support for games. It retails for $149.99, but you can get it for free with a two-year agreement with SunCom. You can also get it for $119.99 with a one-year agreement with SunCom.

So I suppose the true question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Motorola V235 mobile phone battery or do I just buy a new phone with a longer life battery? Replacement batteries are quite low cost but a new phone would be good too. I must make a decision…

I have had many cellular phones over the last few years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been that brilliant, some have most definitely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my mobile phones has been with the batteries. The cell 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 always use my cellular phone heaps, both for my work and for home use, so having another battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is a pain. My latest phone is working ok but I would like a replacement battery for times when I am not in the office.

Cell Phone Batteries

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

Torq P120

Positives:
The Torq P120 has integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and runs the latest Windows Mobile 5 operating system. The quad-band smart phone also features a nice, bright display.
Negatives:
The Torq P120 suffers from a poor design and subpar call quality. This smart phone also doesn’t include EDGE support.
Facts:
Though the Torq P120 has the makings of powerful smart phone for on-the-go professionals, it’s held back by a poor design and subpar performance.

On paper, the Torq P120 has the makings of a powerful convergence device for mobile professionals. The Windows Mobile-based smart phone comes with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, ample memory, and a fairly compact form factor. Unfortunately, the P120 suffers the same fate as the E-Ten G500 in that it never reaches stardom due to mediocre performance and poor design elements. Plus, without the support of a U.S. carrier, you’ll have to fork over a lot of cash ($620) for an unlocked version of the P120, and we just don’t think it’s worth it, especially when you can get better-performing and full-featured smart phones, such as the Cingular 8125 and the T-Mobile MDA, for less.

Upon first glance, the Torq P120 looks to be a sturdy device, but a closer inspection of the handheld tells a different story. The P120 is fairly compact at 4.4 by 2.4 by 0.9 inches but on the heavier side, weighing in at 6 ounces. The extra heft makes it feel solid in the hands, but we noticed the plastic casing seemed a bit cheap, especially the battery cover on the back. Even worse, the navigation buttons are loose, and the five-way toggle doesn’t work very well. For one, the entire keypad is tiny, so we had a lot of mishaps; plus, it was hard to press the center Select key. Fortunately, you can also use the responsive 2.8-inch touch screen to navigate the menus and apps. Text and images are easy to read, as the P120’s screen shows off 65,536 colors at a 240×320-pixel resolution.

Smile for the camera: The Torq P120’s 1.3-megapixel camera comes with a flash and a self-portrait mirror.

On the left side, there’s a camera-activation key, a volume rocker, a voice-record button, a reset button, and a 2.5mm headset jack that’s protected by a rubber cover. There’s an SDIO/MMC expansion slot on top of the device, while the camera lens is located on the back, along with a small self-portrait mirror and a flash. One design quirk is that the stylus holder is located on the bottom of the handset; it’s not a deal breaker, but since we’re so accustomed to having it at the top, we kept reaching for it there just out of habit. On a brighter note, Torq packages the smart phone with a healthy supply of accessories, including a desktop cradle, an AC adapter, a wired headset, and a belt holster.

Save the device’s internal memory for important apps and use an SD card to carry around your favorite tunes and videos.

Under the hood, the Torq P120 runs Microsoft’s latest Windows Mobile 5 operating system, and it comes with 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM. Mobile professionals will be happy to see that the P120 has the full suite of Mobile Office apps, including Word, Excel, and the new PowerPoint presentation viewer, so you can work on the go. Outlook Mobile is onboard to handle your e-mail needs, and the P120 comes with the same M-Desk utility found on the E-Ten G500 that groups all of the device’s apps by function: Phone, PDA, Fun, and System. It’s a feature we came to love, thanks to its simple organization and sheer usefulness–no more digging through the Programs menu to find the app you need.

The Torq P120 has some helpful phone features as well. First, it’s a quad-band GSM phone, so you can use it overseas. Also, it’s equipped with a voice-command feature that lets you operate your phone by spoken word. We appreciated the Frequent Dial feature that monitors your calling habits and, for easy access, automatically lists the numbers you punch in most often. Other phone delights include speed dial, photo caller ID, conference calling, text and multimedia messaging, and a speakerphone. Aside from cellular wireless, connectivity options include integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b) and Bluetooth 1.2. Unfortunately, there’s no support for EDGE, so you won’t get the benefit of faster download times.

For some visual and audio entertainment, the Torq P120 comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera that has video-recording capabilities and a 4X zoom. It can take photos ranging in size, from 176×144 up to 1,290×960, and you have options for white balance, special effects, fun frames, and a self-timer. The P120 can record video with sound in three sizes (320×240, 176×144, and 128×96) and three quality settings (high, medium, and low). Windows Media Player 10 Mobile is at your disposal for more ear and eye candy.

We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) Torq P120 in the San Francisco Bay Area using Cingular service, and call quality was a mixed bag. Although we could hear our callers loud and clear, they said we sounded garbled or there was too much of an echo to carry on a conversation. All in all, it was quite disappointing. The only upside: pairing the P120 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset was a breeze.

As a PDA, the Torq P120’s performance was a little poky. There was a noticeable lag when opening up different apps, but the battery life was on a par with that of other PDAs. In the tests, where we looped a video clip with the backlight set to high and all wireless radios turned off, the P120 lasted for five hours. The P120 is rated for up to four hours of talk time and 8.3 days of standby time.

So I suppose the right question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Torq P120 mobile phone battery or do I just buy a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are very low cost but a new phone would be fun. I must make a decision…

I have owned many cellular phones over recent years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been that amazing, some have absolutely been useless. The only problem I have ever had with my cell 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 buy and carry a replacement battery.

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

Cellular Phone Battery

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

Palm Treo 700p (Verizon Wireless)

Positives:
The Palm Treo 700p boasts EV-DO support, a 1.3-megapixel camera, increased memory, a sharp display, and Bluetooth 1.2. The smart phone can also be used as a wireless modem and has solid call quality.
Negatives:
The Palm Treo 700p lacks integrated Wi-Fi and runs the stale Palm OS 5.4.9.
Facts:
With EV-DO support, increased memory, and enhanced multimedia capabilities, the Palm Treo 700p makes a powerful smart phone even better. Sure, it’s not perfect, but the solid performance and new features make it worth the upgrade.

Note: This product is part of the Palm Treo 700 series. .

You can stop squinting at all the blurry camera phone pictures and cease swapping stories about what a carrier rep told you in confidence, for the Palm Treo 700p is finally here. The new Palm OS-based smart phone was announced for both Sprint and Verizon Wireless, but is it worth picking up? We think so. The changes aren’t revolutionary, but as the successor to the Treo 650, the 700p brings some welcome improvements, such as EV-DO support and increased memory. Of course, it isn’t perfect. There’s still no integrated Wi-Fi, and Palm OS 6 has yet to see the light of day, but with solid performance and enhanced connectivity and multimedia capabilities, the Treo 700p is a winner. Verizon’s pricing is set at $399.99 with a two-year contract or $549.99 with a one-year contract. As of this writing, Verizon had not responded to our queries about whether it will offer a cameraless version.

From a distance, the Palm Treo 700p looks identical to its Windows-based cousin, the
Treo 700w. In fact, they share the same dimensions (4.4 by 2.3 by 0.9 inches; 6.4 ounces), the same silver and charcoal-gray color scheme, and the same integrated QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is a slight improvement upon the one found on the Treo 650; Palm replaced the oval buttons with tactile, rectangular keys that are brightly backlit. The new buttons are more spacious as well, but since the layout overall is still a bit cramped, users with larger digits should give it a test-drive. That said, you can’t beat the convenience of having a built-in keyboard for quickly firing off messages and notes, especially one that’s integrated so well into the overall form factor. Like the other Treo models, the 700p feels good in the hand and is comfortable to hold up to the ear while in use, but we worry about the plastic battery cover on the back, which feels like it could easily crack if the Treo were to take a nasty tumble. To protect your investment, we recommend purchasing a protective case, since one isn’t provided in the package.

Another incentive for getting a case is to prevent the gorgeous display from getting any scratches. As it is, the 2.5-inch, 65,536-color display has a tendency to hold smudges and fingerprints. But hands down, the Palm Treo 700p’s display is sharper and more vibrant than the Treo 700w’s, which has a 240×240-pixel resolution. You can change the color theme and the backlight time but not the font size.

Palm rearranged the navigation controls slightly from the Treo 650 and the Treo 700w. Immediately beneath the display, you’ll now find the Talk and End keys instead of two customizable shortcut keys, while the quick-launch buttons for the phone, the calendar, messages, and the home page are below that, split into two groups by the five-way toggle. The layout is spacious enough, but we have to say that the 700w is easier to use with one hand. Yes, that’s more of an operating-system issue than a difference in hardware, but it’s worth noting just the same.

The 700p features reworked navigation controls and an improved QWERTY keyboard.

On the left spine, you have three unmarked buttons: the volume-up and -down keys and a customizable shortcut key (voice memo by default). The SD/MMC expansion slot is located on the top, along with the infrared port and a ringer/silent switch. When you slide the ringer switch to the sound-off position, the 700p automatically goes into vibrate mode, which is a new feature. Along the bottom edge, you’ll find the multiconnector port found on all of Palm’s recent PDAs and smart phones, as well as a 2.5mm headset jack. The camera lens is on the back, as well as a small self-portrait mirror and the speakerphone. We appreciate the fact that the battery is user-replaceable, and you can purchase an extra cell for $59.99 in case of emergencies. As far as included accessories, the list is pretty sparse. You get an AC adapter, a USB cable, a wired stereo headset, a desktop-synchronization CD, and reference material.

As the newest member of the already famous Treo family, the Palm Treo 700p has found a way to distinguish itself from its siblings in a couple of ways. First, it’s the first Palm-based Treo to support 3G EV-DO networks so that you can enjoy broadbandlike speeds on your device–around 300Kbps to 600Kbps (see Performance for more). In other words, that means faster e-mail, messaging, and attachment downloads. In addition, the improved Blazer Web browser now includes a built-in streaming application so that you can enjoy music and video files in popular formats, such as MP3, WMA, WMV, and MPEG-4.

Yet another distinction is that the Palm Treo 700p is the first Treo to offer built-in dial-up networking capabilities (DUN). Yes, you can finally use this smart phone as a wireless modem right out of the box. What’s more, you have the option of connecting via Bluetooth or USB. The latter, however, will require that you sign up for Verizon Wireless’s BroadbandAccess Connect service. If you already have an unlimited data plan with qualifying voice plan, you can get unlimited BroadbandAccess Connect for $15 a month, otherwise, it will cost $30 a month. We like the fact that using the USB connection also charges the Treo–that way, you don’t run out of juice in the interim.

The EV-DO support and DUN capabilities certainly soften the blow of no Wi-Fi, but we still wouldn’t mind having that option. Other smart phones, such as the UTStarcom XV6700, have it, so why can’t the Treo? Even worse, it won’t support Palm’s Wi-Fi card. The Treo 700p does have an infrared port and built-in Bluetooth 1.2–which gives you support for more accessories, including headsets, car kits, printers, and GPS receivers–and it can wirelessly synchronize with your Bluetooth-enabled laptop or computer.

In addition to the SDIO/MMC slot, which can accept 2GB cards, Palm upped the amount of user-accessible memory.

The insanely meager amount of integrated memory was a big sticking point on the Treo 650, and Palm heard you. The company increased user-accessible memory from 22MB to 60MB (128MB total); plus, you get an SDIO/MMC expansion slot that supports up to 2GB media. It also helps that the Documents to Go 8 suite, which allows you to edit Microsoft Word and Excel documents and view PowerPoint presentations and PDFs, is now included on the device’s ROM.

Beyond work documents, the Palm Treo 700p has robust e-mail capabilities, which include VersaMail 3.5. Not only is it compatible with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, but it offers contact synchronization in addition to your e-mail and your calendar. You can get push e-mail capabilities through Verizon’s VZEmail Wireless Sync, and there’s out-of-the-box support for Yahoo, AOL, and Gmail accounts. We had no problems setting up our test Treo to receive and send messages from our Yahoo account.

The Palm Treo 700p runs Palm OS 5.4.9, so you get all the usual PIM functions: calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, and so forth. However, we’re wondering if Palm OS 6 will ever see the light of day. During our initial meeting with Palm, we got the impression that the company was in no hurry to upgrade. Just how committed is it to this OS? As far as phone features, the 700p offers a speakerphone, a vibrate mode, three-way calling, speed dial, and the "ignore with text" feature that was first introduced in the Treo 700w. Although it supports photo caller ID, the 700p doesn’t have the photo speed-dial function found on the Windows-based device.

The 700p’s camera took decent pictures with sharp edges, but it had some problems in dark environments.

Finally, we come to some of the Palm Treo 700p’s entertainment features. The Treo 650’s VGA camera has been swapped for a 1.3-megapixel camera with 2X zoom. The device comes with ScanR software, which enables you to take a picture of a whiteboard, then put the writing from the board into a Word document. You can record videos with sound and create slide shows with music and audio commentary. Also, the 700p now comes with PocketTunes 3.1 preinstalled on the smart phone, so you can enjoy your favorite MP3s. If you crave support for other music formats, such as WMA/PlaysForSure, you’ll have to upgrade to the Deluxe edition ($34.95) of PocketTunes.

We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Palm Treo 700p in San Francisco using Verizon’s network, and call quality was solid. We had no problems hearing conversations, and our callers reported the same. They added that sound quality was excellent, and they couldn’t tell we were using a cell phone. Audio diminished slightly on our end in clarity and volume when we activated the speakerphone, with the voices sounding tinny, but our friends said they didn’t notice a change when we switched over to speakerphone. Pairing the 700p with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth Headset was a breeze; we were up and running in less than a minute. Palm also said it will release a special version of the Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth headset.

Surfing the Web on the Palm Treo 700p was a relatively good experience. Download speeds weren’t mind-blowing, but the support for Verizon’s EV-DO network definitely made a difference, as even graphics-intensive sites such as ebay.com loaded quickly. That said, we had a slightly better experience in this area with Sprint’s version, as pages and images came up faster.

The Palm Treo 700p is rated for 4.5 hours of talk time and up to 12 days of standby time. In our tests, the 700p beat the rated talk time by a half hour. According to FCC radiation tests, the 700p has a digital SAR rating of 1.48 watts per kilogram.

So I guess the right question is do I spend the money getting a new Palm Treo 700p (Verizon Wireless) cell phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a better performing battery? Replacement batteries are very low cost but a new phone would be good too. I must make a decision…

I have had plenty of mobile phones over recent years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been especially amazing, some have definitely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the battery. The cell phone battery has either died or it just would not last long enough and I would need to purchase and carry a replacement battery.

I generally use my mobile phone often, both for work and for private use, so having a backup battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is a pain. My current phone is working fine but I would like a replacement battery for those times when I am travelling.

Cellular Phone Battery

These are the details of my latest phone (yeah, I know it is a bit obsolete, I really should buy a new mobile phone):

Kyocera K325 Cyclops (Virgin Mobile)

Positives:
The Kyocera K325 Cyclops has an attractive, user-friendly design and offers Virgin Mobile’s first 1.3 megapixel camera.
Negatives:
The Kyocera K325 Cyclops’ speakerphone has variable voice quality and a low-resolution internal display. In addition, it has no analog roaming.
Facts:
Though it’s not perfect, the Kyocera K325 Cyclops is one of the better Virgin Mobile phones we’ve seen.

Virgin Mobile gets a little quirky when it comes to naming its phone models. After introducing the Switch Back, the Oystr and the Slice in the past year, the company now brings you the Cyclops. Made by Kyocera and also called the K325, the Cyclops gets its name from the prominent camera lens on its front face. Though it doesn’t resemble Odysseus’ legendary monster, it does have an, ahem, eye-catching design that should appeal to Virgin Mobile’s youth audience. Aside from offering the carrier’s first 1.3-megapixel camera, the features are pretty standard and satisfactory, with the exception of the speakerphone’s performance. The Cyclops is available for $99 with Virgin Mobile’s prepaid service.

Measuring 3.54 by 1.81 by 0.92 inches and weighing 3.4 ounces, the Cyclops is small and light and felt comfortable to hold in the hand. And though the Cyclops’ overall form is unremarkable, it certainly has some touches that make it stand out among the flip-phone crowd. For starters, its red and off-white color scheme reminds you that it’s a Virgin Mobile phone, while the vertical orientation of its rectangular display is a unique touch that we wish to see more often. The display is monochrome, but it alternates between showing the date and time or the battery life and signal strength. The display’s backlighting time can’t be altered, but pressing any one of the external controls will activate again.

Above the display is a small flash and the large camera lens. A small speaker sits under the display, while a volume rocker, a covered headset jack, and a dedicated camera button rest on the left spine. The charger port sits at the bottom end of the Cyclops.

The Cyclops’ internal screen shows just 65,000 colors–we were hoping for 262,000 hues on a megapixel camera handset–but it manages to be sufficiently bright and readable. Graphics and photos weren’t as vivid as they could be, but we can live with it overall. The menus come in two styles, list and graphics, and we found the latter a bit peculiar. Although it’s not a huge deal, some of the animated icons didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Messaging is represented by a fire-breathing dragon, while the My Stuff folder icon is a donkey (maybe the designers are Democrats). Meanwhile, My Account is a piggy bank flying away–how appropriate. You can change the internal screen’s backlighting time, the contrast, the brightness and the time and date format.

Just below the screen are the well-designed navigation controls. A four-way toggle surrounds the central OK button and a lighted ring. For shortcuts, the toggle gives one-touch access to the calls list, Virgin Mobile’s XL Internet service, messaging, and your account tracker menu. There are also two soft keys, the Talk and End power buttons, a back control and a dedicated speakerphone key–nice. All controls are relatively spacious and tactile. Our only complaint was that in standby mode, the OK button starts the camera rather than opening the main menu.

The keypad buttons on the Cyclops are a decent size and are spaced adequately far apart. We liked that they’re raised above the surface of the phone and that the middle column is black. The red backlighting is bright and we had no trouble with misdials or with dialing by feel.

The Cyclops has a 500-contact phone book, with room in each entry for six phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, an Instant message handle, two Web site addresses, two street addresses, and notes. You can assign callers to groups but only groups can be paired with a photo and one of eight polyphonic ring tones. And in any case, the photos won’t show up on the external display. Other basic offerings include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, voice dialing, instant messaging, e-mail access, a scheduler, an alarm clock, a tip calculator, a timer, a stop watch and a calculator. There’s also a speakerphone, which is activated using the aforementioned control, but there’s no Bluetooth, a feature that Virgin Mobile is overdue to offer.

The K325’s camera lens gives it its name.

The Cyclops’ 1.3-megapixel camera takes pictures in four resolutions (1280×1024, 640×480, 320×240 and 160×120) and three quality settings. Other editing features include three color tones, a white balance, a multi-shot mode, a self-timer, a night mode, eight fun frames and a brightness control. There’s also a zoom but it’s not usable at the highest resolution. The Cyclops camera doesn’t support video recording. Photo quality showed distinct objects with good color resolution albeit with a washed-out effect.

The Cyclops has decent image quality.

You can personalize the Cyclops with a variety of color themes, screen savers, and wallpapers. You can always buy more options and more sounds from Virgin Mobile via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser if you’re bored with those. Gamers get a choice of two Java (J2ME) titles (Bikini Beach Party and Midnight Bowling) and two demos (New York Nights and Lumines Mobile). More options are available from the carrier.

We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Cyclops in San Francisco using Virgin Mobile’s service. Call quality was admirable, with clear voice quality and loud volume. At times the sound could be harsh, and there was a minor amount of static but we were pleased with what we heard. Callers didn’t report any problems and but they could tell we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was fine but sounded warbled quite a bit and callers could hear us only if we were in quiet surroundings.

The Kyocera K325 Cyclops has a rated talk time battery life of 3.5 hours and a promised standby time of 6.6 days. Our tests revealed a talk time of 4 hours. According to FCC radiation tests the Cyclops has a digital SAR rating of 1.23 watts per kilogram.

So I guess the right question is do I spend the money buying a new Kyocera K325 Cyclops (Virgin Mobile) cellular phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are reasonably cheap but a new phone would be nice. I must make a decision…

I have bought plenty of cellular phones over the last few years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been particularly great, some have most definitely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my mobile phones has been with the battery. The cellular phone battery has either broke or it just would not last long enough and I would need to buy and carry a replacement battery.

I always use my cell phone regularly, both for work and for personal use, so having another battery is often worth it but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is a pain. My current phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for when I am on the road.

Cell Phone Batteries

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

Motorola RAZR V3 in Pink - cellular phone with digital camera - GSM

Product Short Spec:

Band / mode:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)

Combined with:

With digital camera

review

So for now the true question is do I spend the money getting a new Motorola RAZR V3 in Pink - cellular phone with digital camera - GSM cell phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a longer life battery? Replacement batteries are quite cheap but a new phone would be fun. Decisions, decisions…