How to select a smartphone

1. What Is a Smartphone?

A smartphone is a combination of traditional PDA and mobile phone. A mobile phone is a communication device which is connected to a wireless communication network through radio waves. Most mobile phones provide voice communications, SMS and MMS services. A PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) on the other hand, is a handheld device that provides services like computing and internet features. Traditionally PDAs were not offering phone or fax services.In the beginning, mobile phones were used mainly for making calls and PDAs used as personal, portable organizers.

Smartphones allow users to store information, e-mail, and install programs and making calls all in one device. A smartphone's features are usually more oriented towards mobile phone options than the PDA-like features. There is no industry standard defining a smartphone.

2. History of smartphone

The first smartphone called Simon was designed by IBM in 1992 and it contained a calendar, address book, world clock, calculator, e mail and games, which was considered innovative during that period. The Nokia communicator, BlackBerry and iPhone are some of the popular smartphones introduced during the last two decades. Android, a cross platform and popular Open Source for smartphones, backed by Google was released in 2008.

3. Features of a smartphone

Operating system: A smartphone will be based on an operating system that allows it to run various applications. A smartphone operating system enables the owners to use multiple applications at the same time. A user can check the phonebook in his smartphone while taking a call. Similarly he can make a call while watching a video without interrupting the media player application. Moreover, smartphones can be synchronized with other devices like a personal computer or laptop. Some of the popular operating systems are Android, iOS, Windows Phone 7, Symbian S60, Meego, Blackberry OS 6.0 and Bada.

Software: While almost all mobile phones require some software, a smartphone's software will have the ability to do more than making a call. It may allow the user to create and edit Microsoft Office documents, download games and books.

Internet Access: A Smartphone can access the internet at high speeds if supported by 3G and Wi-Fi networks. GPRS and EDGE are some of the system support which enables the user to stay connected to the internet all the time

QWERTY Keyboard: A smartphone will have a QWERTY keyboard, where the keys are laid out in the same order like a computer keyboard and not in alphabetical order as in the case of a mobile phone.

Messaging: A smartphone can handle multiple e mail accounts and will also access to the popular instant messaging services like Yahoo! Messenger.

A smartphone of tomorrow will have

A micro projector which will project phone content on a screen
A large touch screen and a split screen for media player
Activity sensor to detect pulse rate and other health indicators
Long battery life
Front and rear cameras
Dual technology to support multiple standards
Application in local language
Expandable storage

4. How to select a smartphone

Choosing a Smartphone is getting more and more complex, as there are a number of models available from Apple, Nokia, RIM, HTC, Palm, and dozens of other companies. The selection of a smart phone depends on the type of user and his needs. The user is generally categorized as the business user, communicator, and media addict. The business users usually look for the ability to compose e-mails and text messages quickly, good battery life, and a durable design that can withstand abuse. A communicator on the other hand would like to make and receive calls and stay in touch with people for which he may need a Bluetooth and most importantly battery support which last long enough that he can keep talking all day. The media addict requires a smartphone which looks stunning, big screen, play fast and smooth and have adequate storage for movies and music files.

Smartphones are like mini computers and susceptible to viruses. The user has to make sure that he downloads files and documents only from trusted sources. Another frequent complaint in a smart phone is battery draining. This is because of the use of features like bluetooth continuously or due to over charging. Similarly browsing multimedia sites and social networking applications in internet consume more battery.

Smartphones should not be exposed to heat as these phones are are embedded with tiny complicated electronic materials which are heat sensitive.

5. Conclusion

The mobile handset technology is constantly changing and as a result what constitutes a smartphone today may change next year. A mobile phone is no longer just a communication device; it is also a camera, clock, personal computer and a diary, According to a study, there are nearly 20% of the subscribers own smartphones in US in 2010 and it is one of the fastest growing segments of the mobile phone market.

(ArticlesBase SC #3024321)

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/smartphones-3024321.html#ixzz1SEqWHigA
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Posted in: How to select a smartphone