Getting the Most out of Your Music Phone

Getting the Most out of Your Music Phone

These days, most cell phones do not offer the same kind of capacity as many standalone MP3 players, especially if you're the type of person who is more accustomed to the full size iPod and its 20GB, 40GB, or even 80GB of internal memory. By contrast, most music phones are restricted to the size of the memory card inside. There are a few exceptions to this rule -- like the 8GB Nokia N91 Music Edition -- but not many. How can you get the most of your music phone? Read on and find out.

Using the MP3 Player

Different handsets have different capabilities. What's more, when you cross over different cell phone brands, you will encounter different user interfaces and different levels of functionality. For example, many Samsung cell phones, like the D900, can only handle playlists of up to 30 songs. This may or may not be an issue, depending on the type of music listener you are. Be sure to read up on details like this before deciding on a MP3 cell phone. Other things you may want to look into are equalizers (rock, pop, country, etc.), shuffle/repeat functions, and the ability to multitask (run the music player while accessing other phone features).

You may also want to check if your phone is capable of playing other audio formats in addition to the standard MP3 that most people use. AAC and WMA files may be smaller in size (without losing any quality), allowing you to store more songs in the same size memory card. This is another feature that you may want to check. On a side note, there are many free tools on the internet that allow you to convert music files between different formats, so this should not be an issue. Bear in mind that most music downloaded from iTunes will not work on cell phones because of DRM (digital rights management) protection.

Download Music to Your Phone

There are two or three main ways to download music onto your cell phone. You can buy the music directly from your service provider -- using V CAST with Verizon, for example -- skipping the use of a computer as an intermediary. Alternatively, you can use a Bluetooth connection or a USB data cable to transfer music from your computer's hard drive onto your music phone. For more on how to do this, read our article on How to Upload Music on Your Mobile Phone.

Memory Card Types

Typically, the built-in memory on your cell phone will not be enough to hold more than a small handful of songs, so it is in your best interest to buy a large capacity memory card. Be careful with the different types of memory cards, however, as they are not compatible with one another! Many phones use microSD, whereas Sony Ericsson phones usually use Memory Stick Pro Duo. Check your user manual before buying. More on memory card types can be found here.

Other Music Options

Did you know that many music phones have capabilities to play tunes above and beyond the integrated MP3 player? Here are two other options that can either be free or reasonably inexpensive to enjoy.

FM Radio

Check the specifications and features of your cell phone with the manufacturer or service provider, but if you find that your handset comes equipped with an FM radio, you can quickly and easily listen to your local deejays and their play mixes on your mobile phone! Best of all, this is absolutely free.

XM Satellite Radio

Telus Mobility currently offers what they call "Telus Mobile Radio, Powered by XM Canada." This is a limited version of XM Satellite Radio that can be played on select handsets offered through the Canadian mobile operator. The price is in line with regular XM radio subscriptions, costing around $15 per month. Bear in mind that you do not have access to all XM channels through this service.

Upgraded Headphones

Just as new higher-grade ear buds and headphones provide better sound quality over the inexpensive earphones that come "free" with MP3 players and iPods, the same can be said about music phones. The difference, however, is that standard ear buds and headphones will not work directly with most cell phones as they must also have an in-line microphone for you to take voice calls. Read our article on Cell Phone Headsets for more details, but if you want to have the best experience possible, you should consider a higher quality Bluetooth A2DP headset that will give you stereo sound and without wires!