The advance of mobile phone technology in the last several years is astounding, and the Nokia 6230 is a good example. Two reviews of this tri-band GSM phone make the advance very clear. It's "the smartest non-smart phone I've seen," one reviewer says, who notes its first-rate FM radio, IR port, Bluetooth feature, and excellent internal antenna. The blackest mark against it, from the perspective of another reviewer, is that it cannot handle HTML-based email.

The Nokia 6230: What You're Buying

Introduced at the "Destination Nokia 100% Pure Mobility"--a Brisbane, Australia event--as the star attraction, it was described as "sleek and compact." The phone offers numerous connectivity options, among which are EDGE, GSM, and Bluetooth. So far, the only service provider in the United States offering it is Cingular.

At 4.06 by 1.73 by 0.79 inches, the Nokia 6230 may not be the tiniest digital mobile on the market, but it's light enough at 3.42 ounces (97 grams). Its lithium ion battery offers four hours of talk time and more than nine days of standby. You can't beat that combination when you're on the road! The real bonus with this model is that you can take it abroad with you, unlike so many readily available and spiffy phones that are restricted to U.S. territory.

Approved by the FCC in February 2004, the Nokia 6230 offers more functionality than Alexander Graham Bell and Nikolai Tessla--whom we have to thank for the idea of wireless communications--could possibly have conceived in the 1880s. Standard features include a camera, picture messaging, POP3-IMAP4-SMTP email, high-speed data, Java support, wireless Internet, MP3 playback, and a host of others. In other words, your standard wireless telephone is fast becoming much more than the Dick Tracey wrist phone of a cartoonist's imagination 40 years ago.

Free Nokia cell phones are actually pretty easy to get a hold of. Nokia is one of the world's largest cell phone manufacturers, and a lot of cellular carriers offer their phones free of charge. Many of these free Nokia cell phones are actually very high in quality, and may be more than enough to meet your needs.

How to Get Free Nokia Cell Phones

The cheapest way to get free Nokia cell phones is to buy a prepaid calling plan. Carriers like T-Mobile and Cingular offer prepaid plans for as little as $50 that come with a free Nokia phone. And these phones aren't bad at all--many of them come with color screens, text messaging capability and downloadable ringtones.

If you're wiling to sign a long-term contract, you can get much better Nokia cell phones for free. Some carriers have better deals than others, and their offers are changing constantly, so the best thing to do is check each and every provider that has service in your area to find the best deal. I was able to get a free Nokia phone about a year ago that would have cost over $300 if I had bought it in a shop without signing up for a plan.

Free Nokia cell phones are also available for people who already have a contract with a carrier. If you've been with a certain carrier for a year or two, give them a call and ask if they'll let you get a new phone for free. In many cases they want to keep you happy, and will give you a great cell phone for free just to keep your business.

Samsung cell phones haven't been around that long, but they have certainly established themselves as a popular brand in the last few years. Combining unique design elements with advanced functionality, Samsung cell phones have constantly pushed the envelope in the cell phone market.

Varieties of Samsung Cell Phones

Samsung seems to be a staunch proponent of the flip phone. The vast majority of their models feature the flip-open design. If you're into flip phones, Samsung cell phones are a great choice since they offer a great combination of design and functionality, since they were one of the first companies to develop the flip phone.

Unlike many other cell phone manufacturers, Samsung makes phones that work with all types of cellular networks. Since their phones are compatible with both CDMA and GSM (although you usually have to use a different phone for each network), they work with virtually all of the major cellular carriers. AT&T, Cingular, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile all offer a wide range of Samsung phones.

In terms of design and functionality, Samsung phones are right at the head of the pack. Most of their phones now feature brilliant color displays, and many of them come with a built-in camera. Depending on which carrier you're using (and if you've subscribed to the right service) most Samsung phones also allow you to send text (SMS) messages.

Nokia phone owners can now download Nokia polyphonic ringtones, which are currently the most clear-sounding and complex telephone rings on the market. When special ringtones were first invented for cellular phones, the only kind available was monophonic. A monophonic sound means that only one string of notes will play at any given time. In most cases, the melody of a song plays.

The advancement to Nokia polyphonic ringtones marks the creation of real music for cell phone rings, real music being defined as having a melody, harmony, bass, and rhythm. While the actual songs you would hear if you bought a CD do not play when the phone rings, the essence of those songs remains in polyphonic ringtones.

Oftentimes, the vocals from original songs are replaced by electronic notes. To listeners, the difference in switching from monophonic to polyphonic is that not only do catchy melodies from their favorite songs play but so do the beats that make people want to dance.

Nokia Polyphonic Ringtones for the Future

While traditional telephone rings are still the most popular means of getting people to pick up their phones, Nokia polyphonic ringtones are a glimpse into the future. Ringtones are an up-and-coming product, but they might one day replace regular phone rings. After all, telephone rings had originally been designed so that people could hear a ringing phone from across an entire house. Since most people today keep their cellular phones nearby, it makes sense to download more pleasant rings.