WEB REVIEW: TECHNOLOGY


Cell phones
Dial “M” for Mobile
Compare and shop for mobile phones online, plus read user product reviews.

BY CHRIS LEPORINI

For many real estate professionals, mobile phones have become as indispensable as the MLS. These devices help on-the-go salespeople to check in with their offices, increase their accessibility to customers, and keep up with their families' schedules. However, the crowded cell phone market offers so many options that it can be difficult to choose which cell phone is right for you. And the range of available calling plans can make this decision even more difficult. LetsTalk.com simplifies cell phone shopping—the site allows users to compare and purchase devices from major manufacturers including Nokia, Motorola, and Ericsson, as well as read product reviews from other users.

The site’s “Product Review” section contains comments from users and LetsTalk.com staff writers on mobile phones. The staff reviews examine factors including size and appearance, key features, carrier services, and battery performance, among other features. The reader reviews add an extra layer of detail. It’s one thing to read the product specs for a particular model; it’s another to hear how it actually performs in the field. If you’re going to depend heavily on a cell phone to chat with customers, you don’t want a phone that makes it impossible to carry on a conversation more extensive than "can you hear me?" or "are you there?" Readers evaluate phone performance on a scale of one to five for factors including quality, ease of use, design, and battery life and the site then averages the scores into a cumulative rating. The site also contains staff and reader reviews for service plans, searchable by area code, that examine the pluses and minuses of different service providers. You’ll also find a handful of product reviews for pagers on the site.

Know what you want in a phone, but aren’t quite sure which model to buy? The “Find and Compare” feature gives you a short questionnaire to match your desired features with actual products. First, enter your area code, your favorite brands, how many calling minutes you’ll need, whether you’re upgrading or require new service, and which optional features (such as wireless Web browsing, voice-activated dialing, and international roaming capability) you want. The site then instantly generates a list of products meeting your criteria. You can then select up to five of them for a side-by-side feature and cost comparison.

Another section, “User Profiles” takes a different approach to matching your needs with a suitable mobile solution. It consists of profiles of five common cell phone users: active professionals, young adults, safety and emergency users, friends and family callers, and business travelers. Each profile describes the cell phone habits for each type and offers suggestions for accessories that they might find useful. It explains the primary purposes for which each type employs the phone and offers packages of phones and calling plans that meet that lifestyle. This might be a good starting point, if you’re buying your first phone and don’t know where to begin, but more practiced cell phone users will probably find the section too reductive. For instance, salespeople probably most closely match the active professional style, however, its likely your habits won't fit you neatly into a single category.

However, cell phone newbies and experienced users alike can find useful information in the “LetsTalk.com Wireless Reference.” The section provides an introduction to the basics of cell phones, such as definitions of wireless terms, so that you know the difference between PCS, digital cellular, and analog. It also contains helpful hints on containing costs for your cell phone as well as maximizing for your phone battery’s life.

Picking a cell phone to meet your busy real estate lifestyle doesn’t have to be a hassle. After all, you can always call on LetsTalk.com to find the mobile solution that’s right for you.

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More Resources
For more information on choosing a cell phone, visit the Wireless/Communication Q&A.

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Suggest a Site For Review
Every week, REALTOR® Magazine Online's Web review editor surfs the Internet to find sites useful to your business and off-hours lives. Have a favorite real estate Web site that you would like to see reviewed? Send your suggestions to Chris Leporini at mediatech@realtors.org. All decisions on which sites will be reviewed are completely at the discretion of REALTOR® Magazine Online's editorial staff. Please note: this column does not review individual practitioner or brokerage sites.

The column's focus includes free sites, as well as sites that charge for goods and services, but which still offer a free component of practical, sustained value to real estate practitioners, such as a free newsletter or regular news information.

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REALTOR® Magazine Online's "Web Review" summarizes the content of Web sites that may be of interest to members. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online are not responsible for, and nothing in the Web site profile shall constitute NAR's or REALTOR® Magazine Online's endorsement of, the web site, its content, products and services, or its provider. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online believe the information contained in this profile was correct and accurate as of the time it was prepared, but do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information and are not responsible for changes in the Web site. Members should conduct their own independent review of the Web site prior to any use of Web site, its content, products, or services to determine their suitability for the member's intended purpose.

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