I’m in the market for a cellular phone that has good signal and a clean user interface. Other auxiliary features, such as Java and instant messaging, are not particularly relevant. Since my last purchase, a lot of new technology has arrived at the consumer level, and it’s worth taking a look at from a power and RF engineering perspective.

Most all cellular phones today use a Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM. It is a cellular standard for digitally encoding and transmitting voice over mobile telephony systems. The University of Waterloo has a thorough overview of GSM. Howstuffworks also has good information on cell phone operation.

• My current cellular phone is a Nokia 3360. The battery is a NiMH at 640 mAh. This yields three and a half hours of digital talk time and one and a half hours of analog talk time.
• The Nokia 3595 is intended for those who just want a cell phone and don’t need fancy features like built-in cameras and MP3 players. The 3595 is a dual band phone. The battery is rated for five and a half hours of talk time. The phone weighs 3.76 ounces. IGN provides a good review.
• The Sony Ericsson T226 offers up to eleven hours of talk time. Like the Nokia 3595, it is a dual band GSM phone.
• The Samsung SGH-X427 is very lightweight (2.82 ounces) and compact. It lacks an external display, and has a somewhat bulky external antenna. I think of this as a feature, though the authors of AccuReviews disagree.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations, feel free to post a comment. I’m currently looking at renewing my contract with Cingular.