TECHNOLOGY:
HANDSET TESTS
Next G
phones show
improvement
With the shutdown of the CDMA network
scheduled for January 28, 2008, Kondinin
Group engineers Josh Giumelli and Ben White
tested eight Next G phone handsets to find if
any improvements had been made in newer
models in the four months since the
last round of testing.
Josh Giumelli
and Ben White
KONDININ GROUP
At a glance
New Next G handsets offer improved
performance over previously
tested models.
Users in fringe areas should only consider
the ZTE F165 handset.
The best non-blue tick handset tested
was the Nokia 6120 but it lacked an
antenna plug.
Users prone to damaging phones need
to consider the shock- and moistureresistant ZTE F158 but it does not easily
fit in a pocket.
Farmers wanting a simple handset with
fair performance and large buttons
should consider the Samsung
A411–A412 models.
Antennas improved the performance of
the LG TU500–TU550 and ZTE models
but only to the same degree as
published in Farming Ahead’s Next G
Research Report.
The LG TU550 and ZTE F165 models had
the best coverage, both with and
without an external antenna.
Consider the cost and availability of
direct-coupled car kits before choosing
a handset.
An updated range of Next G handsets
provides farmers with more choice when
choosing a handset ahead of the looming
CDMA network closure this month.
Although most CDMA users have now
migrated across to Next G, some could be
holding off for a handset more suitable for
their needs.
Kondinin Group’s Next G Research
Report published in the August 2007 issue
of Farming Ahead revealed many Next G
handsets were unsuitable for use in rural
areas with fringe network coverage.
Many handsets did not feature a plug for
direct coupling of an external antenna.
Telstra followed by labelling suitable
handsets with a ‘blue tick’ logo,
signifying increased sensitivity for use in
rural areas. But this limited the choice to a
few handsets.
Since then, Kondinin Group tests show
the newly launched ZTE F165 offers
superior coverage sensitivity.
But what about the phones?
During October 2007, Telstra announced
the Next G network had reached
equivalency with the CDMA network and
plans were to see it eventually cover a larger
footprint than the CDMA network.
But issues still remained with farmers
who had coverage on the fringes of the
CDMA network, only to find they did
not have similar coverage when they
changed over to early Next G handsets.
Kondinin Group believes handset
performance is the major contributing
22 Farming Ahead January 2008 No. 192 www.farmingahead.com.au
Kondinin Group engineers Josh Giumelli (pictured left)
and Ben White (right) used a 6.5dB antenna to
test phones when the handheld coverage limit was
reached. The ZTE, LG and Samsung A411–A412 models
all have antenna plugs but patch leads could not be
sourced for all handsets.
factor to Next G phone reception, rather
than the network itself.
Telstra has already exchanged many
inferior handsets such as the Samsung
A701 with improved models such as
the LG TU550.
Although most CDMA users
have now migrated across
to Next G, some might
be holding off to for a
handset more suitable for
their needs.
Handset performance on the improve
Kondinin Group engineers returned to
the Oxley Downs, New South Wales, test site
where they found an overall improvement
in Next G handset performance.
While none of the handsets quite
matched the performance of the Nokia
2280 CDMA phone at 45 kilometres,
the LG TU500 and TU550, Samsung A411
and ZTE F165 were all able to make calls
at 39km.
When attached to a 6.5-decibel antenna,
the LG TU550 and ZTE F165 top scored,
making successful calls at 46.5km.
While not branded as a blue tick handset,
the Nokia 6120 returned an excellent
performance of 37km — one of the best
TECHNOLOGY:
HANDSET TESTS
results for a non-blue tick phone.
Unfortunately, this handset lacked an
antenna plug.
Handset for hard knocks
The sturdily built ZTE F158 ‘tradesman’s
phone’ performed similarly to the Nokia
6120 but is more suited to users needing
a tough phone to wear on a belt clip.
This phone can be plugged directly into
an antenna through the patch lead plug.
A large clip-on antenna is available.
The handset would be difficult to lose
due to its bright blue colour.
Earlier handsets were plagued with
software problems, prompting a recall.
This situation has been rectified with all
new handsets featuring updated firmware.
Many Kondinin Group
members have expressed
a desire for a simple handset
without cameras, video
calling and other
high-tech features.
Rural phone an option
The release of the ZTE F165 rural phone
provides farmers with another option for a
more sensitive handset.
While Kondinin Group engineers could
not split the performance of the ZTE F165
and LG TU550 under ideal test conditions
at Oxley Downs, the ZTE F165 had superior
performance in hilly areas with marginal
reception coverage. The F165 is also more
ruggedly constructed and features larger
buttons and screen.
While the pull-out antenna is a handy
feature, it is annoying that it needs to be
rotated before it will clip into place.
Simple phone more suited to some
Many farmers have expressed a desire for
a simple handset without cameras, video
calling and other high-tech features.
The handset that comes closest to
fulfilling these wishes is the Samsung
A411–A412. While it still has a camera,
there is no video calling facility and no
micro SD card slot.
The handset is compact in design but has
large buttons and a stub antenna.
See page 24 for detailed pros and cons of
each handset tested.
MORE INFORMATION See the Next G Research
Report, Farming Ahead No. 187.
CONTACT Josh Giumelli
[email protected]
FIGURE 1 How handsets performed
0
10
20
30
40
45
50
55
Phone handsets
LG TU500
LG TU550
Nokia 6120
Nokia E51
Nokia N95
Samsung A411
ZTE F158
ZTE F165
Handsets with 6.5dBi antenna*
LG TU500
LG TU550
ZTE F165
250
200
150
100
10
20
30
40
Distance from tower at Oxley Downs (km)
* Not all models could be tested with a 6.5dBi antenna.
Source and illustration: Kondinin Group.
45
50
50
55
Height above sea level (m)
300
0
Handsfree car kits
If planning to install a phone in a vehicle,
consider the features and price of car kits
available for each model.
There are two main types of car kit: direct
antenna coupled kits; and inductive-style
coupled kits. Both could be available in a
directly connected (wired) and bluetooth
(wireless) styles, depending on the handset.
Inductive car kits rely on an antenna plate in
the kit cradle which ‘pairs’ with the antenna in
the phone handset. Directly coupled kits have a
direct connection with the patch-lead plug on
the handset. Because some phones (such as
the Nokia 6120 classic) do not have an external
antenna connection, these phones use the
inductive style kit. The most effective car kit is
the directly coupled style. Inductive styles ‘lose’
some of the signal in the signal transfer process.
Kits for the models tested
The LG models tested are available with both
inductive and directly coupled kits, the latter
being $50 more, is made by Telstra and is
designed for either phone and features the
direct antenna connection. Rural users would
be best to ignore the less expensive LG model,
which has inductive antenna coupling.
Samsung’s A411–A412 uses a bluetooth kit,
meaning all connections between the phone
and the car kit are wireless, except for the
antenna connection, which is directly wired to
the handset patch-lead plug.
Both Telstra’s ZTE165 and ZTE158 handsets
can be used in a dedicated fully wired kit which
is the cheapest kit available and features a
direct connection to the patch-lead antenna
connection on the handset.
The 6120 is the only Nokia handset with its
own car kit currently available. Nokia make a
generic bluetooth handsfree kit but it has taken
a third party manufacturer about three months
to build a dedicated cradle powered (to charge
the handset) for the 6120 with an inductivestyle antenna connection. Similar inductivestyle cradles are expected to be available soon
for the N95 and E51, again to be used with the
Nokia bluetooth car kit.
Professional installation of car kits is
about $150.
Make
Model Handsfree car kit ($)
LG
TU550 299*–349
LG
TU500 299*–349
Samsung
A411
349**
Telstra (ZTE)
158
199
Telstra (ZTE)
165
199
Nokia
6120
299***
Nokia
E51
Not available
Nokia
N95
Not available
* Inductive OEM style kit. Telstra make direct
coupled kit. ** Cradle has direct connection to
external antenna. Kit itself is bluetooth. *** Uses
orginal Nokia bluetooth handsfree kit with a third
party inductive cradle.
Source: Telstra.
Farming Ahead January 2008 No. 192 www.farmingahead.com.au
23
TECHNOLOGY:
HANDSET TESTS
TABLE 1 Specifications of Next G phone handsets tested by Kondinin Group
Talk
Camera
internal Memory Blue tick Antenna Video Bluetooth Price1
time
(megapixels) memory expansion
port
calling
(minutes)
(Mb)
slot
LG TU500, TU550
Flip-phone
105
Internal
1100
150
1.3
14
Micro SD
✓
✓
✓
✓
$5292
Nokia 6120
Brick
84
Internal
890
162
2.0
35
Micro SD
✗
✗
✓
✓
$589
Nokia E51
Brick
100
Internal
1050
420
2.0
130
Micro SD
✗
✗
✓
✓
$679
Nokia N95
Slider
125
Internal
1200
205
5.0
160
Micro SD
✓
✗
✓
✓
$1199
Samsung A411–A412
Flip
88
External stub 1000
150
—
54
—
✓
✓
✗
✓
$4092
ZTE F158
Brick
160
Internal
1700
300
1.3
60
Micro SD
✗
✓
✓
✓
$649
ZTE F165
Brick
120
Stub, pull-up 1300
210
2.0
60
Micro SD
✓
✓
✓
✓
$529
1. Price is for outright purchase only. All phones available on zero up-front cost plans. 2. A411 and TU500 handsets are available as pre-paid only for $249.
Type
Weight
(grams)
Antenna
Battery
(mAh)
Source: Kondinin Group and manufacturers.
LG TU500 and TU550
ZTE F158
Best Features
Best features
Reception (especially TU550).
Large buttons, rubber casing.
Slim flip-phone design.
Shock resistant.
Easy to open with one hand.
Dust- and moisture-resistant.
Easy to use.
Worst features
Large battery.
Small toggle ring.
Worst features
Poor volume buttons.
Too large to fit in a pocket.
Micro SD card is difficult to remove.
Not blue tick rated.
Nokia 6120
ZTE F165
Best Features
Best features
Slim size fits pocket.
Well-designed and constructed.
Reception sensitivity.
Reasonable size screen and reception.
Large buttons.
Worst features
Pull-out antenna.
Large screen.
Not blue tick rated.
Loud ring tone.
Tiny buttons and no antenna plug.
Worst features
Nokia N95
Best Features
Design, construction
and screen.
Camera (5 megapixels)
and MP3 controls.
Inbuilt GPS guidance.
Volume buttons easily bumped.
Worst features
Thick, chunky design
larger than most
handsets tested.
Expensive.
Lacks an antenna plug.
Screen is easily scratched.
Samsung A411–A412
Best features
Simple handset.
Compact flip design.
Nokia E51
Best Features
Can be opened with one hand.
Worst features
Compact and sleek.
Small buttons.
Slim size fits well
in pocket.
No antenna plug.
Not blue tick rated.
Well-designed
metallic construction.
24 Farming Ahead January 2008 No. 192 www.farmingahead.com.au
Large buttons suitable for
big fingers.
Worst features
No video calling facility.
No micro SD card facility.