Mobile Phone Glossary of terms
Bluetooth™ (Mobile phones)
A wireless technology that allows you to connect with other Bluetooth™-compatible devices without wires. This feature started with mobile phones but has now spread acros many formats.
Data card (Mobile Phones)
Digital mobile phones can be connected to a laptop to send and receive data and fax messages over a mobile phone network. Most require a data card to connect them to a laptop.
Dual phones (Internet phones)
These are cordless phones that can be used to make normal calls via a landline and also make calls over VOIP using a broadband connection.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service. It means that multiple users can share the same transmission channel but only transmit when they have data to send. Web browsing, instant messages and receiving emails are examples that require intermittent data transfers and will benefit from this.
Java enabled (Mobile phones)
This technology lets you download the latest games from the Internet on your phone.
Memory cards
Removable date storage for images and data, typically found in cameras and mobile phones.
MP3 player (Mobile phone)
A device for listening to MP3 music files.
Picture messaging (Mobile phones)
Multimedia messaging or MMS. This is similar to text messaging except that you can send photos from your mobile to another mobile or email address. In the same way as text messages, you are charged to send a picture message but messages are free to receive in the UK.
Polyphonic ringtones (Mobile phones)
Higher quality ringtones that have close to CD quality.
SIM card (Mobile phones)
The SIM Card is the brain of any mobile device. It stores all sorts of information. If you don't have one you can't make or receive any calls.
VOIP (Internet phones)
Voice Over Internet Protocol. This enables people to use the Internet as a telephone transmission. People aren’t charged a surcharge for a telephone call, they’re only charged what they’re paying for their internet connection.
WAP (Mobile phones)
Wireless Application Protocol. It’s designed to bring the Internet, in a modified form, to mobile phones and some personal organisers.
