So you want a smartphone. Well who doesn't? They can do everything but make your breakfast these days. Okay well maybe not everything, but close. But with so many choices out there, how do you know what's right for you? Let's take an indepth look at smartphones and ease your confusion a little.
The Operating System
You need to decide which operating system you want on your phone. Unlike computers, you can not change the operating system on your phone.
Android
Google's Android operating system is slated to surpass the iPhone by 2012. HTC, Sony Ericsson and Motorola all have Android phones in their lineup. Google services are tightly integrated with all Android-based smartphones, so you can sync your Google calendars, email and contacts. A GPS module is usually integrated into Android devices and work seamlessly with Google maps. You are however free to install any navigation software via the app Marketplace.
Other apps that are standard features with Android are YouTube apps, Facebook integration and a music player, although the manufacturers are free to ship their own versions. In addition, there are thousands of apps and games available in the Android Market.
Apple iOS
Apple ships all of its mobile units with the company's proprietary iOS operating system, which is amazingly easy to use. Just like Android has Google integration, iOS is integrated with Apple's corresponding services. The iPhone is the favored smartphone for multimedia and gaming, although Android is close on its heels. Apple's App Store is second to none in variety and lets you choose from massive amount of free and paid apps. The iPhone OS currently has over 100,000 apps, the most of any phone.
So far the iPhone has mainly attracted consumers, but an increasing amount of corporate users are also opting for the iPhone. It has excellent multimedia and browser capabilities, and the ability to wipe your device remotely in case it is lost or stolen.
Windows Phone 7
Windows phones come preloaded with Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 along with Pocket Excel and Pocket Word apps. These apps allow you to seamlessly work with office documents, so if you need your phone for business reasons this might be for you. Pocket Outlook also handles your tasks, calendar and email. And Windows phones also work great with corporate Windows environments.
Another feature that is more likely to appeal to the regular consumer in Windows Phone 7 is gaming via Xbox Live. After a somewhat slow start, Microsoft is starting to pick up the pace. The company's latest mobile operating system may eventually become a serious competitor to Android and the iPhone, but it's not quite there yet.
Symbian
Symbian is owned by Nokia and therefore found primarily in Nokia devices. It is not as feature-packed as the more modern iOS and Android, but handles functions like taking pictures, texting, quick dialing, contacts and calendar without breaking a sweat. There are also quite a few optional apps available.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry smartphones come with a proprietary operating system that is simply known as BlackBerry OS - developed and maintained by Research in Motion. It focuses on corporate email functionality with MS Exchange syncronization and other features that appeal to business users. Third-party applications are also available, as well as basic multimedia functionality.
Purchasing Unlocked or with a Plan
So do you go with a plan or get an unlocked smartphone? Well getting an unlocked phone seems like the way to go; that way you aren't stuck into a 2 year contract. But AT&T is sending its customers messages saying that they do not have a data plan and are automatically adding it to their service. Whether all companies will follow suit is yet to be seen. So you may be better off going with the best plan you come across.
The subsidies from the operators are also too large to pass up; you may get the phone for free or buy it at a significantly reduced price when you opt for a contract. Of course, there are times when an unlocked phone is the better (or only) option, for example when you already have a plan that you're happy with. On the other hand most operators also offer subsidies when you buy a new phone and extend your current contract, although not necessarily with the same rebate as on a new plan.
Smartphone Features
Multimedia is an important feature to consider on your smartphone. If you want a smartphone that is also an excellent music player, go for the iPhone or Sony Ericsson (Walkman) models. The iPhone allows you to buy songs, TV, movies and more from iTunes. Many phones are also capable of streaming radio from third party apps.
If you plan to share your content with Facebook or the like, check your phones content sharing feature. You also want to make sure your phones music player will connect easily with your desktop, so you don't need to purchase a separate docking station.
The design you choose will be whatever is comfortable for you. What "fits" you in other words. Flip phones, or clamshell phones are basically dying out, as are the swivel phones. Too many problems that were not foreseen with breakage, wearing of hinges, etc. Slider phones slide open one way or another, usually to reveal a QWERTY, or full keyboard. The most popular design is called the candy bar phone, which is just rectangular like a candy bar and does not open or slide in any way.
The keyboard is very important since you will use it for everything you do on your phone. There are touch phones, where there are no buttons, you just touch the screen, or button type phones. If you prefer buttons, check to see that they are comfortable to your hands. Some are very small and might be hard for you to text on. The touch pads are becoming very popular but may take some getting used to if you have never used them. The virtual keys do not "push" like regular buttons, and it may take some practice for you to be able to use it comfortably.
The camera can be a much needed feature on your phone, or perhaps one you really don't need. The average megapixels on a phone camera are 3.2, with 2 being the low minimum and 5 being the highest. Sony Ericsson or Nokia do have the 5+ if you really need great pics with your phone. If you need your phone to shoot video, there are many that do, but the quality will not be much different than a webcam video.
If you are in search of an excellent video cam on your phone, check out Nokia devices with Carl Zeiss optics. The videos they shoot are way above average. Your memory, or storage can also be an important feature to you if you plan on storing a lot of stuff. The average user will not need more than 8GB to store all your pics, music, videos and apps. If you don't take many pics or download apps, you will not even need that much space. However if you are a packrat, you may want to go for the 32G phones.
Battery life is very important on any phone. You don't want to be stuck and have it die on you when you really need it. Smartphones, since they are crammed full of so much extra stuff, suck your battery life much quicker. They do need to be charged more often, and if you don't mind the extra baggage, you might want to get one with a removeable battery and keep a spare handy so you will have juice at all times. So many features to choose from, but it all comes down to what your personal wants and needs are.
