What points need to be considered when buying a mobile phone?

There are all sorts of mobile phones available on the German market. The design and the technological features of mobile phones are often very different

Does the phone comply with the GSM type 2 Standard?
This question is normally no longer worth asking because most mobile phones nowadays work on this standard.

Is it light enough?
You should not choose a mobile phone weighing more than 250g because it is tiring to carry and handle.

Is it small enough?
If you are planning on using your mobile phone mainly from the car and aren't going to carry it around with you then its size is not that important. If you plan to have it with you at all times then make sure its small enough to fit easily into a pocket.

Does it have a user-friendly menu?
It should feature an easy-to-use menu that doesn't need a great deal of explanation. After all, you don't want to have to take a computer programming course in order to be able to use a GSM phone. However, you MUST read the user manual first!

Is the battery powerful enough?
The mobile phone must be suitable for your personal requirements. A cell phone that stops working after two hours is unsuitable for someone that phones a lot. If you get a few calls in a day, you should not have to need to recharge the battery before you get home. In other words, you should be able to remain reachable through the network for at least a whole day.

Are reception and transmission quality adequate?
Mobile phones differ greatly in terms of reception quality depending on the manufacturer. If you live in a large city, you can probably expect to be able to use any mobile phone, but once you get out into rural areas you may encounter problems with some phones because their network is not yet fully developed. It is then often good to read up on test results in mobile phone network specialist publications or test magazines like 'Which?'.

Is the phone number memory big enough?
You can generally programme up to 100 entries on a GSM card. However, you can now get phones where you can programme names and phone numbers directly into the telephone.

Is the display big enough and easy to read?
Don't get a lit-up type display. Ideally it should have several rows so that slightly longer 'short messages' can be adequately displayed. Make sure that both battery indicator and incoming signal strength are visible at all times.

Is there a good choice of accessories?
Make sure that an adequate amount of accessories is available for use with your mobile phone. A hands-free device, additional battery pack, desk-top charger are useful accessories.