Basics
Operating System: True smartphones don’t rely on the skimpy interface that most phone manufacturers provide. Smartphones run on software similar to a computer’s with the ability to install a myriad of additional games and applications, and with robust integration of features, like being able to dial phone numbers directly from a web page with a click. The most widely used OS for smartphones currently is Windows Mobile, which is, just as it sounds, much like a miniature version of Windows. The Palm OS, familiar to users of the popular early Treos and Palm Pilots, is often favored by people who want a simpler interface. The Blackberry uses a proprietary system, and the iPhone runs on a version of the Mac OS.
Hardware: Smartphones vary from candy-bar slim to full-featured but bulky, almost like shrunken laptops. The most important factors to consider with hardware are the screen and the keyboard. Screen size and resolution will be very important if you plan on doing a lot of web surfing, or will be viewing or editing lengthy documents so you’ll want as big a screen as possible. All smartphones will have backlit screens, for easy viewing in the dark, but reading in bright daylight may be more difficult. Keyboards with tiny QWERTY buttons are pretty much the standard in smartphones, but the iPhone uses an on-screen keyboard and some Blackberry models use a modified version without dedicated keys for each letter.
Network: If you want to make use of the Internet on your phone, then the network is of the utmost importance. 3G is the term for the high-speed mobile networks available from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. Many smartphones still only support the slower networks such as EDGE (AT&T), so this is something to watch out for. High-speed coverage with each service provider also varies, so checking out coverage maps before you settle on a carrier is important. Some phones, such as the iPhone, also have built-in Wifi when you have a hotspot available.
Email: The Blackberry gained its reputation as the choice for email addicts for its fast messaging. Email gets pushed out to you as it arrives, no need for you to check it. Windows Mobile and Palm have optional programs which let you sync to your Microsoft Exchange work email. The iPhone and the latest version of Windows Mobile (version 6) also support full HTML email so your email comes through with formatting and images, just like on your desktop client.
