Being a mobile professional, I’m always looking for fast, consistent wireless connections.

Thankfully, several of Columbia’s mobile telephone providers have upgraded to third-generation technology. This is significant because 3G allows for wireless broadband access in most places. Basically, 3G service compares to the speeds of residential DSL (Internet from CenturyTel, Socket, Tranquility, etc.) without the wires. For me, subscribing to a 3G service means no more Web surfing on a small phone screen and no more depending on a Wi-Fi hotspot to check e-mail.

Once Columbia had acquired 3G services, I decided to find out who is the fastest, who is the cheapest and who has the widest coverage. For testing, I found a couple of Web-based speed testers (who send data back and forth to check upload and download speeds), and I uploaded a couple of test files to my server.

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As end of year approaches, it’s time to start investigating items that will be on this year’s holiday (or budget surplus) wish list. If a mobile phone is on that list, I can help. Over the last too weeks, I have been able to get my hands on some of the hottest new phones being released just in time for the holidays.

Verizon
The first phones I looked at are from Verizon and have a strong consumer focus. The Juke and Chocolate v2 are, first and foremost, built for music. The interface resembles an MP3 player more than a mobile phone; each has a wheel, a feature that seems to be a requirement on any music player.

The Juke is the newest phone from Verizon, released in October. Made by Samsung, in form it is reminiscent of its smaller, flashed-based MP3 players—with one big difference: With a slight push on the side, the display flips out 180 degrees like a Swiss army knife. It is sleek and slim but a little thicker than I would prefer, and the ear buds leave much to be desired. I did manage to get it to work with both Windows and Mac OS, but it took some unfriendly system practices.

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