Kent German, CNET's cell phone guru, wants to answer your questions about cell phones, services, and accessories.
Send him a question!
LG KG800 Chocolate
Motorola V195
CNET's chart of the
10 cell phones with the lowest SAR levels is so out of date that only 2 out of the 10 phones are even available. Is there a new version of the chart available with phones that are actually still in production?
--Drew
A: You're in luck, Drew, as no sooner did your e-mail arrive than did we publish a new version of the chart. Also, we updated our chart of the 10 phones with the highest SAR levels as well. On the new 10 lowest chart, the LG KG800 Chocolate (that's the unlocked GSM version) has taken the lead with a digital SAR rating of 0.08 watts per kilogram. Meanwhile in our 10 highest chart, T-Mobile's Motorola V195 tops them all at 1.6 watts per kilogram, which is the highest amount allowed by the FCC. And in case you don't believe me just check out this user's manual (see page 67).
Q: I am locked into Cingular but I want to get a phone by a different company. Does this work?
--Raymond
A: By "company" I assume you mean a company other than Cingular. And if that's the case then the answer is both yes and no. You can't buy a phone from another carrier for a few reasons. Handsets from Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and Nextel use technologies that are incompatible with Cingular's network. So even if you happen to have such a phone you're out of luck, sadly.
On the other hand, you can buy an unlocked GSM phone and use it quite easily with Cingular. Most cell phones sold in the United States are "locked" meaning they have settings that restrict their use to one carrier. Conversely, an unlocked phone is a handset that has no settings that tie it to particular carrier. Though they're quite common overseas, unlocked phones have only started to grow in popularity in the United States over the past couple years. As a result they're readily available online or in cell phone gadget stores that aren't operated by a wireless carrier.
Are you partial to CDMA or GSM? Talk back to me below.
Q: GSM and CDMA are two different technologies. Is it possible to differentiate between a GSM and a CDMA phone just by looking at it?
--Puja
A: Unless you're a cell phone geek and good at telling handsets apart, meaning you can look at a phone and instantly know its model and carrier, there's no way to tell whether a phone is CDMA or GSM by looking at its exterior. Of course you can find its operating technology by opening the phone and looking for a SIM card. If it has a SIM card, it's GSM, and if not, then the phone is CDMA.
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