Talk time

(Published in TOI, Sunday, August 15)

There is a lot to be said for the mobile phone. Even though it can be annoying to be woken up by the shrill trill of the cellphone or disturbed in a meeting by the intrusive ‘bing’ of an incoming text, it is admittedly a necessary evil, a device that has become not just ubiquitous for many, but a vital appendage for some. And today, when the status of the oh-so-popular Blackberry is at crisis point, it may become essential for a little urgent shopping at the local mobile phone store.

While those who know but would rather not spend covet the really high-end phones from a respectable distance and merely gasp at the price tags attached to the Vertu (when introduced to this country in 2004, Vertu Signature from Rs3.71 lakh, Vertu Ascent Rs2.42 lakh, price now on request) or the somewhat more affordable Bang and Olufsen, a company known for space-age sleek design concepts (Serenata Rs65,000 plus in 2007), or even the Motorola Aura (Rs1.1 lakh), some – movie stars, designers, businesspeople, the occasional politican - do indeed indulge, quietly, discretely. Most people aim for praticality, choosing a phone that is useful, easily toted about and not irreplaceable, except for sentimental reasons. And today, since there are so many models available, with so many varied options and applications, the phone can be changed at whim, though buy-back by the dealer is not guaranteed, since technology runs forward faster than fashion.

Once touted as the best cellphone brand available in India, Nokia has had a turbulent time, with other names speeding ahead on the sales track. Many years ago, when the concept of a mobile phone was just making its first forays into India, a mid-range Nokia 1600, shaped somewhat like a concrete brick and weighing about that much, would sell at about Rs35,000, the first year of judicious use included. At the time, both incoming and outgoing calls were expensive. Soon, by the time the smaller, lighter and higher-tech phones made their presence felt and prices came down to more affordable levels of below Rs10,000. People could choose what they wanted to do with their sets, depending on whether they wanted to listen to music, take photographs, play games, download email or, even just make a call. Today, it is rare to find someone without a mobile – in fact, it is a rare individual who avoids owning one!

Now there is a new model and a new brand available almost every day, at new prices and new capabilities. From the much-advertised Apple I-Phone (3G 32gb, approx Rs45,000) and the LG BL40 (Rs35,000) to the designer-label Samsung by Georgio Armani (Rs38,000) and Motorola’s gold Motorazr2 V8 (Rs27,440), the more expensive handsets have tech mod-cons and cosmetic bells and whistles attached. And then there are the totally preiswert models, from the Samsung E1081 (Rs1400) to the Micromax X215 (Rs2000) and the Sony Ericsson J132 (Rs1700). Once you know what you want the phone to do for you, and how much you want to spend on it, all you need to do is walk down to the nearest store and take your pick. And start talking…