Smartphone manufacturers continue to add features to their products. Yet, many seem to duplicate the offerings of their competitors, making it confusing to identify the right phone for your needs. If you are already locked into a carrier, you may not be able to purchase your dream phone, but a little care in selection will help you pick a winner.  The Best OS? Historically, U.S. smartphone users have chosen largely between four OSes: BlackBerry, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. Apple joined the fray in 2007 with its iPhone, but the phone’s status as a smartphone is questionable. Many experts consider the current iPhone incarnation a sophisticated multimedia device that can’t handle corporate email or messaging or (at this time) interface with or run third-party programs. But this will all change when Apple releases its iPhone 2.0, due out this month. (Refer to “Business-Class Smartphones” on page 36 for more about iPhone 2.0.) Nevertheless, the iPhone excels in Internet browsing and is one of the hottest phones ever to hit the market; the iPhone experienced a market penetration of 9% in less than one year and has the highest user satisfaction rating (79%) of any cell phone, per ChangeWave Research. If you are intrigued, check it out. It appears that most of the people who use an iPhone love it. | 
With all the features we love and BlackBerry’s corporate finesse, the Curve is a great smartphone choice. |
Despite the iPhone’s surge since its debut, research network ChangeWave reports that RIM’s BlackBerry remains the smartphone market leader. According to J.D. Power and Associates, BlackBerry devices are also tops in customer satisfaction among business users. Nevertheless, the best OS for you depends upon your needs. Read on for a few things to consider before making a purchase.
Corporate connection. If being integrated with the office is a key consideration, the gold standard is BlackBerry. ChangeWave reports that 73% of companies that provide smartphones to their employees use BlackBerrys. However, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile OSes all provide either native or add-on support for multiple corporate email servers, including BlackBerry. BlackBerry supports Microsoft Exchange, but only through a specialized server. See what email server (if any) your employer uses if connectivity is important to you.
Heading south. Palm and Symbian, once serious players in the U.S. market, are on downward slides. In a Canalys report from late 2007, Palm’s market share was down to just under 10%, Symbian’s to 5%. Sprint’s Centro may be bucking this trend for Palm: The company says it sold 30,000 units for several weeks after introducing the Centro. | 
The Samsung BlackJack II is one of the slim new smartphones with GPS, but users reported some difficulties using it. |
That doesn’t mean these OSes are no good. However, if folks aren’t buying Palm and Symbian smartphones, carriers may stop offering them. If that happens, users of existing devices may find that software titles, technical support, and system upgrades will become scarce.
Microsoft maestro. If you are a devoted Microsoft user (not only Windows, but Office, Internet Explorer, and other Microsoft products), you may be most comfortable using a Windows Mobile device. Many companies make smartphone software compatible with Windows file formats and products if you prefer a different OS.
Form & Function
Smartphones come in all shapes and sizes, so you’ll want to hold a specific model in your hand to see what feels right. Beyond the sheer size of a smartphone, there are several considerations. Does the phone have a standard QWERTY keyboard (for text messaging and email) or a numeric keypad? Some phones, such as Verizon’s Samsung SCH-i760 have both. When comparing keyboards and keypads, pay attention to the response when you depress the keys.
Does the phone have a touchscreen? If so, is it stylus- or finger-driven, or can you use either? What about storage space for programs and data? How much built-in storage does the phone have, and does it accept media cards? Is the display well-lit and easy to read?
Some smartphone manufacturers tout their zippy processors and big memory stores, but numbers can be deceiving. A powerful smartphone with too many features or an inefficient OS may still be slow. More important is the amount of free memory (often called user memory) to run applications. Also, look for the presence of a flash media slot for external storage (preferably for data and programs).
Join The Network
The United States has two dominant mobile networks: GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access). Each network occupies a different bandwidth and has a few important design differences. | 
The AT&T Tilt’s flip-up screen, large keyboard, and Windows Mobile Professional OS bring it closer to a notebook than many smartphones. |
GSM uses removable SIM (subscriber identity module) chips to store user data and carrier identification. In most cases, you can transfer the SIM card from one phone to another if you upgrade, or you can replace the SIM card with a new one if you change carriers or travel overseas. (However, you may lose access to some features if you do this.) CDMA phones are hard-coded by the carrier and must be reset before you can use them with another provider. Verizon and Sprint have discussed opening their phones or using an equivalent of the SIM card, but at press time that had not happened.
GSM is more prevalent overseas (especially in Europe), so tri-band or quad-band GSM phones work well for most international travels. CDMA carriers Verizon and Sprint also now offer what they refer to as world phones, such as the BlackBerry 8830, which work on CDMA networks in the United States and GSM networks overseas. GSM carrier T-Mobile claims to have the largest international GSM network.
CDMA has traditionally had better U.S. voice coverage, especially in rural areas, with Verizon touting its excellent coverage. GSM carrier AT&T has been hot on Verizon’s trail, and the company makes a similar claim. For data (email and Internet, for example), CDMA carriers have been a step ahead of those running on GSM, but that is changing, as well. As of this writing, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon offer 3G (third-generation) networks. Sprint and Verizon offer EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) networks with typical download speeds of 400Kbps to 1Mbps and bursts up to 2Mbps; AT&T’s HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) networks offer comparable typical speeds. T-Mobile is out in the cold with its slower (160 to 200Kbps) EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution) network but says it will move to 3G sometime this year. However, not all carriers have high-speed service in all places, and connection speeds can be much lower in areas without 3G coverage. Also, not all phones support 3G, so shop carefully.
Software Season
Virtually all smartphones offer advanced contact, appointment, and email handling. Beyond that, the range of included software varies. This is particularly true with Windows Mobile phones, which are available in two editions: Standard and Professional. Standard Edition phones are generally smaller and less functional. For example, you can read Office and Adobe PDF documents with a Standard Edition smartphone, but you won’t be able to edit or create these types of files. Professional Edition smartphones are larger and heavier, but they offer more full-featured versions of Mobile Office and provide touchscreen capability. | 
Although changes are in store (see “Business-Class Smartphones” on page 36), the current iPhone platform lacks business polish.
PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE |
Fortunately, it’s easy to expand your phone’s functionality through add-on software. You’ll find more than 18,000 third-party programs for the Windows Mobile OS. BlackBerry users can select from over 3,400 titles.
Surf’s Up
According to a March 2008 report from mobile media measurement firm M-Metrics, barely half (58.2%) of smartphone users access news and information over the Internet from their devices, and only 37% perform searches. If you plan to use the Internet sparingly, if at all, it shouldn’t figure into your choice of smartphone.
Hard-core surfers, on the other hand, should choose their devices carefully. Think of Web page rendering like packing your suitcase neatly; it takes longer if the traveler (browser) is not efficient and the suitcase (display) is too small. Consider a large-screen device that supports 3G. Then, install a good HTML browser such as Opera Mobile (www.opera.com), which works with Symbian and Windows Mobile phones. Large-screen, 3G, Windows Mobile phones include the AT&T Tilt and HTC Touch (Sprint).
Wireless & Wonderful
In addition to cellular, mobile phones use a variety of technologies to engage in wireless data transfer, including Bluetooth, infrared, and Wi-Fi. We won’t go into detail here because other articles in this issue touch on these technologies. However, we have two general suggestions. First, Bluetooth is ubiquitous in smartphones, but profile support varies widely. (Some phones support only wireless headsets, while others support printing, data syncing, and more.) Check the profiles your phone includes before making a purchase.
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The oversized screen of the HTC Touch will please Web surfers, but the on-screen-only keyboard may turn some buyers off. |
Second, Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly available in phones for data access at Wi-Fi hotspots. However, only a handful of phones, and one U.S. carrier (T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service), offer the ability to make calls over Wi-Fi. At press time, T-Mobile had six phones with UMA (Universal Mobile Access, the technology behind T-Mobile’s dual-mode devices). Three models—the BlackBerry Curve, BlackBerry 8820, and BlackBerry Pearl—are smartphones. T-Mobile says it plans to debut more UMA phones in 2008; no announcements as to which will be smartphones.
Smarten Up | 
The pint-sized Palm Centro’s small keyboard might bother some, but its price makes it a great first smartphone. |
Smartphones vary widely in price, starting with the budget phones such as the Centro and heading into the stratosphere ($1 million or more, believe it or not) for diamond-encrusted special edition phones. As with so many gadgets, you get what you pay for. If you want something that approximates a laptop, you’ll need the power and size of a Windows Mobile Professional phone or BlackBerry.
The BlackBerry Curve, with its UMA (T-Mobile only), Wi-Fi, workhorse productivity tools, camera, and GPS, is probably the most well-rounded smartphone available at present. Nevertheless, other smartphones (the Tilt and SCH-i760 are two we like) are also top performers.
No matter what you decide, we suggest that you test your new phone extensively during the trial period after you make a purchase. (More on this in the “Put Your Smartphone Through Its Paces” sidebar.) And don’t assume you must sign with one of the “big four” carriers. Small or regional carriers, such as Boost or Alltel, work well for some smartphone owners. See what’s available in your area.  by Jennifer Farwell
Put Your Smartphone Through Its Paces
You may spend more time with your smartphone than your significant other, so make sure it’s a beneficial pairing by testing your phone during the first few days you own it. Do not be afraid to exchange your smartphone for another model during the trial if you aren’t satisfied.
Can you hang? How is battery life, both in use and on standby, and during real-world use?
Do you navigate? Does the phone offer GPS services? Are they easy to use? Do they just map you from point A to point B or provide real-time traffic updates or turn-by-turn navigation?
How smart are you? Most smartphones let you view a variety of documents, and some let you edit those documents. Does your phone let you view or edit documents? Can you make phone calls or navigate to Web sites by clicking information in emails or text messages? How easy is it to move data from one source (such as email) to another (such as a text message)?
Are you entertaining? A number of smartphones have cameras, media players, and other entertainment features, but quality and ease of use varies from model to model. The Nokia N95, or example, has a 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics.
Are you a pleasant companion? Is the keyboard style and spacing of the smartphone right for you? Do calls sound clear? Is connecting to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi easy?
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Five Questions To Ask Your Carrier
Before you sign that contract, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask a potential carrier. If you’re considering AT&T, also ask about rollover minutes. AT&T is the only carrier that offers this feature.
Can we take this slow? How long do you have to try out the phone and service and return it without penalty? For what period will the carrier replace the phone if it malfunctions before you have to pay for a replacement? What are the penalties if you choose to cancel a contract? Do those penalties diminish the closer you are to the end of the contract?
When can I upgrade? When will you qualify for a phone upgrade? If an upgrade requires a contract extension, will that start at the end of the current contract or on the day you sign the new one?
How do you measure time? When do free service periods such as nights and weekends begin and end? How do you measure call length? Some carriers round up to the next minute or fraction thereof while others measure exact times.
What does unlimited mean? Some carriers put restrictions on the term “unlimited” for voice or data plans. For example, some limit super-high-bandwidth activities such as video downloads and will not allow them in an unlimited data plan.
Do we have a future? What is the company’s plan for future service improvements or feature upgrades? It can be tough to get answers on this one, but sometimes representatives will tell you things “unofficially.” If features you want are just around the bend with one carrier and years away with another, it may affect your decision. |
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