Getting the Most From Your Music Phone
Cell phones aren’t just for making calls anymore – as technology evolves and engineers and designers learn how to pack more features into smaller packages, the cell phone is quickly becoming an all-in-one device. Rather than toting around a phone, an MP3 player, a PDA and a GPS, most modern cell phones can handle all of these tasks on its own. Yet when it comes to playing music, not all cell phones are created equally.
After all, cell phones are, primarily, still made to place phone calls, which puts them at a slight disadvantage when compared to standalone music players such as the iPod and the Zune. But with a few tips and tricks and some shopping savvy, you can get a phone that’ll get you as close as possible to the flexibility and functionality of a dedicated music player.
Go For Features
When shopping for cell phones, take your time and check out the specifications. Consider some of the following features when it comes to cell phones:
3.5mm headphone jack
Standard cell phone headsets come with a 2.5mm headphone jack which is designed to accept headsets for hands-free calls. But when it comes to plugging in your favorite pair of headphones or earbuds, you’ll need a 3.5mm audio jack. If you don’t want to spend money on a cumbersome adapter, look for a phone that comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
External Volume Rocker
Adjusting the volume on the go is a must for heavy music listeners. You’ll want a phone that has a dedicated volume key that is easy to find in your pocket and doesn’t require you to unlock the keys or open the phone.
File Support
Most phones support MP3s at the very least, but there are a plethora of music file types out there. For example, iTunes uses AAC and AAC+ while Windows Media Player uses WMA. If you’re a big iTunes fan, you’ll want to make sure that the phone supports AAC – otherwise you won’t be able to play your purchased tunes on your phone.
Memory
Most phones come with a teeny tiny amount of internal memory ranging from 30 or so MB and maxing out at a rare 1GB and up. Because of this, you’ll want to find a phone that supports microSD cards. A microSD card can give you over16GB of space for storing songs, videos and pictures and is easy to swap out. It’s a must for serious music fans.
Stereo Bluetooth
Many phones allow you to place calls using Bluetooth, but not every phone supports stereo Bluetooth. Unless you want to listen to your songs in mono, look for a music phone that supports A2DP stereo Bluetooth.
Using your Music Phone
When it comes to using your music phone, there are some things you should keep in mind.
Subscriptions
Almost every cellular provider has some sort of streaming music service or music store. For example, Verizon has V Cast and AT&T has AT&T Mobile Music. These services let you download songs directly to your phone. Both have different payment arrangements where you can either pay a monthly fee for unlimited access or pay by the song. Depending on how much you buy, a subscription could save you a significant amount of money.
Synching
If you’re not buying directly on your phone, there are a few ways to get songs on your computer. Most phones come with USB cords to connect to your PC and transfer songs. Note, though, that this often requires you to install software that comes with your phone. While most Windows machines support the protocol, some phones will not be compatible with Macintosh or Linux systems. Consider this before you buy. Some phones also allow you to synch via Bluetooth, which is more compatible across platforms.
Also, as mentioned above, the best music cell phones have microSD cards. You amy need to invest in a card reader for your computer or an adapter to make it readable by your machine. Before adding songs to your card, you may have to format it on your phone first.
Conversion
If your phone does not happen to support the file type preferred by your computer’s media library, then you can always convert the files to MP3. iTunes and other software can do this with a click of a button. You may also want to reduce the bit rate to 192 kbps or 128 kbps to conserve memory. While computers with voluminous hard drives can feasibly store ultra high quality audio files, it’s more reasonable to reduce the file size of your songs before transferring them to your phone or card so you can fit more music into your phone.
Reading Reviews
One last piece of advice: shop carefully. Read reviews and pay close attention to what people like and what people find annoying. Consider the music player interface and ease of use of the menus. Some phones have music players that are difficult to navigate or load slowly, which may put a damper on your rocking out.
All in all, defining the best music player phone is somewhat subjective. But there are a few features that make some phones more conducive to listening to music than others. Check the specs carefully before making a purchase.
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Tags: Stereo Bluetooth