I'll go no more a-roamin' ... a CDMA mobile offers you better coverage than a GSM outside metropolitan areas, but you can't use it overseas.(TEST: CDMA mobile phones)

Publication: Choice (Chippendale, Australia)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Australian Consumers' Association

IN A NUTSHELL

* Our test of six CDMA mobile phones had a clear winner (the NOKIA 6255), but the other models are still good phones if you want a different style or features.

* Not all the models are available on both CDMA networks, or with all phone plans--check with Orange and Telstra for details.

* There's one exception to not being able to use your CDMA phone overseas: if you're with Telstra you can use it in New Zealand.

CDMA is one of three mobile phone technologies currently used in Australia (see below). There are two network providers for it: Telstra (covering most of Australia) and Orange (covering major cities, and automatically switching you to the Telstra network elsewhere).

The CDMA phones market is quite small, but moves very fast--models often aren't available for long, and new ones are released all the time. We tested the seven models that were available at the time we bought our test samples, and that were supposed to still be available by this month. Unfortunately, one of them has been discontinued after all, so we can only report on six.

CDMA, GSM OR 3G?

Is CDMA for you? That depends on where you live, and how you want to use your mobile.

CDMA is typically best if you regularly use your phone outside metropolitan areas. According to Telstra, its CDMA network covers twice the geographical area of its GSM network, and more than 98% of the Australian population (compared to around 96% covered by GSM).

But far more Australians own a GSM phone, and GSM has some important advantages over CDMA. It usually offers better coverage inside city buildings, and you can use your GSM phone in more than 100 overseas countries when travelling (this is called international roaming).

Telstra CDMA currently only allows you to roam in New Zealand. Orange doesn't provide international roaming at all.

There are also third-generation (or 3G) networks operated by Telstra and 3. One of their main features is video talk: if you and the person you're calling both have a 3G handset with a video camera, you can see each other while talking.

The full range of 3G features (including video talk) is currently only available in...

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