HTC One Mini Review
HTC One mini - $480 (unlocked)
Of course, there are some tradeoffs that also help bring the price
down. Although the One mini includes an Ultrapixel camera, it doesn’t
have optical image stabilization; and despite the body mostly being
formed from aluminum, some plastic has crept into the design. For the
more technically minded, HTC has also dropped down the SoC from a
Snapdragon 600 to a Snapdragon 400, which naturally will affect its
performance.- 4.3", 1280 x 720 IPS LCD display (341 ppi)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC
- 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU, Adreno 305 GPU
- 1 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage
- 4 MP “UltraPixel” camera, 1/3” sensor, f/2.0 lens, 1080p video
- BoomSound, Zoe, BlinkFeed
- 1,800 mAh, 6.9 Wh battery
- LTE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
- Android 4.2 ‘Jelly Bean’
- 122 grams, 9.25mm thick
But will HTC’s tradeoffs have too much of an effect on the overall product, keeping it from being a great 4.3-inch device? Or will the price be just right for what you’re getting out of the box?
The HTC One mini used in this review was kindly provided by Negri Electronics. No matter where you are in the world (including Australia, US, and abroad), Negri will provide you unlocked smartphones and tablets first and for very competitive prices.
Design
Fitting right into the One line-up, the HTC One mini is styled in a similar fashion to the HTC One. The back panel is a curved piece of zero-gap aluminum, while the front sees aluminum covering the speakers. The display is protected by the usual Gorilla Glass, with the only main difference between the One and One mini – apart from the size - being the material used around the edges.
Instead of the front and back of the handset coming together as one zero-gap unit, with plastic injected around the edges, the One mini has a less refined look. HTC has ditched the injected polycarbonate for a Samsung-like gloss edge that appears to be a barrier around the phone, rather than part of a unified design. While it doesn’t look as classy as the HTC One, the white plastic surrounds match the device’s other highlights, and it’s still quite functional.
A change in edge material also brings a change in buttons. Again, the design feels less refined with the separated metallic volume buttons and the metallic power button on top, but the positioning is still good, especially for a device of this size. On the bottom the microUSB port is found, still upside-down for some bizarre reason, and the top sees the 3.5mm headphone jack.
At 9.25mm thick, the mini isn’t the slimmest phone going around, but the natural curvature of the design hides a lot of this thickness. Generally speaking the phone feels great to hold, especially due to the aluminum and glass that makes up the majority of the build. It may be a smaller and more affordable phone, but HTC hasn’t skimped on incorporating a premium design, even if they did modify the plastic used in some sections.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the HTC One mini is that it’s actually not all that mini. It’s 5mm shorter and skinnier than the HTC One, and the 4.3-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, paired with BoomSound, keeps the device rather tall. The mini is considerably (9mm) taller than the iPhone 5s with its 4-inch screen, and even compared to a range of other 4.3-inch devices like the Galaxy S II, the One mini is simply a larger device.
I know a lot of people claim 4.3-inches (or smaller) is the perfect size for a smartphone, and the One mini is certainly a very nice size, but for a small footprint increase you can snag yourself a 4.7-inch (or larger) display. I might understand the necessity for people to opt for the One mini if it was closer in size to an iPhone, but it isn’t. In my mind, this puts the size – and in some respects the whole point – of the One mini into question, as the phone doesn’t quite live up to its name. But for some, the 5mm size reduction may be perfect.
Display
HTC has included relatively high quality displays in most of their smartphones of late, and the One mini is no exception. The handset includes a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, giving it a pixel density of 341 ppi. Super LCD displays are an IPS TFT variant used exclusively in HTC devices, although companies such as Sony and Sharp are often responsible for their production.IPS technology allows these displays to produce a picture with better quality than you can get with a TN panel, while also delivering better contrast, viewing angles and ease of use outdoors. Super LCD displays, especially the Super LCD 2 and 3, are some of the better displays I’ve used: the HTC One features a Super LCD 3 display, and it’s a spectacular, crisp panel to use, perhaps even the best I’ve seen. With the One mini’s panel being smaller, less pixel dense, and using technology that’s a year old, it’s not quite up to the standard of the HTC One, but it’s still very good for its class.
The One mini’s display, packing a 720p resolution into an area of 51 sq. cm, still features a density above 300 ppi, so individual pixels will be hard to spot unless the display is a few centimeters from your face. Photos and videos look very crisp on the panel, and text is considerably sharper than HTC’s last generation of devices at this size. I’ve been spoiled by using a range of 1080p displays recently on flagship smartphones, which are naturally a step above this display in terms of quality, but even directly up against these devices, the One mini’s screen looks great.
One reason it looks so great is due to the color reproduction, which in typical Super LCD fashion, is true to life but also vibrant. HTC has tuned this panel to perfection, delivering ideal white balance and deep blacks for a strong contrast ratio. Like many other IPS LCD’s, the color gamut is wide, and the viewing angles are very good, making it extremely easy to see the display from all angles without significant color distortion.
The area I continue to be impressed by Super LCD displays is in their ability to be very readable outdoors, due to a combination of filter layers and minimal gaps between the display crystals and the Gorilla Glass. When trying to use the HTC One mini at full brightness in direct sunlight, aside from the small portion of the display that is reflecting the sun, the rest of the panel is quite readable.
FREE BROWSING WITH PHONE (OPERAMINI)
To make your free browsing cheat you will need the following: ·A CGI proxy address for examplehttp:// foxyn.com/cgi- bin/nph-get.cgi/00011/ http/
A opera-mini proxy server with its ip address. ·Your operator’s free site like wap.mtnonline.com, wap.ng.zain.com
NOTE: CGI’s are web based proxies that you need to visit and browse through them but the example is a type of CGI that you don ’t need to visit before going to any site you simply put the sites address after the “ http/ ”
i.e. If I want to visit google I just type in: foxyn.com/ cgi-bin/nph-get.cgi/000110A/ http/google.com.
Now to be connected to the Internet we have to combine them, you can combine them in any way and it would still work but here are some basic free browsing tricks.
Free browsing trick 1
Freesite@ opera mini server: 80 e.g. wap.mtnonline.com@ server4.operamin.com:80 Wap.ng.zain.com@min- beta.opera- mini.com: 80
Free browsing trick 2
Freesite.opera mini server: 80 E.g. wap.mtnonline.com.Server4.operamin.com: 80 Wap.ng.zain.com.min- beta.opera- mini.com: 80
Free browsing trick 3
Freesite Use operamini server as a proxy server address E.g. wap.mtnonline.com Proxy address: 64.255.180.253 Proxy port:80
HOW TO STOP ONLY 70 SETTINGS ALLOWED PROBLEM ON NOKIA S40 PHONES
This has been a Long term Problem that only have Temporary Solution, Most of the Nokia Series40 Mobile user are having the problem of only 70 Sets Allowed which does not allow user to Save New Internet Settings, the settings are automatically discarded, this usually happen to those S40 Users who uses Tweak.
Whenever a Service Provider sends the GPRS setting to your mobile it is Discarded by the mobile Automatically, because of this you are not able to use the Internet on your mobile or have enough Internet Settings on your Phone such that you have to Delete old ones to accept new ones.
=> Here is a Permanent Solution to solve the Problem of only 70 Settings Allowed on All Nokia S40 Phones.
HOW THIS PROBLEM OCCUR!
Every time a new configuration setting is saved in s40 mobile, it makes a new folder in phone memory, it remain there even if you delete that configuration settings in your Network Place and the maximum limit is only 70 folders. So if you are facing this problem you can solve it by formatting your mobile phone but the entire data from your mobile will be deleted (such as contact, messages, configuration settings etc.). So here is the simple way to overcome this problem without formatting the mobile and it will take hardly 5-10 minutes.
REQUIREMENT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM
- A PC with atleast 256 MB RAM
- Original Nokia Data Cable or Your PC must be Bluetooth Enabled.
- Mobile Media browser like "Oxycube" [28.3MB]
- Nokia PC Suite (Should Be Installed During Use of Oxycube).
STEPS TO FOLLOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM!
1. Download OxycubeUSING THE SEARCH BOX , Install it on your PC after Succesful Download.
2. Connect your Phone to your PC using bluetooth or data cable in PC Suite Mode, Then Open Oxycube.
3. Now in Oxycube, Go to Phone memory "C" in which you will find a folder named "omadm".
4. In that folder there are 70 folders naming 1 to 70.
5. Delete some or all the Folder & you are Done.
Whenever a Service Provider sends the GPRS setting to your mobile it is Discarded by the mobile Automatically, because of this you are not able to use the Internet on your mobile or have enough Internet Settings on your Phone such that you have to Delete old ones to accept new ones.
=> Here is a Permanent Solution to solve the Problem of only 70 Settings Allowed on All Nokia S40 Phones.
HOW THIS PROBLEM OCCUR!
Every time a new configuration setting is saved in s40 mobile, it makes a new folder in phone memory, it remain there even if you delete that configuration settings in your Network Place and the maximum limit is only 70 folders. So if you are facing this problem you can solve it by formatting your mobile phone but the entire data from your mobile will be deleted (such as contact, messages, configuration settings etc.). So here is the simple way to overcome this problem without formatting the mobile and it will take hardly 5-10 minutes.
REQUIREMENT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM
- A PC with atleast 256 MB RAM
- Original Nokia Data Cable or Your PC must be Bluetooth Enabled.
- Mobile Media browser like "Oxycube" [28.3MB]
- Nokia PC Suite (Should Be Installed During Use of Oxycube).
STEPS TO FOLLOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM!
1. Download OxycubeUSING THE SEARCH BOX , Install it on your PC after Succesful Download.
2. Connect your Phone to your PC using bluetooth or data cable in PC Suite Mode, Then Open Oxycube.
3. Now in Oxycube, Go to Phone memory "C" in which you will find a folder named "omadm".
4. In that folder there are 70 folders naming 1 to 70.
5. Delete some or all the Folder & you are Done.
Browse with ur phone opera on pc with phone cheats
Install d java runtime and install d kemulator,then open d kumulator & goto view~ option luk 4 this sign >>2 open d ntwork part & put mtn normal settings with Http leave domain blank. Ok it. Then open d kemulator load ur jar file frm d phone symbol. Ur jar file must be on ur desktop then open it tru kemulator, put ur cheat & ok it 2 install.Search 4 ur softwares thru the search on top of the blog and d download part of dis site.
U can also use etisalat. But configure d kemulator with eti normal settings.
HOW TO CONNECT YOUR IPAD TO TV
Apple's Digital AV Adapter is the best way to get your iPad to your big screen TV
iPad AdsiPAD
Digital TV
LCD TV
Connect Hdmi Laptop to TV
Cable TV
iPAD
Digital TV
LCD TV
Connect Hdmi Laptop to TV
Cable TV
The iPad is a great device for laying in bed and watching a movie on Netflix or browsing videos on YouTube, but sometimes you want to see them on the big screen. So how to you go about connecting your iPad to your TV? Whether you have an old TV from the dark ages or the newest HDTV on the market, it's actually rather simple to get your iPad hooked up to your television.
Connect the iPad to your HDTV through HDMI
The best way to get your iPad hooked up is through Apple's Digital AV Adapter. This will allow you to connect the iPad to your TV through an HDMI cable, which transfers both HD-quality video and sound. The iPad is capable of 720p video with the Digital AV Adapter, and the iPad 2 supports up to 1080p, though streaming a movie will still max out at 720p.
The great thing about hooking up an iPad 2 with the Digital AV Adapter is that it supports video mirroring, which means you'll see your iPad's display even if the individual app doesn't support video output. This is great for watching Hulu Plus on your HDTV.
You can also stream your movie collection from you PC to your iPad to your HDTV using home sharing. This is a great way to finally switch from DvD and Blu-Ray to digital video without losing the ability to see it on your big screen TV.
Connect the iPad to your TV through component cables
If your television doesn't support HDMI, or if you are simply running low on HDMI outputs on your HDTV, you can also opt for connecting the iPad to your TV with component cables. Apple sells an adapter for component cables, which break the video out into red, blue and green, and an adapter for composite cables, which will work with older televisions that only accept a single cable for video.
The component and composite cables will not support the mirroring mode on the iPad 2, so they will only work with apps like Netflix and YouTube that support video out. They also fall short of 720p video, so the quality will not be as high as the Digital AV Adapter.
Connect the iPad with a VGA adapter
By using Apple's VGA adapter, you can hook your iPad up to a television equipped with an VGA input, a computer monitor, a projector and other display devices that support VGA. This can be great if you have a space computer monitor. And because many newer monitors support multiple display sources, you could even switch between using your monitor for your desktop and using it for your iPad.
The VGA adapter will also support the mirroring mode with the iPad 2. However, it does not transfer sound, so you either need to listen through the iPad's built-in speakers or through external speakers hooked up through the iPad's headphone jack.
If you are planning on watching through you television, the HDMI adapter or the component cables are the best solutions. But if you plan on using a computer monitor or want to use your iPad for large presentations with a projector, the VGA adapter may be the best solution.
Connect the iPad with AirPlay
If you have Apple TV, you can stream movies from your iPad's video collection to your Apple TV, which will do the work of putting it on your HDTV for you. You can also stream video from AirPlay-supported apps like ESPN, IMDB, Justin.tv, PBS and Discovery Channel.
But there are some notable exceptions, like the ABC player, Hulu Plus and Netflix. Apple TV already supports Netflix, so you won't miss not being able to stream it from your iPad, as for the others, we can only hope. Companies like FOX have been notorious in their attempt to keep streaming content from jumping onto our television sets, so Hulu Plus may have their hands tied in supporting AirPlay.
For those apps that support it, AirPlay is a great solution because it allows a wireless connection between your iPad and your television set. This means you can search for new videos on YouTube without having to get up from your couch. But without the ability to do iPad 2 mirroring and without support from apps like Hulu Plus, it won't offer the same ability as the Digital AV Adapter.
SOFTWARE FOR SENDING FREE SMS ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE
It's no more new that many sites claims to offer free sms service, in which once you register with them you will be given some number of sms per day.
This is cool if that's all, but instead they keep placing adverts in each text messages you send, which makes the recipient to know you're using free sms service.
I'm here to presents to you this software used in sending free sms on your mobile phone. It works on all GPRS enabled phone.
Highlighted below are some features that makes this software cool
• No placements of adverts when sending text messages
• It's free to any number in the world
• No charges is applied (home network provider charges at normal rates)
• No purchase of credits/points is required
• It presets your number as sender id
• It supports about 260 characters for sending sms
• It supports live feeds,free apps download
soccer news,etc
This software is loaded with many features
• REQUIREMENTS
• A gprs enabled phone
• A working access point
• Java MIDP 2 and CLDC 1.0 or higher support
To download this software visit
http://www.binu.com/ with your default web browser.
From there their system will detects your phone model
BETTER STILL YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE JAR VERSION THAT WORKS ON ALL DEVICE UPLOADED BY ME
BINU.Jar
For more of my uploads visit
http://www.phonetutors.com.ng/
After successful download, launch binu, goto My account>New Account>create username>Add your phone number>Test your phone number>send sms to....(the number you used in registering)
You will be sent an sms with a pin number. Enter this pin number to confirm your phone number.
Then you're done!
10 TIPS ON HOW TO EXTEND MOBILE PHONES BATTERY LIFE
• Do not run any applications/software when battery is too low
• Use low brightness for your mobile display
• Always properly switch-off your mobile phone (do not directly remove battery)
• Always use Automatic network selection option instead of manual selection
• Keep Bluetooth off when its not in use
• Form the habit of using handsfree instead of the speakers when playing music
• Reduce the back light(Keypad) time
• Do not use any flash or animation, video as a wallpaper
• Avoid frequent switching on and off
• Avoid using mobile device while charging.
If you can adhere to the above tips, i guess your battery will last longer than it use to.
DO YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL?
FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
NEED A CAMARA PHONE ? HERE ARE THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO KNOW
We are living in a time where ‘convergence’ is everywhere. Gone are the days when a camera was a camera, a MP3 player was an MP3 player, a phone was a phone….
These days digital cameras are found in a variety of other gadgets – including cell phones. In fact Camera Phones are one of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market and with the improvements in the quality of what is being offered in some phones (higher megapixels, better lenses, high capacity storage) some believe that they are beginning to win market share away from the low end offerings of many digital camera manufacturers. Our current poll on ‘take anywhere cameras‘ reveals that many of you are using camera phones regularly.
Unfortunately many of the pictures being taken with Camera Phones are poor in quality. This might partially be a result of lower quality cameras – but it is also often a result of poor photographic technique.
Following are 13 tips for Camera Phone owners to help them get the most from their cameras phones:
Photo by Dr John2005
1. Light Your Subject Well
The better lit your subject is the clearer your image is likely to be. If possible shoot outside or turn on lights when shooting inside. If you’re turning on lights in a room to add extra light to your shot be aware that artificial light impacts the color cast in your shots and you might want to experiment with white balance to fix it (see below).
Some cameras come with a built in flash or light – this can really lift a shot and add clarity to it, even if you’re shooting outside (in a sense it becomes a fill flash). If your camera doesn’t have a flash or light you should avoid shooting into bright lights as you’ll end up with subjects that are silhouetted.
2. Get Close to Your Subject
One of the most common mistakes with camera phone images is that their subject ends up being a tiny, unrecognizable object in the distance. Camera phone images tend to be small due to low resolution (although this is changing) – so fill up your view finder with your subject to save having to zoom in on the subject in editing it later (which decreases quality even more).
Having said this, getting too close on some model camera phones creates distortion and focusing issues (particularly if the camera phone doesn’t have a macro or close focusing mode).
3. Keep Still
As with all digital photography, the more steady your camera phone is when taking your shot the clearer your image will be.
This is especially important in low light situations where the camera will select longer shutter speeds to compensate for the lack of light. One trick is to lean your camera phone (or the hand holding it) against a solid object (like a tree, wall, ledge) when taking shots.
Keep in mind that many camera phones also suffer from ’shutter lag’ (ie the time between when you press the shutter and when the camera takes the shot can be a second or so). This means you need to hold the camera still a little longer to ensure it doesn’t take a shot as you’re lowering it away from the subject.
4. Edit Images Later
Whilst it can be fun to use your camera phone’s inbuilt editing and effects, editing pictures later on your computer produces much better quality images. Take your shots in color at high resolution to keep your options open on how to treat it later.
You can always make it black and white on your computer, but you can’t make it color if you take it in Black and White mode.
Photo by Bram and Vera
5. Don’t Throw Away ‘mistakes’
Remember that on many phones the quality of the screen will not be as good as your computer’s. So if possible hang onto your shots until you can get them on your PC. You might just find that they come alive on a quality monitor. You’ll also find that even ‘mistakes’ and blurred shots can actually be quite usable (in an abstract kind of way)
6. Avoid Using the Digital Zoom
As tempting as it might be to zoom in on your subject when taking your picture (if you have a zoom feature on your camera phone), if the zoom is a ‘digital zoom’ it will decrease the quality of your shot to use it (you’ll end up with a more pixelated shot)..
Plus you can always edit your shot later using photo editing software on your computer.
Of course some camera phones are beginning to hit the market with ‘optical zooms’ – these are fine to use as they don’t enlarge your subject by enlarging pixels.
7. Experiment with White Balance
An increasing number of camera phones come with adjustable white balance which allows you to modify color balance in your images based on shooting conditions. Experiment with this feature to get a good feel for the impact that it has on your shots. I find that it impacts different camera phones differently. Read your manual to find out how it works on your phone.
Photo by markresch
8. Take loads of Shots and Experiment
The beauty of all forms of digital photography (including that of camera phones) is the ability to shoot off many shots quickly and without cost. This means you can experiment with different modes and composition and discard those that you don’t want to keep.
Camera phones are particularly good for experimenting with new angles and perspectives – shoot from down low, up high, close up etc and you’ll end up with interesting and fun shots.
9. Follow Rules of Composition (and then Break them)
Learn some basic composition ‘rules’. (for example – the rule of thirds – ie don’t place your subject squarely in the middle of your frame but a third of the way in). Simple tips like this can bring life toyour photos.
But then also remember that the beauty of a camera phone is its ability to break all conventions – some of the best shots around break all the rules. So shoot from the hip, the floor, up high, up close – anything goes.
10. Keep Your Lens Clean
One of the challenges with many camera phones is keeping them maintained and clean. Phones spend a lot of time in pockets, in bags and being used in all manner of weather and conditions. As a result they get dirty and can easily become damaged – fingerprints are a common problem on camera lenses – especially if your phone doesn’t have a lens cover. From time to time clean the lens of your camera using a soft cloth (sunglasses cleaning cloths are great).
Photo by phil h
11. Observe Camera Phone Etiquette
While there is no formal set of rules for using camera phones – it is worth considering how you use it and what impact it might have upon others. There are many cases of camera phones being abused to take sneaky or voyeuristic photos. Ask permission to photograph strangers, consider restrictions on the use of cameras in places like theaters and concerts etc.
12. Use the highest resolution possible on your camera phone
Some phones allow you to choose what resolution you want to take photos at. It almost goes without saying (but we like to state the bleeding obvious) that the higher your resolution the clearer your shot will be. This is especially true for camera phones which often have sensors of under 1 megapixel in them. Keep in mind however that the higher the resolution the larger the file size of the images you take – this means if you want to send images they can end up taking a long time to send.
Nokia E71 Phones: Unlock Your Business Anywhere
Nokia E71 Mobile Phone this device is the successor of Nokia E61i, this Quad-band phone and was one of the very best handsets to come out of Nokia.
Nokia e71 Phones secret codes
Here's a list of known Secrets codes on Nokia e71 mobile phones. To use these codes, just dial them like normal numbers.
GENERAL
To get to a symbol or number hold down its key.
Shift + Backspace deletes letters after the cursor, thus immitating the behavior of the ‘Delete’ key on the computer.
In the Main Menu: A B C D
E F G H
I J K L
Fn + Ctrl + C to copy.
Fn + Ctrl + V to paste.
Shift + Left ( or Right ) to select text
Ctrl + Up for page up.
Ctrl + Down for page down.
Ctrl + Vowels ( or n ) for accented characters like á or ñ.
fn + ctrl + A Select All
CAMERA
T to focus.
GALLERY
Green Call to send the image.
Fn + * for full screen.
Fn + 7 to zoom in. Press twice for the full screen size.
Fn + 4 to scroll left while in the zoomed image.
Fn + 5 o zoom in.
Fn + 3 to rotate right.
Fn + 2 to scroll up while in the zoomed image.
Fn + 1 to rotate left.
Fn + 0 to zoom out.
STANDBY
Hold * to activate/deactivate Bluetooth.
Hold 0 to go to the web browser.
Left Soft Key then Fn ( or * ) locks the keypad.
Hold End/Red to disconnect all data connections.
Hold Left Soft Key to read out new text messages.
hold # key to switch to silenced/normal
MAIL : send e-mail on nokia e71
Shift + Return to mark/unmark a single message.
Shift + Down to mark multiple items.
Fn + Spacebar in new message body to access input (predictive text, etc.) options.
Nokia e71 MAPS Option
Shift to zoom in.
Backspace to zoom out.
Space to go to the current position.
MESSAGE
Hold shift + soft key left to Copy
Hold shift + soft key RIGHT to Paste
REAL PLAYER
Fn + 2 for full screen.
Hold Up for fast forward.
Hold Down for rewind.
WEB
1 for bookmarks.
2 to find something on a page.
3 to return to the previous page.
5 to tab open windows.
* to zoom in.
# to zoom out.
8 for page overview.
9 to go to a different web page.
0 to got to the homepage.
y – to go back one site
z – to go back one site
CELL PHONES WHO IS IT MEANT FOR ?
Cell phones are the #1 form of communication for teens (Pew, 2010).
More kids have cell phones than ever before, including 31% of 8- to 10-year-olds, 69% of 11- to 14-year-olds and 85% of 15- to 18-year-olds (Kaiser, 2010).
Teens text more than they talk — averaging 3,146 text messages a month, compared with 203 calls (Neilsen, 2010).
1 in 3 teens use their phones to browse the Web (Harris Interactive, 2009).
Advice & Answers
Cell phones aren’t just for talking anymore
Parents have to teach responsible cell phone use
What’s the right age for your child to have a cell phone?
Parent tips for elementary school kids
Parent tips for preteens
Parent tips for teens
Cell phones aren’t just for talking anymore
You rarely see young people these days without a cell phone in their hands. But they’re probably not talking on it. More likely, they’re texting, surfing the Web, updating their Facebook pages, playing games, downloading apps, playing with ring tones, taking pictures, recording video, and more.
When you hand your children cell phones, you’re giving them powerful communications and media production tools. They can create text, images, and videos that can be widely distributed and uploaded to Web sites instantly. If you think your kids’ technological savvy is greater than their ability to use it wisely, pay attention to the gap. We're still the parents. And it's our job to say, “No, not yet.”
Parents have to teach responsible cell phone use
Cell phones give kids access to a world that’s both portable and private. Unlike when they talk on the phone at home, with a cell phone you’re not there to monitor what they’re saying or sending, or whom they’re talking to.
Unfortunately, this access means that kids can use these powerful communication tools irresponsibly. They may text when they should be paying attention to what’s going on around them. They may engage in sexting, by sending or receiving inappropriate pictures or messages. Embarrassing texts, photos, and videos captured on phones can be sent instantly or uploaded easily to Web sites. This form of cyberbullying can happen swiftly and anonymously.
A few other things to be aware of: Texting has also led to cheating in class, as kids noiselessly text answers to one another. Your children may text late into the night because you won’t hear them. Cell phones can distract kids from what’s going on around them and can be expensive. Mobile phones, and the monthly plans that support texting and Web access, can cost a small fortune.
What’s the right age for your child to have a cell phone?
Cell phones have become a must-have for kids, and the ways kids use them are not always obvious to parents. If you answer “yes” to most of the following questions, it may be time to get a cell phone for your children.
Are your kids pretty independent?
Do your children need to be in touch for safety reasons?
Would having easy access to friends benefit them for social reasons?
Do you think they’ll use a cell phone responsibly – for example, not texting during class or disturbing others with their phone conversations?
Can they adhere to limits you set for minutes talked and apps downloaded?
Will they use the text, photo, and video functions responsibly and not to embarrass or harass others?
Parent tips for elementary school kids
Ask yourself: Do they really need a phone? If you decide that they do, ask yourself what kind of phone they need. For very young children, there are phones that you can program with just a few important phone numbers. For older elementary school kids, you might want to choose a phone that allows for calls but not texting or instant messaging (IM).
Make sure young kids understand the rules. If your kids have phones, make sure you have programmed everyone’s numbers into the phones so that the phones display the names of who is calling. Tell your kids not to answer calls from numbers they don’t know. Make rules for time spent talking, what phones are used for, and when the phones should be off. You may want to check the time of calls to make sure they are made within your established boundaries.
Parent tips for preteens
Make sure you have the right plan for calls or texts. Phone plans range in minutes and texts allowed. If you allow your preteens to text, get a plan with unlimited texting or you’ll face huge bills.
Explain that cell phone are expensive and that “extras” cost money. You may be billed for ring tones, sports updates, or Web access.
Work out guidelines for use with your kids. No phones in class, phones turned off at night, and no phones at the dinner table are a few common ones.
Make sure your kids are using phones appropriately. That means no rude or sexy texts, no embarrassing photos or videos. Monitoring messages sent and received is not a terrible idea (although your children will probably think it is).
Talk about cyberbullying. Tell your kids to come to you if anything like that happens.
Tell your children that sexual talk of any kind is not allowed. Kids often jokingly use sexual language and sexually aggressive speech. Yet, on a cell phone, a message can be instantly forwarded out of context to anyone, and kids can get into all kinds of trouble.
Establish real consequences for violations of your rules. Like taking away the phones for a week!
Parent tips for teens
No texting or talking while driving. Never. Distracted driving is how kids get into traffic accidents – the #1 killer of teens. It’s also illegal in a growing number of states.
Make sure they pick up your call. Many teens treat incoming calls from Mom and Dad as a nuisance. As long as you are paying the bills, make a rule: They have to answer when you call — unless they’re behind the wheel.
Have them review each month’s bill. Let them see precisely how many minutes they are spending on the phone or texting.
Make sure you anticipate increased phone use. By the time your children get to high school, the phone is ringing all the time. Make sure their phone plan allows for this extra time, and establish limits so they get a break from being “always on.”
Draw boundaries. No phones at the dinner table. In the car. In a restaurant. Remind your teens that they have only a couple of years left at home to have annoying conversations with you face to face!
