A word that has permeated the mobile phone market in recent years is Smartphones – but when all comes to a head, what are they?
Many people see them as much more than simply a mobile phone, and maintain that Smartphones must be imbued with computer-like operating systems and capabilities to be classed in the category, while others apply the term to those handsets that are able to offer access to email and the internet.
Although the industry itself has yet to define what Smartphones are, it is clear that a mixture of these two may well be the best definition.
The question is, do you need one? In business terms email is an essential communication device, and document readers – another common feature – also, so the answer, in short, would be yes, you do; the capabilities brought to the fore by Smartphones far exceed the much vaunted music player and visual technology that often defines the buyers parameters these days, and really launch the mobile phone into mini-computer territory.
One problem with Smartphones is that they are capable of so much, and run so many systems and features, that not only is battery life notoriously short, they are also heavy and large: nevertheless, the genre is industry defining, and they are certainly here to stay.