violet
06-18-2004, 11:49 PM
i don't even have a smartphone yet, but i've spent about 30 hours reading reviews, forums, specs, and wireless offers. hopefully other people who have more experience will add other helpful information to this post so that it can be a useful guide for others seeking to select their first smartphone -- a brilliant combination of pda, phone, and at least one other thing...
general stuff to be aware of:
1. there are lots of features out there. be careful not to get feature happy and just choose the phone that has the most features for the lowest price, stay focused on what you need and finding the device that fits your needs best. although the following website does not include all the smartphones out there, it does walk you through a process of figuring out what you're really looking for. it will help you get your head straight about that. www.myproductadvisor.com
2. don't buy a device based on specs alone. search for reviews of it. these will sometimes involve testing and shortcomings. but some reviews are almost as glowing as the product specs. the best way to learn about possible problems is from reading forums like this one. if a lot of people are complaining about hardware failure or lack of tech support, you may want to stay away from that device, however pretty it may be. forums also often include headsup about immanent release of new models with important fixes or they can help you get a sense that even though a new model is about to be released, the old one is damn good (and you can expect the price to come down soon!)
3. you are not limited to the phones offered by your current or favored cellphone provider. many third-party vendors will cell you a phone without a service contract (so you won't be required to sign another year's contract just to get a new phone) or a phone and new contract with all the fabulous rebates offered by the cellphone companies themselves! find the phone you really want! it's out there!
variables in selecting a smartphone:
1. which operating system do you want?
each of these are different and have different benefits and drawbacks. my understanding is pretty limited, so i'll keep this short and landscapey. you need to study from more experienced people to really learn the difference
* palm os (handspring's long line of pdas)
* symbian (nokia and other cell phone companies os. i think one feature of this OS is that button functions change depending on what you are doing, which provides fast, intuitive use)
* various microsoft-windows based OS (pocket pc, and several others. these are the most dignified and formal-looking OS, but also in some ways the heaviest, and there are some claims that they crash more)
* RIM (the OS used by blackberry and others? i don't even know if RIM is really an OS)
2. which kind of input system do you need? this is really important. if you don't have a comfortable way of inputting text, you may not use the damn thing!
*numeric keypad with alphanumeric functions: you put in letters the way you do with most cell phones, by tapping the right number repeatedly until your letter comes up. one thing to keep in mind about this tedious system is that you can do it with the same hand that is holding the phone!
* stylus with handwriting recognition: there are different kinds of pads that do the recognition, but you have probably had a good or bad experience with this. requires one hand to hold the phone and the other to hold the stylus.
* stylus tapping on a touch-screen keyboard: often an option on the handwriting recognition kind. fairly tedious, but perhaps less so than numeric keypad. requires use of two hands.
* qwerty/typewriter keyboard: some machines now have tiny, but useable keyboards built in. some of them are designed so that you hold the machine in two hands and use both thumbs to type -- apparently people get used to this just fine. others are designed so that people with fairly small and nible hands can actually type normally -- but carefully. of course the big problem with qwerty is where to put the damn thing. this makes some phones bigger than you'd like them to be (nokia 9290, danger), or more pda-shaped than phone-shaped (blackberry, treo). the nokia 6820 seems to be the first phone sized and shaped with a hidden keyboard. the coming method of providing qwerty is to project what looks like a little laser light show on whatever flat surface is handy, creating a normal-sized keyboard. cool, cool!
the next thing is to figure out what sorts of "connectivity" you need. there are two major directions of connectivity you might want.
3 connectivity to your laptop or desktop computer.
3.1 HOW you want to connect physically
*infrared
*bluetooth
*cables (usb or serial)
3.1 WHAT you want to connect to. most devices connect to a couple of these, but not all of them!
* PC
* Mac/apple
* outlook
* lotus
the danger machines don't sync to ANYTHING but are backed up on your carrier's server. that has good and bad points...
4. connectivity to the internet. most cellular companies are now offering some kind of data system which is a separate network/system, protocol, and fee from your voice service. look into the price of this with various cell companies before you commit to a particular phone, as that phone may be limited to a company whose data service is more expensive than others.
there are several different network/systems being built in the US, GPRS, EDGE, and others. like the voice network/protocols CDMA and GPS, these are used by more than one company. AT&T and T-mobile voice networks use GPS (which is also the international standard, enabling you to take GPS phones and use them in other countries), while Sprint and Verizon (i think) use CDMA. getting back to data, your phone will be enabled to use one or another of these data networks. is there much difference between these networks coverage, reliability, and speed? yes, probably. find out more about the areas you will use before choosing a service. these networks are not yet as complete as the networks built for voice.
if you will be using the internet from your phone, pay attention to what sort of email is supported. can you use imap and pop? can your phone get through your employer's firewalls (i think blackberrys are supposed to be the best for this). there are also a number of different kind of browsers that are used by cellphones. some of these browsers can only view webpages that have code modified for them. others can view any webpage. think about whether you might be viewing webpages that don't have a lot of extra expensive corporate code
5. other functions
* document and spreadsheet handling. if you want to look at or modify documents on your smartphone, you'll want to check out how the operating system you've chosen syncs with the files you'll be using. there are downloadable programs to help with sync problems.
* makeup mirror (i am not kidding) see Panasonic G70
* smartphones also have memory limitations, which will affect you if you do a lot of stuff. some have cards to increase the memory, so that's something to take into account.
* cameras (and even videocameras) are now part of many phones
* music: mp3 players & radios are now part of some smartphones, along with stereo sound output. if you will be listening to music you can buy special headphones which will patch a call right through the music...
* video players - if you want to watch movies on your phone
* and don't forget to pay attention to phone basics. do you need a phone with a speakerphone? do want to conference in 5 or 6 people (this is often an option). how are the reviews of sound quality? how is the key backlighting? can you dial from the contacts list in the pda function side? are the keys laid out well so you won't be hitting hangup when you're trying to type yourself a note on a tiny keyboard? do you want to use a bluetooth headset to get rid of the wires and deliver microwaves to the brain... (also i had one and it fucked up my hearing after 1/2 an hour of use 3 days straight, then it stopped working so i had to end the experiment.)...but maybe you like yours. if so, make sure your smartphone supports bluetooth.
* international use. if you travel internationally, a GPS phone will enable you (as i understand it) to swap out a SIM chip and use your phone when you are traveling. a CDMA phone may be used in Canada, but otherwise you're screwed.
ok that's what i've learned. everybody else, please help out in adding to this thread to make it more useful to people. if there are things wrong in what i wrote, let me know in a private message and i'll edit this, so the corrections don't have to be all in additional messages.
in case you're curious about my own process, i can't stand the handwriting recognition or the stylus tapping system, so i limited my search to qwerty devices. i also find the palm os clunky, and i avoid microsoft when i can, so i eventually decided to go with a symbian OS. i'm impressed with t-mobile's serive plan and i want GPS for possible use in travel.
along the way i was impressed with the treo 600 (qwerty under $500) and the sony ericsson p800 and p900 (well over $500 with numeric keyboards not qwerty). i worried that the nokia 6820 would be too hokey held in the hand.
i decided on an older, but elegant device, the nokia 9290, now available for $50 with t-mobile signup. the major drawbacks of this machine are the heft (it's over 6" long) and the lack of GPRS. (it has some kind of 14.4 "dialup" internet access, which i haven't quite grasped yet.) if i hate it, i'll let you know. as the data networks get better i'm sure i'll get a GPRS model.
good luck, and please post additions.
general stuff to be aware of:
1. there are lots of features out there. be careful not to get feature happy and just choose the phone that has the most features for the lowest price, stay focused on what you need and finding the device that fits your needs best. although the following website does not include all the smartphones out there, it does walk you through a process of figuring out what you're really looking for. it will help you get your head straight about that. www.myproductadvisor.com
2. don't buy a device based on specs alone. search for reviews of it. these will sometimes involve testing and shortcomings. but some reviews are almost as glowing as the product specs. the best way to learn about possible problems is from reading forums like this one. if a lot of people are complaining about hardware failure or lack of tech support, you may want to stay away from that device, however pretty it may be. forums also often include headsup about immanent release of new models with important fixes or they can help you get a sense that even though a new model is about to be released, the old one is damn good (and you can expect the price to come down soon!)
3. you are not limited to the phones offered by your current or favored cellphone provider. many third-party vendors will cell you a phone without a service contract (so you won't be required to sign another year's contract just to get a new phone) or a phone and new contract with all the fabulous rebates offered by the cellphone companies themselves! find the phone you really want! it's out there!
variables in selecting a smartphone:
1. which operating system do you want?
each of these are different and have different benefits and drawbacks. my understanding is pretty limited, so i'll keep this short and landscapey. you need to study from more experienced people to really learn the difference
* palm os (handspring's long line of pdas)
* symbian (nokia and other cell phone companies os. i think one feature of this OS is that button functions change depending on what you are doing, which provides fast, intuitive use)
* various microsoft-windows based OS (pocket pc, and several others. these are the most dignified and formal-looking OS, but also in some ways the heaviest, and there are some claims that they crash more)
* RIM (the OS used by blackberry and others? i don't even know if RIM is really an OS)
2. which kind of input system do you need? this is really important. if you don't have a comfortable way of inputting text, you may not use the damn thing!
*numeric keypad with alphanumeric functions: you put in letters the way you do with most cell phones, by tapping the right number repeatedly until your letter comes up. one thing to keep in mind about this tedious system is that you can do it with the same hand that is holding the phone!
* stylus with handwriting recognition: there are different kinds of pads that do the recognition, but you have probably had a good or bad experience with this. requires one hand to hold the phone and the other to hold the stylus.
* stylus tapping on a touch-screen keyboard: often an option on the handwriting recognition kind. fairly tedious, but perhaps less so than numeric keypad. requires use of two hands.
* qwerty/typewriter keyboard: some machines now have tiny, but useable keyboards built in. some of them are designed so that you hold the machine in two hands and use both thumbs to type -- apparently people get used to this just fine. others are designed so that people with fairly small and nible hands can actually type normally -- but carefully. of course the big problem with qwerty is where to put the damn thing. this makes some phones bigger than you'd like them to be (nokia 9290, danger), or more pda-shaped than phone-shaped (blackberry, treo). the nokia 6820 seems to be the first phone sized and shaped with a hidden keyboard. the coming method of providing qwerty is to project what looks like a little laser light show on whatever flat surface is handy, creating a normal-sized keyboard. cool, cool!
the next thing is to figure out what sorts of "connectivity" you need. there are two major directions of connectivity you might want.
3 connectivity to your laptop or desktop computer.
3.1 HOW you want to connect physically
*infrared
*bluetooth
*cables (usb or serial)
3.1 WHAT you want to connect to. most devices connect to a couple of these, but not all of them!
* PC
* Mac/apple
* outlook
* lotus
the danger machines don't sync to ANYTHING but are backed up on your carrier's server. that has good and bad points...
4. connectivity to the internet. most cellular companies are now offering some kind of data system which is a separate network/system, protocol, and fee from your voice service. look into the price of this with various cell companies before you commit to a particular phone, as that phone may be limited to a company whose data service is more expensive than others.
there are several different network/systems being built in the US, GPRS, EDGE, and others. like the voice network/protocols CDMA and GPS, these are used by more than one company. AT&T and T-mobile voice networks use GPS (which is also the international standard, enabling you to take GPS phones and use them in other countries), while Sprint and Verizon (i think) use CDMA. getting back to data, your phone will be enabled to use one or another of these data networks. is there much difference between these networks coverage, reliability, and speed? yes, probably. find out more about the areas you will use before choosing a service. these networks are not yet as complete as the networks built for voice.
if you will be using the internet from your phone, pay attention to what sort of email is supported. can you use imap and pop? can your phone get through your employer's firewalls (i think blackberrys are supposed to be the best for this). there are also a number of different kind of browsers that are used by cellphones. some of these browsers can only view webpages that have code modified for them. others can view any webpage. think about whether you might be viewing webpages that don't have a lot of extra expensive corporate code
5. other functions
* document and spreadsheet handling. if you want to look at or modify documents on your smartphone, you'll want to check out how the operating system you've chosen syncs with the files you'll be using. there are downloadable programs to help with sync problems.
* makeup mirror (i am not kidding) see Panasonic G70
* smartphones also have memory limitations, which will affect you if you do a lot of stuff. some have cards to increase the memory, so that's something to take into account.
* cameras (and even videocameras) are now part of many phones
* music: mp3 players & radios are now part of some smartphones, along with stereo sound output. if you will be listening to music you can buy special headphones which will patch a call right through the music...
* video players - if you want to watch movies on your phone
* and don't forget to pay attention to phone basics. do you need a phone with a speakerphone? do want to conference in 5 or 6 people (this is often an option). how are the reviews of sound quality? how is the key backlighting? can you dial from the contacts list in the pda function side? are the keys laid out well so you won't be hitting hangup when you're trying to type yourself a note on a tiny keyboard? do you want to use a bluetooth headset to get rid of the wires and deliver microwaves to the brain... (also i had one and it fucked up my hearing after 1/2 an hour of use 3 days straight, then it stopped working so i had to end the experiment.)...but maybe you like yours. if so, make sure your smartphone supports bluetooth.
* international use. if you travel internationally, a GPS phone will enable you (as i understand it) to swap out a SIM chip and use your phone when you are traveling. a CDMA phone may be used in Canada, but otherwise you're screwed.
ok that's what i've learned. everybody else, please help out in adding to this thread to make it more useful to people. if there are things wrong in what i wrote, let me know in a private message and i'll edit this, so the corrections don't have to be all in additional messages.
in case you're curious about my own process, i can't stand the handwriting recognition or the stylus tapping system, so i limited my search to qwerty devices. i also find the palm os clunky, and i avoid microsoft when i can, so i eventually decided to go with a symbian OS. i'm impressed with t-mobile's serive plan and i want GPS for possible use in travel.
along the way i was impressed with the treo 600 (qwerty under $500) and the sony ericsson p800 and p900 (well over $500 with numeric keyboards not qwerty). i worried that the nokia 6820 would be too hokey held in the hand.
i decided on an older, but elegant device, the nokia 9290, now available for $50 with t-mobile signup. the major drawbacks of this machine are the heft (it's over 6" long) and the lack of GPRS. (it has some kind of 14.4 "dialup" internet access, which i haven't quite grasped yet.) if i hate it, i'll let you know. as the data networks get better i'm sure i'll get a GPRS model.
good luck, and please post additions.