Jargon buster
- Display
- Your screen size is measured by the maximum number of pixels that can be displayed on screen. The higher the pixel count the more detail your screen can display, so the more the better, especially for 3G and camera phones. Also watch out for the number of of colours that can be displayed, this is called the colour resolution and generally the greater the number of colours the better the picture.
- Downloading content
- Depending on what type of phone you have you will be able to download or receive various types of content. If your phone is WAP enabled then you can look at WAP sites, which are like mini internet sites for your phone. Our GPRS phones can send and receive MMS messages, which are like text messages but you can attach a picture or sound as well as text. 3G phones (that means third generation) can send and receive very large amounts of data, so you can rapidly download MP3s, videos and much more.
- Operation
- Many phones have dedicated keys for different functions, making it easier for you to navigate your phone, for example to switch to music player, WAP or camera mode. The Virgin key gives you immediate access to Virgin Mobile Bites at the touch of the button.
- Music
- Want more music on your mobile? MP3 technology lets you play CD quality sound on your phone. You can transfer tunes to your mobile all kinds of ways, including via Bluetooth, or a memory card. And if your phone comes with the necessary software it's easy to copy (or 'rip') a CD onto your computer, highlight the tracks you want and add them to your transfer list. Then click the 'transfer' button and all your choices will magically appear on your phone. Easy-peasy.*
*Music should only be copied with the owner's permission and be used solely for personal use. - Back ups
- Got pictures, MP3s, movies or phone numbers you want to back up? There are plenty of ways to get stuff like that off your phone and somewhere safe. If your phone has Bluetooth it can communicate with other Bluetooth devices, so you can send files to other mobiles or PCs wirelessly. You can also use a memory card to transfer files to your computer desktop. You can even Bluetooth machines in high-street shops, so you can print your pics for less than 10p and keep them forever.
- Video capture
- Lets you use your phone like a video camera to record moving images. Usually shooting at about 15 frames per second, some new models are now delivering an even smoother 30 frames per second. On top of that, most 3G models allow you to make video calls as well, so you can be seen and heard for a change.
- Ringtones
- Polyphonic ringtones give you a fantastic multi-layered sound for you to listen to on the move or use as your ringtone. The more tones the phone has, the clearer and more orchestrated the sound will be. Trutones are MP3s, meaning your favourite chart-topping tunes can become your ringtones. Check out our downloadable ringtones from Bites, at virginmobile.co.uk by hitting your Virgin key or through the internet option on your phone's menu.
- Memory storage
- Memory is the amount of space you have to record videos, store pictures or download music. So the greater the memory the more stuff you can keep on your phone. Basically, 1MB = 1 million bytes, which is the same as 1 minute of MP3 music, 3 photos (2 megapixel) or 20 seconds of video*. It's the same with your phonebook, the bigger the capacity the more names and numbers you can store. Don't worry if you do run out of space though, as long as your phone will support one, you can enlarge your phone's memory with an external memory card – just pick one up from a Virgin Mobile store, found in Virgin Megastores.
*Results for times and images are estimates based on average use with typical mobile phone files of average size. Results are not guaranteed. - Camera functions
- Don't worry if your photography isn't up to much, most new camera phones come with extra functions such as autofocus or a flash to give you winning pictures every time. Digital zoom expands a portion of your picture electronically, although this can reduce picture quality. Digital images are made up of pixels and generally the more megapixels your phone's camera can capture, the better the quality of your snaps. A 1 megapixel camera will capture a million pixels whilst our top of the range 3.2 megapixel camera will capture a huge 3.2 million pixels.