MS (text messaging)
(Short Message Service)
SMS is a feature available with practically all modern Wireless Cell Phones that allow users to send and receive short text messages.
Basic SMS messages are addressed directly to a Wireless Cellular Phone number. Most U.S. carriers now allow sending to Wireless Cellular Phone to a Cell Phone Number of other carriers. Most Wireless Cell Phones and carriers also support sendingSMS also allow sending a text messages from a Wireless Cellular Phone directly to an email address. Newer variants of SMS include Long (ConcPtenated) SMS, and EMS.
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service.
A packet-switched technology that enables data communications. GPRS is used for various data applications on Mobile Cell Phones, including wireless Internet
(WAP), MMS, and software that connects to the Internet. Basically, any network connection that is not voice or text messaging uses a data connection like GPRS.
GPRS offers a tenfold increase in data speed over previous (circuit-switched) technologies, up to 115kbit/s (in theory). Typical real-world speeds are around 30-40 Kbps.
Newer technologies like EDGE and 3G are much faster.
See: EDGE
Using a packet switching, subscribers are always connected and always on-line, so services will be easy and quick to access. GPRS is considered a "2.5G" technology, meaning it is more advanced than standard 2G digital technology, but does not meet the requirements of a full-feldged 3G technology. (G stands for generation)
3G
3G Stands for 3rd-generation. Analog Wireless Cell Phones were the first generation. Digital Wireless Cell Phones marked the second generation (2G).
3G is loosely defined, but generally includes high data speeds, always-on data access, and greater voice capacity. The high data speeds are possibly the most prominent feature, and certainly the most hyped. They enable such advanced features as live, streaming video.
There are several different 3G technology standards. The most accepted worldwide is UMTS, which is based on WCDMA. (The terms WCDMA and UMTS are often used interchangeably.) UMTS is the 3G
technology of choice for most Wireless Plan carriers that used GSM as their 2G technology.
Wideband CDMA is a third-generation (3G) wireless standard which utilizes one 5 MHz channel for both voice and data, initially offering data speeds up to 384 Kbps.
UMTS
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.
A third generation (3G) Wireless Cellular Phone communications technology that promises data transmission speeds of up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps), although actual speeds may be significantly lower at first, due to network capacity restrictions.
UMTS uses WCDMA technology, and the two terms are often used interchangeably with each other.
WiMax
(802.16a)
WiMax is the trade name for a family of new technologies related to the IEEE 802.16 wireless standards.
WiMax has the potential for very long range (5 - 30 miles) and high speeds.The initial version, based on 802.16a, is designed for fixed (non-mobile) applications only, such as a Wireless Cellular Phone replacement for home DSL or cable modem service. Newer versions, such as 802.16e, add support for mobility, potentially making WiMax a competitor for certain 3G or 4G Wireless Cellular Phone technologies.
WiMax uses OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), an increasingly common type of digital Wireless Cellular Phone technology that is also used in some digital radio and television standards.
WiMax operates at higher frequencies than Wireless Cellular Phone networks. WiMax technology can operate in the 2.5 or 3.5 GHz licensed bands, or in the 5.8 GHz unlicensed band.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi® is a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) technology. It primarily provides short-range wireless high-speed data connections between Wireless Cellular Phone data devices (such as laptop PC s, PDAs or Wireless Cellular Phone) and nearby Wi-Fi access points (special hardware connected to a wired network).
There are several variants of 802.11. The most common is 802.11b, which provides speeds up to 11 Mbps. 802.11g and 802.a are faster versions. Many 802.11g and 802.11a products are backward-compatible with the original 802.11b.
Wi-Fi is generally much faster than data technologies operating over the Wireless Cellular Phone network like GPRS, EDGE, 1xRTT, HSDPA, and EV-DO. It is much shorter-range, however. Wi-Fi coverage is only provided in small, specific areas called "hot spots". Other than some corporate or educational campuses, Wi-Fi coverage is not widespread. Range for a typical Wi-Fi base station (access point) is typically around 100 to 300 feet indoors and up to 2000 feet outdoors.
Most Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 GHz unlicensed frequency band. This is the same band as Bluetooth Cell Phone and some Cordless Phones, although the technologies are designed to co-exist and not
interfere. 802.11a operates in the 5 GHz unlicensed frequency band.
Wi-Fi networks can be set up and operated by anyone, with different networks allowing different kinds of access. A public "hot spot" at an airport or coffee shop might charge an hourly rate for
access. A hotel might offer free wi-fi to guests. A company or university might offer on-premises free access for verified employees/students. Or a home user could set up their own network to
which only they had access. While most Wi-Fi connections are between a Wireless Cellular Phone device and an access point, it is also possible to create an "ad-hoc" network directly among two or more devices, without an access point.
Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit industry association. The IEEE technical specification for Wi-Fi is 802.11.
On this site, Wireless Cell Phones with UMA may not always have Wi-Fi also listed as a feature, even thought UMA may technically use Wi-Fi, since UMA is a very specific and limited
implementation of Wi-Fi technology.
For Music Applications
MP3
Short for MPEG Layer 3. MP3 is a common file format for music and other audio content. It is commonly used on the Internet, on Laptop PC s, and on portable devices, including dedicated music players and Wireless Cell Phones with music player functionality.