Leaderboard

Smart phones offer the functions of a mobile phone and a PDA in one device, but they are not for everyone. Here's what you need to know before buying one. From a business perspective, Blackberrys have dominated the corporate world for the past decade. However, the tides are slowing changing due to the release of Apple’s iPhone and of course Google’s Android operating system, which being used by many mobile-device manufacturers. As a consumer and a business user, one must be thankful that we have the power of choice. It was not too long ago when Nokia and Motorola devices ruled the marketplace and smartphones weren’t really that “smart”. Mobile Operating Systems Like a computer operating system, a mobile operating system is the software platform on top of which other programs run. When you purchase a mobile device, the manufacturer will have chosen the operating system for that specific device. The operating system is responsible for determining the functions and features available on your device, such as synchronization, e-mail, text messaging and more. The mobile operating system will also determine which third-party applications can be used on your device. Some of the more common and well-known Mobile operating systems are listed below: Android Pros : Open source, lots of apps, clean and interactive UI, ActiveSync, Skinnable OS Cons : battery life maybe an issue [?] Major handset brands : HTC, Samsung 3rd Party Application Store : Android Market Current Version : 2.3 Windows Mobile Pros: Mobile versions of Microsoft Office apps, seamless integration with Outlook, wide range of brands to choose from. Cons: more complicated than other OSes, not the best multi-tasking capability, no capacitive touchscreen support. Major handset brands: HTC, O2, HP. 3rd Party Application Store : Windows Marketplace for Mobile Current Version : Windows Phone 7 BlackBerry OS Pros : encrypted and secure messaging services, renowned QWERTY keypads, strong battery life. Cons : comparatively BB applications are more expensive, Major handset brands: Proprietary of RIM 3rd Party Application Store : App World Current Version : 6.0.0 iOS Pros : best web browsing experience, excellent UI, ActiveSync Cons : No CDMA version, iTunes may be cumbersome, have issues with Adobe Flash, phones are rather fragile. Major handset brands: Proprietary of Apple 3rd Party Application Store : App Store Current Version : 4.2.1 webOS Pros: Easy to use, large pool of third-party applications, remarkable multi-tasking capability. Cons: limited choice of devices Major handset brand: Palm 3rd Party Application Store : App Catalog Current Version 1.4.5 Symbian Pros: Lots of available devices, works well with Bluetooth and IrDA, tight mobile Java integration. Cons: No uniform interface across different devices, kind of obsolete. Major handset brands: Nokia, Sony Ericcson. 3rd Party Application Store : Ovi store Current Version : 9.5 While the iPhone has more than 350,000 apps available and has the most popular and iconic App Store, Android phones offer more than 100,000 apps to choose from and are quickly making up ground. BlackBerry’s App World offers a comparatively meager 15,000 titles, although owners still have access to the basics like Facebook, Pandora and The Weather Channel. The jury is still out on the few thousand apps already available for Windows Phone 7 while nobody today will buy a WebOS device purely for its app availability. Features to talk about <will be added shortly> Wherever possible, spend hands-on time with the smartphone you like best. Make sure that it is comfortable to hold, has good sound clarity, and can easily send e-mails and photos and navigate the internet. If the phone is too complicated for you to use, you will be frustrated and wont use all the features. The device will be a waste of money. That is why it assumes importance to choose the phone that suits your needs - here the most popular model need not necessarily be the best choice for you. Sourced parts of the info from the www and all due recognition to them All the info mentioned above are collected and verified after extensive cross-checking, in case some mistakes have crept in, please post the same and the topic will be modified accordingly Edit : Will be adding more info and tips shortly, feel free to post suggestions