High-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) phones can expand your third-generation (3G) communication options. These phones let you search the Web, download streaming media, and upload data as easily as you can make a phone call. The phone’s speed, operating frequencies, and design features can make it a valuable addition to your digital arsenal. Broadband networks that support these phones, however, do not always let you access every feature in your phone.
Data transfer speed capabilities for HSDPA phones vary. On average, HSDPA phones promise downlink rates of 7.2 Megabits per second (Mbps) and uplink rates of 2 Mbps, with some reporting rates as low as 384 Mbps in both directions. A few HSDPA phones have downlink rates as high as 10.2 Mbps with uplink rates that are more than twice the 2 Mbps average. Others operate at or near the average downlink rate, but have 5.72 Mbps uplink rates.
To select a phone that fits your needs, you need to consider which activities are most important to you besides voice calls. Data-intensive applications are less likely to bottleneck at the highest speeds. A phone that is capable of higher speeds requires less time on the same 3G broadband network to accomplish your tasks.
The phone’s operating frequency determines where you can use it. A majority of HSDPA phones can operate on the 1700 or 2100 Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) frequency. None operate on all four Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) frequencies – 800, 900, 1800, and 1900.
If you frequently travel outside your national network, your phone should work on at least one UMTS and more than one GSM frequency. On networks in the United States, HSDPA phones mainly use the 850 or 1900 GSM frequency. Europe uses the 900 GSM frequency and Asia uses the 1800 GSM frequency.
Choosing a phone also means selecting a carrier. The telecommunications industry has not offered consumers HSDPA phones that can work on any broadband carrier’s network. Generally, the company that provides your mobile broadband connection restricts your phone choices. Its HSDPA coverage and speeds may be limited outside heavily populated areas.
The best HSDPA phone will have high ratings for durability and reliability. It should have a good design that incorporates a QWERTY keyboard and real or virtual hot keys that provide shortcuts for data-intensive tasks. The phone’s operating system is important. Windows® mobile is the most versatile and widely accepted. Battery life, screen size and resolution, and the phone’s weight also could contribute to your satisfaction or detract from it.