What is a Smart Phone? Do I need One?

A month ago my Palm Centro cell phone died. My wife's birthday was in July and instead of getting me a new phone, we got her the Blackberry Curve and I switched to her "red" Palm Centro. (I am secure in my manhood to carry a red cell phone.) Heidi loves her new phone and understandably so. So many people have felt the same. I have heard very little complaints about "Crackberries." The reason I am writing this article is to answer a question that I have had since I started pursuing a new phone and heard this word....smartphone. How is a smartphone different from a cell phone, and what makes it so smart? So I did minimal research to find out and thought others might want to know, so....here it is.

What is a Smartphone? According to Liane Casavoy in her article What Makes a Smartphone so Smart? A smartphone is a hybrid device that has all the features of a mobile phone and most of the features of a PDA (personal digital assistant) such as calendar, email, web browser and applications. In a nutshell, a smartphone is a cell phone and a PDA in one.

In order to understand what the Smartphone really is, we should start with a history lesson. In the beginning, there were cell phones and personal digital assistants (or PDA's). Cell phones were used for making calls--and not much else--while PDAs, like the Palm Pilot, were used as personal, portable organizers. A PDA could store your contact info and a to-do list, and could sync with your computer.
Eventually, PDAs gained wireless connectivity and were able to send and receive e-mail. Cell phones, meanwhile, gained messaging capabilities, too. PDAs then added cellular phone features, while cell phones added more PDA-like (and even computer-like) features. The result was the smartphone.

Here are some questions to ask to determine if your phone is a Smartphone.

• Does it have access to the Web?


• Does it have a QWERTY Keyboard? Not just a dial pad.


• Can you access your email accounts?


• Does it have software to allow you to create and edit Microsoft Office Documents, create a play list of digital tunes, or GPS navigation?

What are the benefits of a Smartphone? Should I upgrade to one? Here are some advantages to getting a Smartphone.

• Accessibility. It's the 21 century. You are expected to be more accessible in a multiple of ways, phone, email or text. Don't want to be bothered? Turn the phone off, but you have the ability to be more accessible.


• Mobility. A new trend is having access to the web wherever you go. This even means church, car, store...wherever you have your phone you have access. You literally have information at your fingertips. You won't have to go back to your PC to check your email or take your laptop with you on trips. 24/7 connectivity.


• Keep you Organized. These phones can act as personal organizer, calender, contact lists, and automatic reminders. And with the New Palm Pre all contacts from Facebook, and Google will be aggregated into one place.


• Coolness Factor. How cool does it look to have a phone like this? You can impress people around you and make yourself look very important!

I'm excited to upgrade to a Smartphone. I love the technology.

How about you?

Do you want to upgrade to a Smartphone?

Do you like your Smartphone?