Best tech toys for travel

The Nokia US$30 mobile

It may seem odd that the first object of our attention prides itself on its modest capabilities. But that’s exactly what we like about the cheapest of Nokia’s phones. As far as we can work out this little phone has three impressive features - it makes phone calls, it has killer battery life (3 - 4 days with normal use) and it doesn’t mind an occasional drop down temple steps or on a bar room floor. And when we travel these are the features we rate highest in a phone. No email, no internet, no 3G, no camera , no bluetooth.

And these phones are available in places like Vietnam, Cambodia and China for just US$30!!

Poor battery performance often curses the traveller unsure when the next charge opportunity will present. And the more features you pack into a phone, the more demands you make on the battery. The iPhone and most smartphones struggle to provide a full day of battery life for those making lots of calls, surfing the web and sending emails.

So we recommend adding a bottom of the range Nokia phone (better to buy in country if you’re travelling in Asia) AND a local SIM card. And make this your primary telephone during your travels and leave web browsing and email to an iPod touch or an iPad.

iPod touch

If you’re thinking of buying an iPhone before your next foray into Asia, we say think again. For the price of a high end iPhone 4 (around AUD$1000) - with all its alleged failings - you can pick up an iPad (from A$629) an iPod touch (from A$269) AND that Nokia phone when you arrive in your destination. You’d only be a few dollars over if you threw in a lead in model Kindle as well. 

That’s the combination we like to travel with, and here’s why.

Pocket space

The iPod touch and Nokia basic phone barely make an additional weight or space impact in your pocket. But they do ensure that both devices optimise their battery capability. Something we rate very highly when on the road.

Functionality

The only function you’re missing when you combine a cheap phone with an iPod Touch is 3G access. If you’ve seen 3G roaming charges, you’ll know that’s a blessing for travellers. At up to 1000 times the data rates that you enjoy at home, data charges for international travellers are one of the greatest rip offs of the modern age.

The iPod Touch includes access to Apple's App store and its travel apps including the Kindle store and its guide book range. We carry the Lonely Planet and some other travel apps on our iPod Touch.

The App range for travellers in Asia is still fairly limited but this is changing quickly and this is where the real revolution will occur in the year ahead.

Free wifi is the core piece of infrastructure that our combination of devices depends on. Happily, it's ubiquitous in Vietnam and Cambodia - far more so than most developed countries. 

Most hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants provide it free even in remote areas. This makes travelling with a wireless based device like the iPod Touch very practical.

The iPad

And then comes the iPad. A big iPod touch it may be, but the size of the iPad is what makes it such a revolutionary device for travellers. It’s small enough to be far more portable than your average laptop computer, but big enough to provide huge functional gains when using email, browsing the web, watching videos and reading books. The iPad makes it possible for many travellers to leave their laptop at home.

It has some regrettable shortcomings however.

The decision to omit Flash functionality draws into question Apple’s claims about the iPad’s web browsing experience. Flash is the platform for most galleries and videos on the web - especially travel material - so a browser that is not Flash compatible such as that found on the iPad, is diminished. Our website - www,rustycompass.com - has lots of Flash gallery and video content that Apple has decided iPad users need not access. Would have been nice for Steve Jobs to give the consumer a choice in the matter.

Another shortcoming of the iPad is its file structure setup and the absence of a USB port for easy management of files between devices.   While typing documents and longer emails is far easier on the iPad than I expected, the file structure makes storage and management far more clumsy than it needs to be. The inclusion of a USB port for easy download of photos would also have added immensely to the traveller utility of device. 

These features would no doubt have cost more. But their omission was probably driven as much by a need to protect Apple’s low end notebook business as it was ensuring the iPad’s price point was spot on.

Despite these shortcomings, the iPad is a fantastic traveller’s device. And it will become more powerful as the suite of available applications for travellers expands. We’re already getting great benefit from it.

The Kindle

The Amazon Kindle is for readers. So if lots of reading is part of your travel plan, the Kindle will be an excellent inclusion in your pack. It’s a far more pleasant reading experience than the iPad. It also works better in glary environments and is easier on the eyes.

In all other senses though, the iPad and Kindle are wholly different devices.

The Kindle can relieve you of the need to carry those cumbersome guidebooks and any other reading you have planned during your travels. The only shortcoming from our perspective is that the range of titles presently available is very limited for travellers to Asia. Kindle would do well to create a special travel store to take advantage of the unique value this device offers travellers.

It’s worth noting though that your Kindle purchases are not confined to your Kindle device. They can be accessed on your computer, your iPad and iPhone as well.

As I write, Amazon are releasing a new range of Kindles that really change the game and address some of the shortcomings I have encountered with the first generation. A massive price drop, some good falls in size and weight and the addition of wifi make the latest Kindle releases very accessible inclusions in your travel pack.