3G: Bring it on!

3G mobile services are long overdue in India. Though launched by state-run operators, they are yet to be rolled out in full swing. However, with 3G phones becoming common by the day and service roll out expected soon, the possibility for mobile consumers are limitless

The term ‘3G’ has been ringing in the telecom circles for a long time now. However, this technology, which promises to usher in a new era in mobile telephony, has stayed elusive to Indian subscribers till date.
On the other hand, 3G enabled phones are more commonly available to consumers. What is even more encouraging is that these devices are not limited to the high-end segment. Today, you can get a 3G-enabled mobile phone for as low as Rs 6,000. While, so far a limited number of mobile service providers (namely state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL)) are offering 3G services, more are expected to hit the market soon.
Yet, the question remains: why is there such a buzz around 3G? What does 3G do? What are the benefits of having a 3G device? Well, if these are the questions in your mind, here is what you should know.
3G Demystified
Broadly speaking, 3G stands for third generation wireless technology that offers more bandwidth and in turn better connectivity. Think of it as a water hose. The thinner hose is 2G or 2.5G, which lets less water pass through it, and 3G as a wider hose with a capacity to let more water pass through it.
On a 3G network one can subscribe to all those services, which are unavailable on 2G networks. or the user experience is not very good on a 2G network. These services include video conferencing, video streaming, video on demand, mobile TV, mobile broadband, location-based services, and many other bandwidth hungry applications. But here is the expalantionof a salient few.

Video conferencing
Video conferencing or video calling is about making calls with a visual subject on the screen. However, not all 3G enabled phones have this facility, as the phone requires two cameras.
The primary camera of a phone is the one present at the back while the secondary camera is the one on the front (normally above the screen). A quality video call can be made only with the presence of a secondary camera, which is not present in all 3G phones. But they can still have features like frequency band and fast data speed. 3G services also allow video conferencing where more than two people can talk on a call as long as the service provider gives this feature. Such services are easily available in some developed Asian countries.

Mobile TV
This is yet another feature of 3G, which allows you a live stream of TV on your phone as long as the service providers redirect the signal in the spectrum.
This service is completely based on the service provider, as the TV signal may need to be decoded to fit the small screen. An offshoot of this app is video on demand, where you can watch your favourite movies on the go. All you have to do is simply select a movie from the list provided by your operator and watch. This facility is again based on service operators and depends on the spectrum the operator gets.

Video on Demand
Video on demand is a service that allows you to watch your favourite video content on the move. This service is available on 2G networks too but in a very rudimentary form. For one you just get short clips and not the full-length video and secondly, they are not high definition videos.
However, on a 3G network, you can simply select any movie offered by your operator and watch it or request a video from your service or content provider. The difference is that your operator can offer you good quality content and you can watch it on the go without worrying about the slow network!

LBS And GPS
Services like GPS will work faster on a 3G network and with more accuracy. The same goes for Location-Based Services (LBS) that enable you to get all the information about a particular area such as local restaurants, events, traffic, local attractions, shopping offers, friends in the vicinity, etc. 3G connectivity makes data transfer quicker and even if you don’t have GPS you can use assisted-GPS to use LBS.

Choose Your Phone
Yes, 3G has a potential to do a lot of things but for that you also need a powerful phone. So the important question is how to choose a good 3G phone.
For starters, the device should be 3G enabled (obviously). On the other hand, if you want to use more visual content, the bigger the screen, the better it is. In fact, the quality of the screen is also important.
For video conferencing you will need a secondary camera right above the screen to let you see the person while talking to him/her. Apart from this, things like strong battery backup, good memory capacity and a strong processor are also important for a phone to handle the influx of content and services on a 3G network.
Finally, as we always say, one phone cannot have everything so choose a phone based on what your want to do the most with the device and obviously your budget. So, while we wait for 3G to come to India and usher in a new revolution, you prepare yourself to get bedazzled.
To know which are the best 3G phones in India today, just turn over.

Even as the government gears up to allocate 3G spectrum to operators, we present to you the best 3G cellphones with maximum features and functions. As stated earlier, choose a device based on what you want to do with it: watch movies, hold video conferences or browse the Web. 3G phones are available in all price ranges. Here are the best ones above Rs 10,000.

The Nokia N79 is a 3G phone with a dual band 3G network and a quad band 2G network. This device is rich in multimedia, enterprise applications and comes with a 5.0-megapixel camera. Not to forget gaming. The N79 comes pre-loaded with the n-GAGE platform.
The phone’s HSDPA is @3.6 Mbps and the wireless network supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and UPnP and DLNA technology for connectivity with other wireless devices.
The Nokia N79 is currently priced at Rs 13,000.


The Sony Ericsson Yari U 100i stands apart from its predecessors in terms of looks. The phone comes with a 2.4-inch screen and two horizontal gaming keys (one of the left and the other on the right). The Sony Ericsson Yari has a GPS receiver and a set of location-based services. Google Maps, Wisepilot Navigation and Tracker come pre-loaded. Internet browsing is good on the device. The phone also has a built in accelerometer. The Yari lacks Wi-Fi and is priced at Rs 12,000.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is the first touchscreen device from the Finnish giant with loads of multimedia and music features. The phone comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual LED flash.

It is pre-loaded with social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, which are extremely popular these days.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is packed with features like Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology, A-GPS support, Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch and much more. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is available for Rs 13,500.

3G phones are not just for a privileged few. Here's our pick of the best ones available under Rs 10,000.

The Sony Ericsson C510 from the Cyber Shot series is a feature-rich device, which does not cost a packet.
The phone looks elegant and comes with GPRS and EDGE of Class 10, but lacks Wi-Fi. It has Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP for better connectivity and easy sharing of files.
The secondary camera comes in handy for video calls. The 3.2-megapixel primary camera has autofocus and an LED flash. The Sony Ericsson C510 is priced at
Rs 8,900.

Though not a phone with the most spectacular specifications, the Samsung C5130 is the best for those who want simple devices.
The phone comes with EDGE, GPRS and UMTS and has WAP, Web Browser and NetFront 3.5.
The Samsung C5130 comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera but lacks a front camera. The Samsung C5130 is the cheapest 3G phone and costs just Rs 5,100.

The Samsung L700 comes with a metallic body and a solid construction. The phone is a Quad-band with GSM support, GPRS and EDGE. It supports a single band UMTS 2100Mhz with video call feature. The phone also comes with basic Google integration. It has a 2.0-megapixel fixed focus camera with LED flash.
The device supports stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) and FM radio with RDS. It comes with an Office document viewer. The Samsung L700 costs Rs 6,600.