The mobile phone is the fashion accessory of the 21st century, so it stands to reason the accessory will have accessories. There are almost as many phone accessories as there are phones to use them with, and this quick guide will cover just a few.
The add-on feature started off, some say, with the Sony Ericsson T68i and the camera you could buy separately and plug into a port on the phone. Even though the integrated camera later became a standard feature, the T68i still brings back fond memories for some people as their first full-colour camera phone.
Another popular add-on is the hands-free kit. For those of you who don't mind looking like you've just been let out for the day, walking around appearing to talk to yourself is part of the appeal of
mobile phones. A Bluetooth headset is even better, as you don't have cables getting in the way.
Nowadays, phones also double up as radios. An FM transmitter is a must-have for the music freak as it enables you to transmit your tunes to any FM radio so all your friends can listen to your latest annoying ringtone. Or, if there are no radios in the vicinity, you can pull out a pair of micro speakers and turn your phone into a mini jukebox. And if you don't feel like sharing, or if there's nobody to share with, you can use your phone as a walkman and attach a pair of earphones instead.
Some of the more expensive
mobile phones allow video recording and MP3 playlists, and for this you need a lot of storage space. The Nokia 5610 is an Mp3 phone, but as it only comes with 20MB internal memory, and the average Mp3 is 3.9MB, additional storage is recommended. MicroSD memory cards are available in 1GB, 2GB or 4GB sizes for use on phones like this, at a very reasonable cost.
Of course, not all accessories perform a specific function. If you have one of the
cheap mobile phones without posh features and you just want to make it look a little more stylish or different, you can buy novelty straps, charms, covers and stick-on 'bling' to jazz up your handset instead.
Whichever mobile phone you have there's an accessory somewhere to go with it. Some are specific to a particular make or model, others can be used with most handsets. Before deciding which phone to opt for, do a little shopping around to find out what accessories are available.
