This information was found at consumerreports.org:
Decide how “smart” a phone you want. We’ve grouped smart phones into two IQ categories. What we call advanced smart phones offer laptop-like capabilities in a palmtop-sized package. They let you create and edit spreadsheets and text documents, and they usually come with Microsoft Outlook, Palm Desktop, or other personal information management (PIM) software for your PC. They typically have touch screens for accessing the phone’s many features. They also let you load data onto the phone using standard-sized SD (Secure Digital) cards rather than “micro” versions found on basic models.
Basic smart phones resemble regular phones, and have fewer features than advanced models (they typically lack touch screens and PIM software, for example, and don’t allow you to create or edit documents and spreadsheets). They’re fine for reading e-mail, but composing and sending them is more cumbersome.
Consider the network. CDMA-based advanced smart phones are best if you frequently download data-heavy attachments, because such models use the high-speed EV-DO network from Sprint Nextel or Verizon. The slower, GSM-based EDGE network used by T-Mobile and Cingular is best suited for e-mail with small attachments or light-duty Web surfing, though Cingular has begun deploying a higher-speed data network called HSDPA.
Consider the operating system. Smart phones run on various operating systems, each with its own character.
Windows Mobile 5.0. Synchronizes easily with Microsoft Outlook on a desktop PC, but incompatible with non-Microsoft programs. Easy to switch between multiple applications. Navigation difficult on the basic version because it lacks a touch screen. An advanced version adds Office software and better e-mail features.
Palm. The most versatile OS. Supports full-featured e-mail and office software programs. The best for basic PDA functions--contacts, calendar, and task lists--as long as they’re running one at a time (the OS gets in the way of multitasking).
BlackBerry. The simplest for e-mail, with easy setup of e-mail accounts, especially from T-Mobile. “Push” capability automatically sends e-mail to the phone so that you don’t have to check it manually.
Danger. Used on the Sidekick. Relatively simple interface, geared toward text messaging. But some features, including simple dialing, are not always intuitive.
Symbian or Series 60. Found primarily on Nokia phones. Basic version is difficult to use, especially for setting up and using e-mail. Hard to navigate through the folder-based advanced version.
Size up the keypad and display. A smart phone’s shape and size are largely determined by its keypad and display. Some models have a full keypad that slides out from behind the phone and tucks away when not in use. Others--basic models such as the BlackBerry Pearl--leave the keypad in plain sight, but keys do double and even triple duty. Still others, such as the Nokia 9300, open like an eyeglass case to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Which type is more convenient depends on the functions you use most.
Consider the plan. Using the extra, network-dependent capabilities of a smart phone requires both a regular (voice/text) phone plan and a data plan for Web surfing and sending and receiving e-mail. Depending on the carrier, prices for both combined start at $45 to $80 a month with a two-year contract. But you can easily spend more than $200 a month as you add minutes, text messages, and other services.
If you already have a “family” plan, you may have to move your smart phone’s number to a new account, as we had to with Verizon and T-Mobile.
Price and flexibility make Sprint’s smart-phone plans the best overall. T-Mobile’s are also relatively inexpensive. Cingular’s cheapest plans have a megabyte limit, above which you pay a higher rate. Verizon’s plans are the most expensive and the least flexible.
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2 comments:
I think that one thing that you have to look at when comparing smartphones is the price. All of them are not cheap, but there are some that are a lot more expensive than others. It depends on what capabilities you want your phone to have. The more you want your phone to do, the more expensive your smartphone will be.
I agree. Price is probably one of the most important things when considering a smart phone. Price usually has more to do with the plan and features you add to your phone rather than the phone itself. Costs can add up quickly when you add features such as internet, text messaging, and air time for phone calls. It is important to not only find a phone that fits what you want/need for features, but also a plan and provider that are able to give you a cost managable monthly payment plan to utilize and afford your smart phone.
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