Why Mobile Phones Are Annoying

griffinn writes "Jakob Neilsen recently conducted a study comparing the perceived annoyance level of two commuters having a face-to-face conversation and one commuter talking on the mobile phone. Interestingly enough, subjects were also asked whether the ring tone is annoying, and people didn't find the ring to be particularly bad."

Ringtones

[Orgazmus (761208)]

The ringtones arent the bad part.
The bad part is the loud speakers that really dont need a phone in the first place.

No, it's the way the human brain works.

[0x0d0a (568518)]

The bad part is the loud speakers that really dont need a phone in the first place.

I disagree -- I think I buy into the article pretty strongly, which says that volume is a minimal issue. I've tried paying attention to what irritates me about cell phones when someone is conversing on one, and my feelings click with what the study says.

The problem is that normally, we respond when someone says something to us. Our brain is cued by it.

The request-for-attention pattern this follows is someone saying something near us, followed by a period of silence as they wait for our response. As the period of silence increases, the likelihood that the message was directed at us (and we should respond and haven't) increases (hence the common pattern of someone saying something, stopping, and two seconds later someone looking up and saying "uh, did you say something to me" -- the "request for attention" sequence was sent).

We are pretty good about ignoring conversation -- sitting in a crowded lunchroom, it's easy to let background noise fade into the background.

The problem is that cell phone speakers follow our brain's "I am requesting your attention" almost exactly. So we're sitting here uncomfortably having someone grab our attention every two seconds or so. It's extremely disruptive when you're trying to think about something else. The only real fix is to start ignoring people that *are* trying to get our attention, which isn't great either.

I would say that the primary issue is that we need a sensory input that would allow us to determine when someone is talking on the phone. Then our brain can learn to distinguish between "cell phone speaker -- ignorable" and "someone trying to get your attention".

I think that a good solution would be to provide (surprise, more noise) a buzz, a sort of masked noise from the phone. When the person on the other end of the phone is talking, we get an unintelligable but audible buzz. It would be crucial that (a) the buzz not be an annoying annoying, (b) the buzz not be easily picked up by microphones (especially cell phones, so that feedback doesn't occur -- a filter is necessary), (c) that cell phone manufacturers standardize on such a buzz sound, so that people talking near each other on different cell phones don't interfere -- this would also allow people to more quickly learn to identify cell phones. I think that cell phone disruptiveness is largely a technical problem, not a social problem (though people talking in movie theaters still require a swift kick to the nuts).

Ringtones?

[ImpiousPunk (763114)]

How are those damn ring tones NOT annoying? "Hey look how cool I am with my 50 cent ring tone!" What ever happened to a plain phone, that rings, vibrates and stores contact information. I find the whole ringtone /instant messaging and even the internet on my phone quite useless.

Re:Ringtones?

[Eric Savage (28245)]

At least you can make fun of them for paying $0.99 for a 50 Cent ringtone.

Re:Ringtones?

[ParadoxicalPostulate (729766)]

I agree, those ringtones are damn annoying.

However, I've come to realize the value of a unique ringtone. Often, when a cell phone goes off, everyone is pulling their phone out of their pocket, thinking Is it mine?. If your ringtone is different from the norm, then you can sit their with a smug smile on your face whilst others are checking their phones.

Using only plain ringtones, its rather difficult to be able to have a somewhat unique ringtone. Having musical ringtones makes that option much more accessible.

Still, I would much prefer to have short musical scores rather than long rings. And I agree, it is annoying, but I think of it as a necessary evil if I want my own ringtone.

If someone can think of another way to allow for seemingly endless variety in ringtones, I'd take that option any day.

Re:Ringtones?

[richie2000 (159732)]

If someone can think of another way to allow for seemingly endless variety in ringtones, I'd take that option any day.

Text-To-Speech: "Mr. ComboyNeal, telephone for you, Sir" in a husky female voice. Many phones already have loudspeaker abilities and advanced ring tone generation. Use them for good instead of evil.

Re:Ringtones?

[1967 Ferrari 312 (592016)]

Vibration is the best way to be sure your phone is ringing... and it has the advantage of not annoying anyone else.

I've got the perfect ring tone

[Greyfox (87712)]

It'd be a baby crying. It'd start out slow, and it'd get crankier and crankier the longer you ignored it. I can't think of a better way to clear out a meeting. Fire up the auto-dialer from your wi-fi PDA and let it go for a couple of minutes right in the middle of the CFO's presentation before saying "Oh, is that MINE?"

That's why I'm barred from ever owning a cell phone.

Re:Ringtones?

[CaptBubba (696284)]

It may be useless to you, but it isn't useless to the cellphone provider, who more than likely charges some fee for every ringtone downloaded and ever IM sent or recieved.

Normally you can go down the list of features on a new cellphone, and almost all of them will make the provider money in some way or another.

Re:Ringtones?

[pogle (71293)]

I swear. They asked the wrong people if they didn't get results that the ringtones are annoying. People choose the most obnoxious ringtones imaginable and pump them out as loud as those little phones are able.

People really need to learn to use the vibrate function more often and spare the rest of us. I know the only time my phone makes any noise is when the battery is low, and thats only because I can't turn that particular beep off. Its a courtesy thats sadly lacking, keeping cell phones discreet and quiet.

Re:Ringtones?

[robotoverflow (738751)]

Text messaging isn't useless when you want to tell someone something that can be said in a few words like "be there in 15" without having to engage in unimportant conversation and annoy people around you.

To compare, how many people do you hear making calls to say something like "be there in 15", then keep talking for a solid 5 or 10 minutes? I get this all the time when i'm on the train and it bugs the crap out of me, even more so when it's a person sitting right next to me talking so loudly that I can hear their entire conversation though my headphones.

Re:Ringtones?

[Mantorp (142371)]

Nothing on earth is more annoying than the Nextel walkie talkie feature. If people used them the way you say it wouldn't be too bad, but morons on the train that have entire conversations on them are more painful than Chinese water torture.
I propose a world wide ban on walkie talkie phones.

Cell phone annoyance time in theaters

[192939495969798999 (58312)]

How about a study showing the time delay from when a cellphone rings in the theater to when people get mad, measured in milliseconds. In L.A. it must be higher than here,because we get people from there talkin on phones like it's their job, IN the theater, DURING the movie.

Re:Cell phone annoyance time in theaters

[jawtheshark (198669)]

Well, I do everytime I go to the movies. Or better said, the last ad they pass just before the main movie is sponsored by a cellphone service provider. It used the THX surround system to make different cellphone ringtones come from about anywhere in the theather. It's a cacaphony of cellphones. When it's over on the screen they display "The movie is now beginning, please turn off your cellphone (sponsored by $CELLHONE_COMPANY).".

I have never heard a real cellphone go off after that ad.

Apparently... yes!

[FunkyRat (36011)]

I occassionally do some work for a person who works as a producer in Los Angeles. So far, she has answered her cellphone at a museum, at a classical music concert, while in meetings and on a date. The last time I called her she mentioned after about three minutes that she was at a movie theater, watching a movie. I asked her why she even bothered to answer her mobile. I think she was actually dumbfounded that anyone would not answer their phone when it rang.

Re:Apparently... yes!

[The Fanta Menace (607612)]

I've had people who are so anal about answering any phone call that they go berserk at me when I don't answer my own phone (and not because they were annoyed at the ring - I have it on a very low volume - but because they simply can't accept the notion that a phone call might not always be important).

Frankly, it doesn't take much for me to not answer a call - bad time of day, bad weather, failure to send caller-ID, idiot person calling. If it's important, they'll leave a message on the voicemail. Or better still, email me.

They're annoying because...

[Ziwcam (766621)]

I beleive people tend to talk louder while on a cellphone. They repeat themselves over and over. "Can you hear me? I said..." People will talk on a cellphone without regard to their "real life" companion... sometimes I feel as if I'm not really there when someone gets involved in a conversation. And its annoying because, when I want to listen in, I only hear half of the conversation!! :-) Just my US$0.02

Two way

[ParadoxicalPostulate (729766)]

I agree. What's even more annoying is those two way plans that work like walkie talkies. In such a situation, not only do you have to listen to the person talking but also their companion over the phone.

" when I want to listen in, I only hear half of the conversation "
Trust me, unless you are with a friend who's talking to another friend, you really don't.

Talking too loud.. Here's why..

[the_rajah (749499)]

If you'll notice, your regular landline phone supplies feedback of your voice through the earpiece. In the telephone industry this is called sidetone. I've never figured out why cell phones don't do that as well. Without the expected sidetone feedback, people tend to talk louder since they are not getting the feedback that they are accustomed to. "Do the Right Thing. It will gratify some people and astound the rest." - Mark Twain

Re:Two way

[cluke (30394)]

Also, purses prevent the use of vibrators, which really should be mandatory

I find your ideas intriguing.

If you ever decide to run for government, you've got one hell of an interesting platform there.

Re:They're annoying because...

[ChrisMaple (607946)]

Good point. This is actually designed into conventional phones, and it has a name: "sidetone".

I hate it...

[Grant29 (701796)]

I can't stand when someone has a cell phone conversation and speaks too loud. It's as if these people are trying to let everyone else know that they are "cool" and talk so loud that you can pretty much follow thier conversation, even though you are only hearing one side. I think it's funny too the people that pimp through the mall with the high-tech headset attatched. Usually these are the people that appear not to have a dime to thier name, but somehow still have the most expensive phone on the market. I wish people on cell phones would be more courteous, and only take calls where acceptable, and then only speak as loud as they need too.

--
Retail Retreat [retailretreat.com]

Re:I hate it...

[iammrjvo (597745)]

I wish people on cell phones would be more courteous, and only take calls where acceptable, and then only speak as loud as they need too.

My general rule of thumb is to move to a place where a pay phone (for those of us old enough to know what that is) would naturally be placed and then talk as if I were on a pay phone.

For example, in the airport find a spot in a hallway or in a corner and turn your back to the crowd. In a restaurant (even a fast food restaurant), take the call and quickly move outside or to a deserted area.

It just shows respect for those around you.

Close -- suggestion to fix impoliteness

[0x0d0a (568518)]

Close. The problem is that your system requires the users to actively make an effort to do things properly. I don't see that ever working, simply because people are lazy, and social pressure should only be used as a last ditch problem.

The issue is that of the protocol.

When a cell phone is called, it should enter the ringing state. At that point, one of two buttons can be hit -- "accept -- pending talking" and "reject". Currently, I believe that people usually just turn off their phone to do a "reject", so that much functionality is in place. The protocol should allow a "accepted, but cannot talk yet state". At that point, the person with the cell can extricate themselves from whatever situation they're in, and can find a quiet place to handle the call. They'd then hit the "ready to talk" button.

This could interoperate with older, non-compliant phones by sending a text message (or brief audio clip saying "hold on") and then either terminating the call and calling back when "ready to talk" is hit, or simply opening the connection and leaving the phone speakers muted after the initial clip) until "ready to talk" is hit.

Re:I hate it...

[BenjyD (316700)]

I think the problem is that the phone covers your ear, so you can't hear so well and the normal feedback that controls your voice doesn't work so well.

Normal phones got round this by feeding back some of the signal from the microphone to the earpiece, so you could hear yourself speaking a little. Unfortunately, mobiles don't seem to do this.

So that explains it

[violet16 (700870)]

Furthermore, the actors conducted half of the conversations at a normal loudness level, whereas the other half were exaggeratedly loud (as measured on a volume meter)

I think these guys have been conducting this experiment on the train I catch to work for the last two years.

Very interesting hypotehsis...

[ThogScully (589935)]

I rather like their hypothesis that people pay more attention to half a conversation than a full one and it seems it may be dead on. While I don't particularly listen in on others' conversations, I know I definitely overhear a cell conversation, even at normal volume, because having only half the conversation seems to leave my brain wondering and pondering the other half more.

Although, I can't believe they don't think the rings are annoying. I just wish a phone could have at least one decent normal ringer now... I don't want a song, but there really aren't options other than those now. The most recent phone we bought was for my fiance and all the rings it came with were songs. We figured we'd download something normal and only found more songs. Ultimately, we just picked the song ringer that sounded the least annoying.
-N

Re:Very interesting hypotehsis...

[Jin Wicked (317953)]

I find it funny that the ringtone on my mobile is set to sound like one of those ooooold phones that actually had a bell inside of it. So my mobile phone sounds more like a "phone" than the beepy-ring thing that the handset plugged into my laneline does.

Now if I could just find a kind of antique-finished retro looking mobile phone that was still small, with maybe a metal casing instead of the uber-futuristic blinky plastic crab... that would be spiffy.

Re:Very interesting hypotehsis...

[Alioth (221270)]

Just once, I want to try this.

Obtain an old 1960s rotary dial telephone, as found in all British households (since at the time, the phone company was the GPO and were the only people to be allowed to connect phones, so the range was extremely limited. It did include the Ericofon though).

Inside the phone, insert the guts of a cheap GSM cell phone. Build some electronics to change the LD pulsing from the rotary dial into something suitable to cause the cellphone to dial. Maybe add an extra button as a 'Send' button for the cell phone. Have the loudspeaker of the phone which the ringtone normally plays through connected to a circuit that rings the phone bell.

Catch the train.

Receive phone call. "Rrrring rring". Pull out old phone from bag, place on table. Lift receiver.

"HI I'M ON THE TRAIN!"

Phone a friend with the rotary dial, too.

Observe looks of fellow passengers.

Correction

[griffinn (240043)]

The study was done by Monk et al. Nielsen's story is merely an abstract.

Original article: Andrew Monk, Jenni Carroll, Sarah Parker, and Mark Blythe: "Why are Mobile Phones Annoying?" Behaviour and Information Technology, vol. 23, no. 1, 2004, pp. 33-41.

It's the people on the phones

[tbone1 (309237)]

I don't know how many times a wanker with one of those walkie-talkie phones has ruined a meal for me. I have been tempted to stand behind the person making comments as if he/she is in a massage parlor, not at lunch, as a way of revenge. I haven't done it, though.

Yet.

However, one time I was in a bathroom and the guy in the next stall took a call on his cell phone. I immediately made all sorts of grunting, straining, and moaning noises as if I were trying to pass a moose. He hung up after twenty seconds, and before he could say anything to me, I thanked him and returned to the quiet matter at hand.

Here is South-East Asia

[api_syurga (443557)]

In South-East Asia, where I am from, having a handphone is almost as important as being literate;you can't really live without it.You can but its hard to communicate long distance since public land-line phones are not well mantained and are in generally bad condition.Its no longer a matter of status/fashion statement.
This is why public cell-phone ethics is a serious issue here.In general, the older ones have a tendency to talk too loudly, however I do noticed that the younger generations have learnt to speak as unobtrusively as possible, maybe realising the phone-speaker can actually pickup their voice without having to shout across the room.

My 2 cents

Try living in Asia for a while...

[Enoch Root (57473)]

Having lived for nearly a year in Shanghai, I'm all but immune to cellphones. As a matter of fact, I've been one of those people who not only leave their cellphone on in the theater, but actually take the time to answer if it rings. I kid you not, this is normal behavior here.

And why not? In China, as well as most parts of Asia, cellphones are not an annoyance in any way. They're just a part of life. I think in the West, cellphones were initially thought to be annoying because they were an obnoxious show of money, and this has carried on to this day. In China and South Korea, having a cellphone is part of life and is not considered as annoying.

Methink the people surveyed here thought a cellphone conversation was more annoying than a face-to-face conversation simply because it's, well, a cellphone conversation. We still tiptoe around cellphones in the West. For all I can see, this annoyance is purely cultural.

(Earlier today, I saw a perfect picture of modern-day Shanghai: in a sea of bicycles, a man riding, and a woman seated in the Chinese way in equilibrium on the back of the bike with both her legs on one side... And as the man pedals his old rusted bike, the girl behind her is merrily thumb-keying SMS messages to her friends.)

Another explanation

[Moraelin (679338)]

I don't know about china, but I have some first hand experience with Eastern Europe. It's a different culture, all right.

To put it mildly, the main "cultural difference" is that there it's ok to be an annoying f*ck to those around you. If it doesn't involve cell phones, it involves talking way too loudly, having an extremely loud party in a densely packed block of flats, etc. And if someone doesn't like it, fsck them, it's not your problem. Extreme individualism was pretty much _the_ way to survive communism, and the poverty that came with it.

Now to get back to your point, methinks the same must apply to China, then.

Sorry, no matter how much I want to find it an excuse, there is _no_ bloody way to say that it ought to be socially acceptable to talk loudly on the phone in a movie theatre. I went there to see and _listen_ to the bloody movie, not to hear a dozen retards talking on their phone. I don't care if it's face-to-face or on the phone. Just shut the fsck up. I've paid to listen to the actors, not to you.

It's not overreacting, it's not shunning "an obnoxious show of money", it's merely asking that you show at least some minimal respect to your fellow humans. All I'm asking is that you let me watch the bloody movie, that's all.

So again: what's different in the West is that people have learned to give each other at least some minimal respect. Whole systems of social customs have existed for the sole reason of allowing people to live without getting on each other's nerves every two minutes.

What gets me about cell phones

[finkployd (12902)]

Someone walking down the street talking on a cell phone doesn't bother me, nor does someone sitting in a restaurant talking on a cell phone.

What REALLY bothers me is when I'm sitting in a presentation at a conference (or something like that) and they repeatedly ask that people turn off cell phones or set them to vibrate. Then, naturally, someone's phones has to ring half way through.

Now answer me this, what kind of fucked up individual sits there while someone clearly asks them to silence their phone and doesn't? What is the thought process? Is it "Well, everyone else is turning silencing their phones like they asked, but they couldn't have meant me" or is it more "I'm not going to silence my phone, I'll just assume that nobody will call me"? Or is it that these people somehow forgot that they HAVE a phone?

I've never understood this but it seems to happen every time. Almost as if making the announcement before a presentation to silence phones CAUSES one to ring eventually.

Oh, and the worst is when the phone is in some kind of bag or briefcase and the owner just ignores it like everyone around him doesn't know it is his and he doesn't want to give away that HE is the asshole. We all know it is your phone you goober, looking around like you are trying to figure out whos it is will not fool anyone so turn it off!

There, I feel better now.

Finkployd

It's only a matter of habit

[wizrd_nml (661928)]

Living in a country where mobile phone use is quite common and is not seen as being annoying in the least, it's quite strange for me to read all these posts about how they are perceived differently in the US.

Let me first start by saying that I agree mobile phone use does have its etiquette, and certain limits should be respected (i.e. volume of the ring tone in a quiet place, such as a library).

But I really think it's only a matter of habit. I believe if an American lived in Sweden for a while (a country with one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates), they would quickly get used to hearing phones ringing and people talking on them all the time, without feeling necessarily annoyed. It's the constant reinforcement by others in US society that mobile phones are in fact extremely annoying that maintains this perception.

It's almost as if people go out of their way to get annoyed at someone talking on the phone. Because logically speaking, and as the article states, if you only hear half the conversation, you should only be bothered half as much. And if listening to just one side of the conversation is bothering you, then why are you listening in the first place?

Re:It's only a matter of habit

[kruczkowski (160872)]

About the volume - From what I have noticed is that US GSM is much quieter than European GSM using the same phone. I had mu Nokia turned up all the way in the States and could barly hear the person on the other end - but when I took that phone to Germany I had to turn ot down mid volume to hear just fine.

Perhaps the companies what you to scream into phone just to show off?

As Don Jolly would say

[danormsby (529805)]

[nokia tune=annoying] ring [/nokia]

Hello. HELLO.

I'm writing on slashdot.SLASHDOT

Nah its rubbish

Why mobiles are more annoying

[ajs318 (655362)]

What it really comes down to is a matter of how nosey you can be. We all are motivated to some degree by a sense of morbid curiosity -- a simple enough desire to know everything. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. If two people choose to have a conversation within earshot of me, I am not going to be made to feel the slightest bit guilty for listening in {however, I would draw the line at passing on information received without consent. Being privy to a secret doesn't give you the right to broadcast it}. If it's that important, they can always get up and go somewhere else.

If two people are having a face to face conversation in a language in which you are fluent, then you can hear both sides of the conversation. You can then make a fully-informed decision just how much attention to pay to it.

If one person is on a mobile phone, having one side of a conversation in a language in which you are fluent, it can drive you crazy trying to work out what is going on. You probably are devoting more attention to it than you can afford, and this also increases annoyance.

Two people talking face to face in a language in which you are not fluent, can also be extremely annoying.

Why 'phone conversations are more annoying

[rasillin (710183)]

I suspect that one part of why hearing half a conversation is more annoying has to do with the intermittent nature of half a conversation. Whenever someone starts talking near me, particularly if they are using a loud voice, I listen for a moment to see if they are talking to me. If they are in a conversation where I an hear both parts it's easier to ignore as it's easy to tell that they are not addressing me. With the stop/start pattern of half a conversation, I think most people are subconsciously triggered to pay attention to see if someone wants to talk to them, every time the local speaker makes a remark.

Cell phones aren't annoying.

[AvantLegion (595806)]

Assholes are annoying.

Will people stop focusing on the wrong thing (cell phone) and return focus to the actual source of the problem (asshole)?

Re:Cell phones aren't annoying.

[chegosaurus (98703)]

That's so true. Someone calls me in a public place, I retreat to somewhere where I won't annoy people, and if I can't do that, I speak quietly, and try to keep the length of the conversation to an absolute minimum. Usually I'll just say I'll call them back when it's more convenient for me.

Asshole has such an over-developed sense of self-importance that he thinks his conversation is not only more important than the peace of the people around him, but that the pathetic rabble will be impressed by his long, loud conversation. Or perhaps it's just that so many folk don't have any respect for the people around them.

The thing I really hate about modern phones is that so many have cameras. Take, for instance, the proliferation of twats in pubs and clubs pointing the phone at any half dressed/half attractive woman in sight, aiming up skirts and down tops for the leering benefit of equally twattish friends elsewhere.

Why mobile phones are annoying?

[fuzzybunny (112938)]

They're annoying because..they're annoying.

-The insipid ringtones (hi, Britney!)
-The shouting
-The uniformity of the conversation (I'M ON A TRAIN! WHERE ARE YOU?)
-The blandness of what's being said (YES WELL I WAS SAYING TO MARGE THAT I REALLY LIKE THE FLOWERS AND MARGE SAID...)

I've noticed that the people who speak more quietly on phones tend to make a more educated and lucid impression--they stick to a conversation, for them a phone chat isn't some HYPER-/<3WL 5H1T D00D, but a tool, and they understand that they don't have to yell to be heard.

Maybe talking face to face with someone makes it easier for them to smack you upside the head when you say something idiotic.

To be perfectly honest, when idiots converse loudly in person, it's equally irritating. But then, that's probably just me.

One solution in movie theaters...

[jaclu (66513)]

Install a few strong lamps in the roof, that is motor-aimed.

Add some radio-tracking stuff, that listens for active cell-phones, and controlls the lamps.

As soon as somebody start talking in their phone, a directed (strong!) light beem will shine on them from above, or to be techincal towards the phone, but the end result is the same.

The angry shouts from the crowd, now that they see who to blame will make that person switch of the phone within seconds ;)

I think this is much to prefer above legalisation, it like handling animals, make the "right" choise the easy one, and all bad choises unpleasant - As soon as you behave acording to plan, you get the comfort of being left alone and not bothered.

What really bugs me about cell phones...

[josh glaser (748297)]

...isn't the ring tones, or people using it in theatres (never had that problem), or even people talking louder. I'm sure they are annoying ring tones and people who can't comprehend "Please turn of your phones now" or people who go "HELLO?!?" and whatnot - it's just that they don't bug me (as much).

Two things really bug me:
1) You only know half of the conversation. So, naturally, the person that you can't hear is apparently the funniest person alive, and the person on the phone can't stop laughing, or then he'll act like he can insult you, and so he does, as if he forgets you can hear him, etc.
2) You have the person over and you're hanging out with your friends and you're all having a good time, and then someone's phone rings, and they go and leave the room, or they just stay there (even worse) but they just kinda drop out of the party and all. It's like being socially antisocial or something.

Just bugs me.

Re:Ringers not most annoying? I think not.

[Tooky (15656)]

On the contrary. I believe most would find the ring tone to be most annoying.

The funny thing is that they have done a controlled study, and you haven't. No matter what you believe until you actually do a controlled study you're opinion would seem to be wrong.

Re:Cell phone courtesy is easy...

[mu-sly (632550)]

Cellphone courtesy is easy, as is courtesy in general, but you miss the point. The point is that sadly, a lot of people are total assholes in all aspects of their lives, so why would they make any exceptions for their cellphone?

Re:Here in CH

[fuzzybunny (112938)]

Here in CH you also have a 100 CHF fine for using your phone without a handsfree set in the car. And here in CH you also have people (like me) who spend quite a bit of time on the phone with other people at the same time as working on a laptop in a train or at a desk away from a fixed line where I could plug in a bulky headset. Not to mention those of us who don't like untangling cables all the time.

So I appreciate the fact that you said "most of the people" instead of "all the people".

What's really funny is that a lot of people using cheap wired mikes end up holding the damn mouthpiece up to their face anyway while talking :)

Regardless, I haven't seen a single bluetooth headset where the battery doesn't go to shit after a few months of use--my Sony Ericcson, while it was useful during its (short) life, is now basically a fairly expensive bit of drawer-filling junk.

Re:Can you hear me now?

[dieman (4814)]

Uh, Its not TDMA, T-Mobile uses GSM. It 'uses' TDMA, but its not the same thing.

The problem is phones without active noise reduction. My T39m works fine with normal-voice-level on a bus. I only have issues in very windy conditions.

Re:Can you hear me now?

[dieman (4814)]

Also, from the linked page (perhaps read your sources first?):

"All of the PCS technologies try to minimize battery consumption during calls by keeping the transmission of unnecessary data to a minimum. The phone decides whether or not you are presently speaking, or if the sound it hears is just background noise. If the phone determines that there is no intelligent data to transmit, it blanks the audio and it reduces the transmitter duty cycle (in the case of TDMA) or the number of transmitted bits (in the case of CDMA). When the audio is blanked, your caller would suddenly find themselves listening to "dead air", and this may cause them to think the call has dropped."

Which comes back around to, if phones had decent microphones -- you wouldn't be expecting the rush of awful background noise all the time.

And no, they don't introduce clicks and pops -- my phone routinely goes silent -- I would blame that on crappy phones.