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Gadget crazy!

Mobiles with added features attract youth

OLD GADGET, NEW TRICKS Multi-faceted cell phones PHOTO K. MURALI KUMAR

Ask a youngster about the one thing that is indispensable to him. You'll probably get `mobile phone' for an answer. For a majority, the day begins and ends with a call or an SMS.

But, these days it is not just about having a phone, but what kind of phone. Youngsters don't want to settle for just a basic phone. With new higher-end versions hitting the market, they want to make the best use of technological innovations, the huge price tag notwithstanding.

Have it? Flaunt it

Nishant Kumar, 19, loves flaunting his Sony Ericsson 910i, which he bought for Rs. 24,000. "This a smart phone. I store my daily schedules, timetable, exam schedule and even my project submission date on it. As for entertainment value, it supports MP3 and MP4 format and, I can even watch a full-fledged movie." Sandeep Poluseni, who's doing production engineering, carries a Nokia 9300 communicator that cost him Rs. 21,000. "I can create documents in it. Its wide screen and QWERT keyboard are comfortable. With GPRS, I can use my laptop to connect to Internet through the phone," he says.

A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is another gizmo that's catching the fancy of students.

Vijay Rakesh, a second-year engineering student, is a proud owner of O2, a PDA. "My dad gifted it to me. You can call it a mini-computer. It has Internet Explorer, camera and allows for both video and audio recording. It also has the regular features of a phone."

Though there are many who haven't activated their GPRS because of the cost factor, technologies like Infrared and Bluetooth have become part of their routine.

"Right from sending ringtones to photos or clipart, I prefer to switch on my bluetooth. It's an easy way of transferring data and costs nothing," says Parul Malhotra, who owns a Nokia 3250.

MANGALA RAMAMOORTHY

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