Most music-phone buyers don’t yet know how to differentiate one handset from another. Here are some key factors to point out to them:
The bigger the better. People may not listen to many tracks at a time, but they do like the option of selecting from a large collection
• BATTERY LIFE –
Music functions can clobber the battery on a mobile. The main power hogs are hard disk drives (only available on a couple of phones right now) and music-playing software implemented in Java.
• HEADPHONES –
Most phones come with headsets that are good enough for voice calls but seem tinny and ineffectual for music. The option for plugging in a better-quality headset is important, and for maximum flexibility that means a standard 3.5mm jack socket.
• OPERATOR –
The networks vary widely in terms of what they can offer the music fan.