Latest mobile phones combine style and technology to create little fashion icons

Pay-as-u-go, contract, G3, two or three mega pixel camera, Orange, Vodaphone, O2, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, the choices seem endless, even before the potential buyer gets to actually choose the model of phone they want. Today the mobile phone is more about lifestyles than simply about making phone calls.

The way that a mobile phone unit looks is key to many buyers, which is why there are so many differently styled models available, frequently offered in a number of different colours, or with optional extras such as a range of cases to modify and personalize the phone to suite the users tastes.

The size of the phone is also a major means for deciding what mobile to choose. Manufacturers are currently fighting to produce the thinnest, lightest or smallest phones available to meet consumer demands. The current cream of the crop is the Samsung X820, which weighs in at a mere 66 grams, making it one of the lightest mobile phones around, and at only 6.9mm thick is the slimmest handset in the world to date! The X820 also comes packed with all the features such as MP3 player, bluetooth, 2MP camera, EDGE and email. For users looking for a compact mobile that is easy to easy to carry around, but has all the functions of the larger phones, then the Samsung E370 is ideal. This tiny little number is just 86mm tall and 43.1mm wide, and weighs in at just 86g but still comes with bluetooth, music player, camera, video, GPRS, EDGE, Email and WAP!

To make the most of the stylish looks, many current phones manufacturers have started to use a sliding display to ensure a compact design which doesn’t compromise the ergonomic ease of use for the keyboard, or the size of the colour screen. These sliders not only look great, like the hyper cool LG KG 800 Chocolate, but they also tend to be slightly sturdier than the more traditional flip type phones. This is not to denigrate flip phones, as they have advanced rapidly in recent years, and with incredibly chic designs like the Sony Ericsson W300i, Motorola V3X, Samsung E870, Samsung E770 or LG U300 Chameleon, it is easy to see why these have become the ‘must have’ fashion icons of our current age.

For anyone who must have the latest in gadgets and technology, then there is always a wide and ever evolving range to choose from. Amongst the best currently widely available are the Nokia N80 and the Motorola V3X which both provide their user with increased data transfer speeds thanks to GPRS, quadband, EDGE and 3G, alongside a host of other functions.

The pay tariff also represents the lifestyle of the user, with specific payment schemes set up for those who constantly communicate by text, are always continuously chatting on their mobile all the time, surf using WAP or the internet, or constantly send and receive video or pictures with others, as well as pay-as-u-go schemes for people who rarely use their phones but still need to remain in contact. Which network and phone tariff scheme is best for the users own needs, is partly based on the offers available at the time, but also on what network friends and family members are on already. Choose the wrong network and many friends may not call as often due to the increased inter-network costs.

Fashion trends have taken over the mobile phone world. Buy the wrong phone or join the wrong network provider and it is possible to get shunned, but get the right mobile on the correct network and the phone can become a great talking point, and allow the user increased freedom and a host of incredibly useful extras like an MP3 player, mobile internet access, high quality camera, portable video player, games, even document readers and packages to allow work to be completed outside the office. The mobile has become so much more than just a phone, it has come to symbolize and shape our modern age and the way we live our lives.

Andrew Regan is an online journalist who enjoys socialising at his local Edinburgh rugby club.