Which smartphone should you get?
Smartphones are becoming increasingly popular, especially as the world becomes more mobile.
To figure out which smartphone suits your needs best, you need to figure out what you’re going to be using the phone for.
If it’s simply e-mail and you want the device to sync and integrate seamlessly with your corporate e-mail, BlackBerry is likely the best and most painless route to go. Sure the iPhone can handle e-mail, as can the new Nokia smartphones such as the N97 and E72, even the new HTC devices can “do” e-mail well, but BlackBerry pretty much “invented” push-e-mail, which means you don’t have to check for mail, it is simply pushed to your device when it arrives.
Your options (this list is not exhaustive, but represents the best devices available):
Want a phone that allows you to surf the web as if you were on a desktop. It has great integration with iTunes and the sheer multitude of apps available makes this a great device. Multimedia is a big part of the iPhone and the video camera on the 3G S allows you to shoot and edit video on your phone. The one drawback is that the iPhone does not allow you to run applications in the background (ie, jump from one to another).
Arguably the closest challenger to the iPhone, this is HTC’s flagship device running on the Android operating system. Android also has its own application store, and more and more apps that are popular on iTunes are being made available to Android users. Surfing the web is a breeze, and because it’s not an Apple, you are free to do a lot more on this phone. The Hero also uses HTC’s proprietary user interface (think of it as a layer on top of Android) called HTC Sense. The major highlight here is the integration of all your messages (your inbox, SMSes and social network messages are all stitched together).
The successor to the original Bold sees BlackBerry shrink the size of the phone slightly, while retaining the features which made it the top-of-the-range BlackBerry. E-mail? Done. High-res display? Done. Wi-Fi? Done. The one area which needs improvement (and which RIM is working on) is the internet browser. It is robust and renders webpages fine, but still has some catching up to do when compared to the slimmed down Safari on the iPhone.
Works like a Nokia. If you’re used to Nokia phones, the jump will make sense, and you’ll be familiar with where everything is. Nokia’s Ovi store offers a fairly wide selection of downloadable apps (it’s not quite 100 000-plus like Apple, but it’s a good start). The nice thing about this phone is the slide-out QWERTY keyboard: with the phone closed, it’s a touchscreen. Slide it out and you’ve got a mini keyboard.
The robust QWERTY keyboard on this device is great. Like the N97 (and all other “smart”/multimedia Nokia devices), the integrated Ovi store is a plus. Messaging (ie, e-mail) is at the centre of this device. One of the interesting features on the E72 is the ability to toggle between two home-screens – ie, a work screen and a family screen, each with their own icons and shortcuts. The device integrates well with Microsoft Exchange e-mail.
Nexus One (Google Phone)
Not content with just its operating system, Google has moved even closer to manufacturers, and unveiled its first real push at its “own” device this month, a Google Phone: the Nexus One. HTC manufactured the device, but Google will sell and support it. It’s a really top device, with an incredibly speedy processor, a great camera and a lot of Google-specific add-ons, such as mobile Google Earth and voice-recognition input for anything (e-mails, dialling, SMSes) that really works.
Google wants to change the way that phones are sold – you are able to buy this phone direct from www.google.com/phone without being locked into a two year contract. The official line is that the Nexus One isn’t available in South Africa just yet, but Vodafone has signed an agreement with Google to distribute the phone and it “covers all of Vodafone geographies, including South Africa”.
Devices on their way?
Palm’s Pre was rumoured late last year to be launching in this country soon. I wouldn’t wait for this device, there are better options on the market right now. Also, the phone that arguably saved Motorola – the Droid (called ‘Milestone’ outside the US) – should eventually show up in South Africa. It runs on Google’s Android operating system, but like the HTC Hero has a user interface layer on top of it (Moto Blur). It’s not the best looking phone, but could be worth waiting for.
My advice? Figure out what you want to be able to do on the phone (most of the time). Is it e-mail? Is it surfing the internet? Is it mostly just a phone with some messaging and maybe the odd bit of web-browsing?
Talk to friends and colleagues who use or have used these devices. Ask if you can play around on their phone. That’s the only way you’re going to experience the phones.
* Hilton Tarrant contributes to “Broadband”, a column on Moneyweb covering the ICT sector in South Africa. He is currently using the older BlackBerry Bold. If he had the choice, he’d probably go with the new 9700… Although he’d seriously consider the HTC Hero and iPhone (not that he’ll ever become an Apple fanboy).
Loading ...