- Analog: The original type of wireless technology. Although largely supplanted by various digital formats, analog remains the common format supported by cellular providers and is essential for emergency calling, in our view.
- Adaptor: Interchangeable fitting to allow your mobile to communicate with other electronic devices.
- Aerial: A cell phone signal enhancer..
- Car Kit: An adapter kit that enables you to mount your cell phone in your car so that it can be used while driving.
- CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access. The digital calling format used by Sprint, Verizon, Wireless, and some regional carriers. CDMA is incompatible with other digital formats. It assigns a digital code to each caller to identify that person and keeps calls separate.
- Cell Phone Camera: A new feature that allows you to take photographs using your camera
- Cellular: Also known as mobile or wireless. It's a call-handling system composed of a network of antennas, each covering a small area of cell. A call from your cellular phone is relayed from antenna to antenna as needed.
- Cellular band: The original part of the radio spectrum allocated by the Federal Communication Commission for mobile-phone transmissions. Companies using this band must provide some analog service, under FCC regulations. See also PCs bands.
- Cigar charger: An adaptor that allows you to charge your mobile from your car, aeroplane or boat.
- Cell Phone Camera: A new feature that allows you to take photographs using your camera
- Dual Band: Denotes a phone that can operate in the cellular frequency band as well as the PCS band.
- Dual Mode, Tri-Mode, or Multinetwork: Denotes a phone that can use at least one digital format as well as analog. Tri-mode phones operate digitally in both cellular and PCS frequency bands.
- Ear Piece: Small speaker that fits into your ear to ensure confidentiality.
- GAM: Global System for Mobile communications. A digital format used widely in Europe and Asia. In the U.S. only T-mobile and some AT&T and Cingular use GSM. It keeps calls separate by assigning a slice of time to each caller.
- Hands free: A kit to enable you to operate your cell phone without actually holding it.
- Home Carrier: the company you select to provide wireless phone service.
- IDEN: Integrated Digital Enhanced Network. A Digital technology that's similar to, but incompatible with, GSM and TDMA. Used only by Nextel in the U.S.
- Key Pad: Series of buttons used to control the mobile.
- PCS band: Personal Communications System band. A portion of the radio spectrum allocated to mobile-phone transmissions. PCS in a different set of frequencies from the cellular band, Sprint and T-Mobile are the largest companies operating solely in the PCS band, although other carriers use it for some customers. Companies using the PCS band are not required to provide analog service, although Sprint provides it via roaming agreements.
- PIN: A security code used to activate a mobile phone or recharge a prepaid cell phone.
- Pouch: Vinyl, plastic or leather protection for your cell phone.
- PUK: A long security code used to reactivate a mobile phone which has been deactivated.
- Roaming: the common practise of seeking a signal from a "partner" carrier to handle a call when you're outside your home carrier's area.
- SAR: Specific Absorption Rate. The number available for every cell phone, refers to the relative amount of radio-frequency energy absorbed by the body of a person using a wire-less handset, How meaningful is the SAR? See cellphone-safety.
- SMS: Short Messaging Service. also know as text messaging. A rapid growing new use for cell phones. SMS lets you send short text message from one cell phone to another or from the internet to a cell phone. You can compose a message without being on the wireless network, thus saving airtime minutes.
- TMDA: Time Division Multiple Access. The digital format used mainly by AT&T Wireless and Cingular. Incompatible with other digital formats, TDMA is similar to GSM.
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