.FLYINGHEAD SMART CONSUMER
.TITLE The ABCs of choosing a smartphone
.AUTHOR Jessica McCurdy Crooks
.SUMMARY Not all smartphones are the same and therefore different types are better suited for different individuals. Depending on why you need to get a smartphone, certain features play a major role in any purchasing decision. Factors that are important when choosing a smartphone include, but are not limited to operating system, keyboard, memory, camera, email access, screen, and phone plan. In this helpful article, Jessica McCurdy Crooks looks at each of these in turn.
.OTHER
Everyone talks about the smartphone these days, but there is little consensus about the definition of a smartphone. However, one given is that a smartphone is a cell phone that does more than just allow the sending and receiving of calls. One definition I like is that used by Webopedia because it not only defines, but also explains what a smartphone is. According to [[http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/smartphone.html|Webopedia]]:
.QUOTE Smartphones are handheld devices that integrate mobile phone capabilities with the more common features of a handheld computer or PDA. Smartphones allow users to store information, email, install programs, along with using a mobile phone in one device. For example a amartphone could be a mobile phone with some PDA functions integrated into the device, or vice versa.
Now that we understand what a smartphone phone is, let’s look at the genesis of the smartphone. Recently I heard someone talking about the smartphone as if it was a brand new device. However, the smartphone has been around since 1992 when IBM unveiled the Simon, shown in Figure A, at the computer trade show, COMDEX in Las Vegas.
.FIGPAIR A The Simon was a big phone. Photo courtesy of The-Gadgeteer.com.
Even though the Simon was a brick, it was designed to have a mobile phone, pager, PDA, and a fax machine, and it opened up, housing a keyboard. Special thanks to our friends at [[http://the-gadgeteer.com|The-Gadgeteer.com]] for having such a rare picture in their archives and giving us permission to use it.
.TEASER To learn about today’s smartphones, read on.
.H1 Today’s smartphones
Returning to modern times, some popular smartphones today include:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET The Apple iPhone, which some consider to be the crème de la crème of smartphones.
.BULLET RIM Blackberry
.BULLET Palm Treo and Centro
.BULLET O2 XDA
.BULLET Nokia E70
.BULLET Motorola Q
.END_LIST
Making life interesting, there’s some debate about whether or not the iPhone is actually a smartphone. Some experts contend that a smartphone can only achieve smartphone status if the user can download and install additional applications to it. While Apple has announced a programming environment for the iPhone, non-Apple iPhone applications are not yet available.
.H1 How to choose the right smartphone for your purposes
Not all smartphones are the same and therefore different types are better suited for different individuals.
Depending on why you need to get a smartphone, certain features play a major role in any purchasing decision. Bear in mind that among the two main types of smartphones are those that are more like traditional mobile phones and those that are more like PDAs. If you expect to do lots of typing, you are better off with the PDA-type smartphone.
Factors that are important when choosing a smartphone include, but are not limited to operating system, keyboard, memory, camera, email access, screen, and phone plan. We’ll look at each of these in turn.
.H2 Operating system
The most popular operating systems used in smartphones are Windows Mobile OS, Symbian OS, Palm OS, and Blackberry — and to some extent, a variation of Apple’s OS X. The Symbian is the most popular operating system used in smartphones worldwide and is used by most handset manufacturers including Motorola, LG and Samsung.
To some extent the type of operating system chosen will be dependent on your most used applications. For example, if you will be using mostly Microsoft application,s a smartphone that uses Windows Mobile OS may be your best bet.
There are Web sites, such as http://www.smartphone.net, that will give you a variety of software that can be used with your device.
.H2 Keyboard
Keyboard styles vary widely, but a QWERTY keyboard is recommended if you will be using your smartphone for lots of data entry or typing. On some phones, the keyboard is hidden away when not in use.
Ultimately, the type of keyboard is dependent on your needs and purpose for which you will be using the smartphone. In some models the keyboard serves a number of functions.
Some smartphones use styluses which can make navigation easier than typing.
.H2 Memory
To get the most out of your smartphone, opt for one with memory that is 6MB or more and definitely get one with an expansion slot. These expansion slots help to increase memory when needed in addition to facilitating the transfer of files and even applications that you may need to use periodically.
You will need as much memory as you can get if you are into multimedia and music.
.H2 Camera
A camera of 2 megapixels or more is generally ok for most smartphone users, since it is unlikely that this will be used for really professional jobs.
.H2 Email access
Email access may be important depending on whether or not your smartphone will be used for work. Windows Mobile OS is good for those persons whose employers IT departments use Microsoft Exchange Server for email.
.H2 Screen
Since the smartphone is so much more than just a phone, a large screen is best. For those of us who use the smartphone to write or read a lot, a small screen will impact productivity and pleasure of using this device.
Getting a color screen is a no-brainer these days since the technology is so cheap just about every phone has a color display.
.H2 The phone plan
Because they need both Web surfing and phone calling capabilities, it is important to get the best plan in terms of cost and service for your smartphone.
.H1 Other thoughts
One additional feature that should be looked at is wireless connectivity, such as BlueTooth, infrared, or WiFi. The more wireless options you can get with your smartphone, the better. Make sure that the smartphone has a USB port. making it easier to transfer data to and from your computer; this is especially important if you use the device for work purposes.
As the smartphones continue to evolve one can only expect greater and better things. For instance the much talked-about Android mobile software from Google is expected to stir things up quite a bit — if the hype is to be believed.
There is little doubt that the smartphone will eventually surpass the regular mobile phones in terms of sales. According to NEWS.com in an [[http://www.news.com/Smart-phone-sales-are-soaring/2100-1041_3-6124049.html|article]] published back in 2006, "Smart-phones sales increased by 75.5 percent in the last year to 37.4 million units, and will grow by a further 66 percent during 2006…"
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
Visit [[http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/smartphone.html|Webopedia]].
Visit [[http://the-gadgeteer.com|The-Gadgeteer.com]].
Learn about the [[http://www.apple.com/iphone/|Apple iPhone]].
Learn about the [[http://www.blackberry.com/|RIM Blackberry]].
Learn about the [[http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/|Palm Treo and Centro]].
Learn about the [[http://www.my-xda.com/|O2 XDA]].
Learn about the [[https://www.nokiausa.com/A4410105|Nokia E70]].
Learn about the [[http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details/0,,113,00.html|Motorola Q]]
Visit [[http://www.smartphone.net|Smartphone.net]].
Read [[http://www.news.com/Smart-phone-sales-are-soaring/2100-1041_3-6124049.html|News.com article]].
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO
