At present, the vast number of cellular phone models can be separated into two distinct groups – feature phones and smart phones. In general, feature phones are relatively cheaper and offer only basic telephony and a few multimedia functions. Smartphones on the other hand offer more advanced computing abilities with the use of native software applications which make them very suitable to use as lifestyle phones since they can cope with the needs of most users.
As smartphones begin to slowly gain popularity and increase in overall market share, it’s interesting to know how a particular handset would fit the lifestyle and needs of a particular user. If you’re planning to get your very first smartphone or wanting to upgrade your old phone, here’s a quick guide to today’s most popular bunch of smartphones.
Berries. The Canadian telecommunications company Research in Motion Limited (RIM) designs, manufactures and markets the Blackberry line of mobile phones. There are currently three major groups of Blackberry phones available in the market. They are the Curve, the Bold, and the Torch models. The Curve line is considered as the entry level device for the budget conscious consumer, while the Bold line and the Torch line targets the mid-range/high-tier and premium users respectively.
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The traditional blackberry users were executives and businessmen who make use of RIM’s award winning email client. The term “crackberry” was derived from the manner in which a blackberry phone appears to have an addictive hold to its user. Nowadays, the face of a typical BB user has remained almost unchanged. So, to those people who are fond of checking their emails on the go, RIM’s Blackberries would still be their perfect choice. And thanks to the RIM’s own social networking client – BBM, Blackberry is also attracting younger blood by offering unlimited chat, photo sharing and group chats.
However, RIM is not that open when it comes to customization as most BB handsets have limited personalization options. And if you want to talk about apps and games be prepared to get your heart broken because the Blackberry app store won’t give you much to choose from. To sum it up, Blackberries will be your best bet if you just want to have basic internet connectivity to check your mails, browse the web, check Facebook and Twitter feeds and connect with other users, otherwise you might want to check out other platforms like the ones listed below.
Apples. Apple’s iPhone is probably the most popular phone in the market today. Since the launch of the first iPhone in 2007, every single update on the iPhone has gotten people to line up outside Apple’s stores for anticipation. Its success is mainly attributable to its App store and its gorgeous user interface which has won the hearts of many because of its responsiveness and fluidity and its premium look and design that has also been the benchmark when it comes to the overall physical look and appeal of today’s generation of mobile phones.
And unlike blackberry, Apple has a massive store filled with music files, videos, ebooks and applications of all sort. In fact, the Apple App store recently celebrated its 25th billion download by giving away a $10,000 iTunes Gift card to the lucky downloader. And of course, since the iPhone is basically an iPod with a phone, users are indulged with superb music experience that ipod owners have had in the past. Moreover, the process of “jailbreaking” an iPhone provides users with a higher degree of customization and personalization compared to other mobile platforms.
In general, iPhone owners are usually the app hungry users. A lot of iPhone owners that I know would usually say that the thing that they like most about their devices is that there is a huge number of nice games and utilities available for them to download. And if you’re tech savvy enough, the list of apps available to you is even further increased especially after jailbreaking. So, if the price doesn’t make you cringe and you like having a lot of games and apps on your phone then an iPhone might be the perfect match for you.
Mangoes. Windows phone 7 is one of the youngest platforms in the industry today. The latest update done on the operating system, code-named “Mango” provides multi-tasking capabilities, twitter integration and Windows Live Sky drive access. Being the new kid on the block, WP7 has at present limited market share. Majority of its handsets come from HTC while the rest are distributed by Samsung, LG and Dell, and recently Nokia.
Although relatively new in the market, WP7 has received positive feedback from consumer. Its minimalist look as well as the highly optimized user interface gives users a smooth and responsive user experience. However, the closed ecosystem of WP7, especially the one that pertains to the licensing of the OS before it can be installed on a device has made it pricey and hard to afford to most consumers. And similar to RIM, WP7’s App market place pale in comparison to Apple’s App store or Android’s Play market, so users have to settle with the number of apps currently available for them to download and purchase.
Aside from former WinMo users, WP7 is also a good choice for consumers who are trying to shy away from the iPhone, BB and Android trend and wants a device that offers a minimalist look, a speedy and optimized UI and some sort of exclusivity and uniqueness.
Desserts. Cupcake, Doughnut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb and now Ice Cream Sandwich are the names of current and past versions of Android OS. Currently considered as the most successful mobile operating system in the market, Android dominance is at its all-time high with almost 50% market share in the smartphone industry. Its open source nature has made it the most available and desirable OS for majority of cell phone manufacturers. Furthermore, its wide distribution across the market through various brands and models have considerably caused prices to drop and therefore allowed it to be more price flexible which is beneficial to consumers.
People who are looking for a phone that is highly customizable out of the box, offers a wide range of apps and games for download and offers a relatively cheaper price compared to other phones of the same specs but with different OS will surely love Android.
Other Platforms.
Symbian. Symbian has long been with us since the dawn of affordable mobile phones. Nokia, and its army of feature and smart phones have been powered mostly by Symbian. It’s relatively easy to operate on Nokia’s feature phones but when it comes to smartphones, it just feels that Symbian has less to offer in contrast to the 4 mobile OS discussed above. And to be honest, I think most Symbian OS users nowadays are Nokia loyalists who either has not yet tried other phones or is just too scared to try one.
MeeGo. Meego is the mobile operating system developed by Intel and Nokia to power future generations of smartphones. There is only one known handset that is powered by MeeGo – The Nokia N9. Although the Nokia N9 has received positive feedback from consumers, the cancellation of MeeGo in favour of Tizen has left N9 users hanging especially in terms of after sales and developer support in the future. The idea of having no possible improvements in the future makes MeeGo a difficult OS to use and work with and to a certain extent obsolete.
Bada. Bada is the mobile operating system developed by Samsung Electronics to power Samsung’s own fleet of smartphones. Dubbed as the “OS of the masses”, Samsung intended for Bada to power majority of their devices. However, there were a lot of bugs found on early releases of the OS and although they were later on fixed, it seems that the success of Android has hampered the rise of Bada. Moreover, the look and feel of Bada seems very similar to the UI of most droids (specially Samsung Android Phones) which kind of makes the it look like a Korean knock off of Google’s Android OS.
In the end, the choice of deciding which mobile phone would work best for an individual is still based on one’s lifestyle and needs. I hope that be reading this post, consumers will make an informed decision on which smartphone is best for them.
‘Till Next time! (If you like what you’ve read please share this post on your favourite social media network and of course, please don’t hesitate to leave comments.)
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