How Smart is a Smartphone?

atest technology buzzword in mobile communicationssmartphone with your laptop, for example.
is the 'smartphone'. The days of a phone just makingSoftware
phone calls (and, if you were really lucky, take awfulWhile almost all mobile phones include some sort of
photos) are well and truly over. A demanding,software, smartphones have taken it to a whole new
tech-savvy public wants a phone that will provide themlevel. A good smartphone will give you the ability to
with a range of functions, including Internet access, thecreate and edit Microsoft Office documents, download
ability to send and receive emails and even to editapplications such as personal finance managers, edit
Word documents. The smartphone does all this - andphotos, access a GPS navigation system and create
more.a playlist of digital tunes. The explosion of 'aps'
To really understand how important a development(applications) for the most modern, touch screen
smartphones are, we first have to look at its heritage.phones are pushing software to the limit, with
The smartphone is a convergence of the traditionaldownloadable software applications available for
mobile or cell phone and personal digital assistantsalmost anything you can name.
(PDAs) such as the Palm Pilot. Whereas a mobileWeb access
phone was designed purely to make and receive calls,With a tech-smart public demanding 24/7 access to
PDAs were used as portable, personal organisers. Athe Internet, no self-respecting smartphone would deny
PDA could store your contact information and a 'to do'you web access. The most modern smartphones can
list and link with your main PC. As technology movedaccess the Web at higher speeds, thanks to the
on, PDAs developed the ability to receive and senddevelopment of 3G data networks and the addition of
emails. Mobile phones, in the meantime, gained aWi-Fi support.
plethora of additional features such as messagingQwerty keyboard
capabilities. The two technologies ran alongside for aIf you're going to be sending emails from your phone,
while, each developing the same capabilities as theyou really need a qwerty keyboard facility. These can
other, including wireless capability. Finally, someone hadbe part of the hardware (like your computer keyboard
the bright idea of combining the two into one, portablebut in miniature) or as on the new touch screen
package. The smartphone was born.phones, part of the display screen.
The key features of a smartphone all depend on theMessaging
make or model you decide to purchase, but the bareAll mobile phones can send and receive text
minimum requirements to look for or consider whenmessages, but smartphones can go one better and
buying a smartphone are:receive email. Others can also include access to
The Operating Systempopular instant messaging sites such as MSN or
Generally, a smartphone will be based on an operatingYahoo! Messenger.
system that allows it to run productivity applications.It's not just the technology that makes a smartphone
For instance, the Blackberry runs its own operatingsmart. It's the application of that technology into
system, while others run on Windows mobile. Thereproducing a mobile phone that does far more than just
are smartphones that run a scaled down version ofsend and receive phone calls or take dreadful photos.
Linux, but these are finding it a struggle to competeThe smartphone has been the death-knell of the palm
against the all-conquering Windows or Apple 'Aps'pilot - why have two pieces of technology when you
systems. If you're looking for a smartphone, considercan combine it all into one, lightweight, easy to operate
what operating systems your other technology ismobile consul?
running if you want to successfully interface yourJust don't ever drop it onto a hard surface...