In British English they are called mobile phones; in American English they are called cell phones. Whichever term you prefer, I'm sure you have one! I've noticed English students arriving at our English schools usually bring their phones with them and if they don't, getting one as soon as they arrive is one of their first priorities!
There are two main ways to pay for mobile phone calls:
Contract - If you pay by contract you will pay the network money every month so that you can make calls. Usually you can talk for a lot of time for the monthly fee, but if you do not use the phone a lot you still pay the same money.
Pay as you go/use - If you pay as you use, you will pay for a fixed amount of call time credit which you then use up when phoning people. Once the credit is used up you must buy some more to use the phone. This can be cheaper if you do not use the phone a lot.
Here are some English mobile phone terms:
Billing - When calls are billed by the minute, any call that uses a portion of a minute is rounded up and billed for the whole minute. For example, if you make a call that lasts 3 minutes and 2 seconds, you are billed for a 4-minute call.
Bundling - The practice of joining related products together for the purpose of selling them as a single unit.
"This bundle includes unlimited text messages and 3 hours of talk-time per month."
Coverage Area - The area within which you can make and receive calls.
"I couldn't make any calls from our cabin in the mountains - the coverage was awful."
The word signal is also used when you do not have coverage, "There's no signal in here, I'll have to go outside".
Hands-Free - A safety feature that allows drivers to use their mobile phone without lifting or holding the hand-set to their ear.
Locked/Unlocked - Many phones sold by moile companies are "locked" to that company. An unlocked phone can be used with any mobile phone provider. The word crack is also used.
"Someone at work unlocked my phone for me."
Off-Peak Hours - Usually evening and night hours - after the business day - and on weekends, when there is less demand. Telephone companies often offer lower rates to calls made and received during off-peak hours. The opposite is Peak Hours.
Roaming - The ability to use your phone in another area. This usually means using your phone when you are in another country.
SIM Card - Subscriber Identity Module; a small, removable card which stores mobile phone data such as contact names and numbers, SMSs and security information.
Talk Time - The length of time you can talk on your portable or transportable cellular phone without recharging the battery.
Text Message - messages sent using SMS and MMS.
"She sent me a text message to say she won't be coming."
"I texted him to arrange a meeting time."
Top-Up - This idiom / phrasal verb means to add credit to your phone.
"I need to go to the shop and top up my mobile phone."
Link: Chat Room and SMS English
Comments
Mobile phone English
I am pleased with this lesson. I found it highly useful. The Mobile Phone became an integral part of our life. And it's not only the communication, but the keeper of our pictures, tables, "correspondence" (I mean SMS
), it reminds us about our appointments and so on.
It also wakes me up in the morning.
I possess one as well. My key demand to mobile phone is communication. I think it's important to "keep in touch" with your relatives, friends, acquaintances and to know that they are doing fine. But sometimes it gets horribly annoying and you start thinking of throwing it somewhere further away.
I have some pictures of my friends, parents, cat and me on it.
My policy is to pay as I use it and I can keep track of my charges. I pay a special tariff (it was one of those offers that companies propose to attract more clients). My calls are billed by the minute. But I wouldn't say I pay "little" money, otherwise mobile companies would go belly up.
Thank you, Chris, for one more interesting and fascinating lesson that helps you to extend your knowledge and vocabulary.
Mobile Phones
Very useful article - a lot of new words, I even don't know them in my native language, though I use m. phone every day, and can't imagine my life without "my little friend'.
Thank you for such a beautiful Lesson!!!
very useful lesson, thanks a
very useful lesson, thanks a lot