More recently, Pixo (.com) has released a rival microbrowser that is currently slated to appear in new Samsung phones. But isn't standing still. Its collaboration with speech-recognition software company Conversa (.com) means that, one day, you may be able to browse the Web from your cell phone using voice commands.
Meanwhile, big-name mobile-phone companies like Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson--almost all of which license the cross-licensing with such companies as Palm Inc. and Britain-based Psion Ltd., which is developing the Symbian platform. The phone companies hope to create a new generation of "smart" cell phones that are as adept at data manipulation as voice communications. One of the earliest examples will likely come from Nokia, which is developing a Symbian/Palm hybrid that will include pen-based PDA functions, wireless Web access and voice communications.
I'VE GOTA PLAN
The Big Three of Web-enabled cellular services are Sprint PCS (.com), AT&T (.com) and the recently formed Verizon (.com). Be aware that your geographic location could end up limiting your choices, but all three service most of the United States. Bigger bills are part and parcel of cellular Web access, and running over your allotted downloads can add up. A good starting place for assessing your options is , a site that lets you search and compare calling plans and phones for your area.
For example, Sprint PCS Wireless Web charges an extra $ per month on top of regular voice service; wireless Web connections that run over your basic amount cost 25 cents per minute. AT&T offers basic service with the purchase of an AT&T wireless Internet-ready phone and any of its wireless service plans. Verizon, a new conglomerate of several companies, has wireless Web offerings that vary by location.
PHONE FEATURES
If you want, you can find yourself a phone with more bells and whistles than a one-man band. Most Internet phones come equipped with a nice bundle of extra features. Some of the basics are different incoming-call rings, last-number recall, one-push emergency dial, speed dialing and mute. These features can also be found on most standard cell phones.
One big (or little) consideration when buying one of these phones is the size of the phone's LCD screen. Cramming the Internet onto the surface of a cell phone is difficult enough, but the size of your microbrowser can affect how much information you can view at a time as well as ease of use. LCDs in our table range from 11 lines of display with the NeoPoint NP1000 to four lines with the Audiovox CDM-9000 and Samsung SCH-3500.
A sub-genre of the Web phone is the PDA-hybrid phone. The Kyocera pdQ Smartphone (formerly a Qualcomm product) has been around the longest. It integrates a fully functional Palm OS PDA with the cellular phone. There is obvious convenience value in having one device handle the chores of two. The pdQ Smartphone is certainly the most flexible phone in our list, but also the most expensive: $699 to $799 (street). Buying a Palm and a phone separately could cost you $200 to $300 less. At just under 10 ounces, the pdQ Smartphone is the heaviest phone on our list, too--not as pocket-friendly as the sub-5-ounce phones.
A cheaper alternative (by $500) to the pdQ Smartphone is the NeoPoint NP 1000. Dubbed a Personal Communications Assistant, it incorporates such PDA features as an icon graphical interface, a scheduler, to-do and contact lists, and PC synchronization through a docking station. Writing with the keypad is made easier by smart-text software that finishes words as they're input. And at just over 6 ounces, it's not too heavy
WEB WANDERING
Of course, the whole point of buying a Web-enabled phone is to surf the Web. We use the term "surf" loosely. There's only so much information that can fit on such small text screens at one time. And download speeds max out at the speed of early modems. Microbrowsers also can't handle regular HTML Web pages as we're familiar with them on our big, colorful desktop monitors. Wireless portal sites like AvantGo (.com) have to adjust them first, or the site has to be in WML (wireless markup language).
WML pages can be accessed for display on phones, but relatively few sites are available in that format. Some that are include Yahoo!, and , which is why some of the first services through are sports scores, weather, directions and stock quotes. Some of the newer, not-so-obvious services are daily horoscopes from , show and concert tickets through Ticketmaster. com and e-commerce transactions via .
If the selection seems skimpy compared to what you're used to, keep in mind that the wireless Internet is still in its virtual infancy. Technology research firm IDC predicts that all phones shipped by mid-2001 will be wirelesscapable, and that wireless Web users will potentially outnumber wired users by the end of 2002. So you could choose to be a trendsetter-or you could wait for wireless Web services to multiply.
ADD-ONS
Although Web-enabled phones are still in the early development stages, there are third-party services that can enhance the experience. While most wireless Web packages include access to Web-based Yahoo! e-mail accounts regular POP e-mail gets left behind. PhoneFish (.com) allows you to check your POP3 e-mail from your wireless phone. Basic service is free; premium service costs $ per month after a 30-day trial period.
Popular search engine Excite (.com) slimmed down a version of itself to create a portal called Excite Mobile (.). Sign-up is free; users can access Excite e-mail, a planner, directions and news. Microsoft offers a similar service, MSN Mobile (.com), which offers access to Hotmail e-mail, news from , travel information from and MSN Yellow Pages.
Visto (.com) acts as an online personal information manager, with e-mail, addresses and calendars accessible through WAP-enabled phones. Visto has an agreement with Nokia to offer its services through Nokia WAP phones. Expect more WAP applications to reach the market soon.
For a glimpse into the future of e-commerce, visit (www. /phone), which has opened its virtual doors to wireless Web customers. Expect more retailers to follow suit as Web phones proliferate. Air-Flash (.com) is rolling out "in-commerce" (mobile commerce) services that allow you to buy tickets, rent cars and reserve hotel rooms based on your current location when you call.
DIALING FOR DOLLARS
Getting the best deal on a new phone is no big deal. Of course, any phone with a microbrowser is going to tick in at a higher price than a regular, basic cell phone. The phones in our table range from a low of $ to a high of nearly $800, but most stay less than $250. Compare that to prices as low as $50 for a non-microbrowser phone.
Usually, your best prices will come with the purchase of a calling plan and a phone package at the same time. Some phones are only available this way. Cellular companies are constantly offering incentives and discounts that can get you anything from free Web access for a limited time to free shipping or a rebate on your phones. Check service providers' Web pages for the latest.
Shopping sites Cellmania (.com) and BuyPhone (www. ) double as retailers and comparison tools. Both are searchable by ZIP code to show only plans that are available for your location. Usually, you'll have to choose a plan before choosing a phone. If you're upgrading, check with your cellular service provider to see if the phone you want is compatible. Purchasing for yourself is one thing, but buying for your business is another. To get the best deal on multiple phones for yourself and your employees, your best bet is to check directly with service providers' business departments.
GLOSSARY
CDMA (code-division multiple access): a digital standard that allows multiple phones to share radio frequencies
Dual-band: describes phones that work with both 800MHz and 1,900MHz systems
Dual-mode: describes phones that work with both digital and analog network, giving them the ability to switch to analog when the digital network is inaccessible
Microbrowser: developed by Phone. com, it's a small-text Web browser integrated into some cellular phones
PCS (Personal Communications Service): describes a digital cellular network like Sprint's
WAP (wireless application protocol): WAP-enabled phones have to connect to and read WML pages.
WML (wireless markup language): the wireless Web version of HTML that allows Internet-enabled phones to read Web sites
