Efforts to revive my cell phone having failed, I journeyed to an AU outlet in search of a replacement. I had used the old phone for more than two years. so there were a slew of new features to tempt gadget freaks. There are some differences in products displayed on the Japanese and English AU websites. I won't go over the individual phones, but here"s a list of the highlights.
- Most of the phones had QVGA screens
- Your average phone now does video clips as well as photos.
- 2 and 3 mega pixel camera models were replacing older models.
- Broadband WIN models have flat-rate pricing for Internet and email.
- Internal flash memory for storage ranges from 3 MB to 40 MB
- A few models had removable storage.
- On some phones you can print directly to a printer using the PictBridge systems, or you can connect the phone to your computer or TV so you can have your way with multimedia content.
- New models had FM receivers and stereo speakers.
- GPS navigation systems are available for use while walking or driving.
- Phones aimed at gamers or people who want to download and listen to music files.
- About half the phones were bilingual; you can choose either a Japanese or English interface.
There were also some Swiss Army Knife features of questionable value.
- Use your cell phone as a TV remote control and rule TVs in airports, public places, and at home.
- The LCD screen doubles as a mirror. Great for touching up makeup or adjusting contact lenses.
- Now your phone contains a small flashlight. You'll never be afraid of blackouts again.
Unfortunately features like a 3.0 mega pixel camera with removable storage cost money. I settled for the Sanyo A1305SA. It has a modest 340,000 pixel camera, but comes with the Global Passport stamp. This means I can use it in the U.S. and other countries around the world. The per-minute charge for usage abroad is pricey, but I won't use it that much and it will be much more convenient than hunting up a pay phone and fumbling for change or a prepaid phone card. The phone also includes a bidirectional English-Japanese dictionary and Chinese and Korean phrasebooks that talk. You simply press a button and the phone will ask, in perfect Mandarin, "Where's the restroom?" Unfortunately the phone lacks to ability to understand Chinese and will not translate the listener's response f or you. The A1305SA set me back $40. I received a $10 discount for using the AU points I had accumulated as a loyal customer for 2+ years.
