Who Makes the Best Smartphones

Are you wondering who makes the best smartphones? Many smartphones inhabit the market, so how do you know which ones are really "smart" and which ones don’t perform like they should?

Many argue just what exactly is a smartphone. Is it a phone? Is it a PDA? The most basic definition is that a smartphone is a small computer with phone capabilities. The computer portion of the phone can do just about everything a netbook or laptop or desktop can do. For instance a smartphone should:

• Be able to send and receive e-mail.
• Include a web browser for Internet surfing. Smartphones usually include a familiar browser like Internet Explorer or a browser than resembles something you find on a regular computer.
• Have some sort of program that allows you to organize your life.
• Sport a larger-than-normal screen. This screen could be touch, but it should be larger than a normal cell phone screen.

To be smart, a phone really just has to have the features you need in the phone with non-proprietary software.

Just like a computer, smartphones have operating systems. These run the phone and figuring out who makes the best smartphones comes down to how "smart" the software is.

• Symbian. This is the largest maker of cell phone operating systems and used by many makes of cell phones, including Nokia. In recent years, this OS has been threatened because of mobile viruses.
• RIM/Blackberry. Businesses love this easy to use operating system that is specific to the BlackBerry line of phones.
• Windows Mobile. Users enjoy the familiarity of the Windows platform. Yes, there's even a Start Menu.
• iPhone OS. This operating system is on the iPhone and is based on Mac OS X.
• Palm OS. The Palm Smartphones have been around for years and use a simplified Linux web-based operating system for consumers and business users. The new Palm Pre uses a new webOS operating system.
• Android. This operating system was introduced by Google. The code is open source, which allows for easy hardware and software development. This is the newest of phone operating systems and retains a small market cult following.

Different manufacturers make different smartphones. Just ask yourself a few questions:

• What do you want the smartphone to do? Make calls, text, send and receive e-mail?
• What software functions do you require?
• Take the phone for a display test drive. Is the keyboard comfortable? Can you actually use it? Is it too bulky to carry?
• Do you want a familiar interface like Windows, or do you need something business oriented like a Blackberry?

• RIM. The BlackBerry smartphone used to be built around the business side of cell phones, but in recent years, they have developed phones for consumers. They have been touted as having very intuitive phones, but have been criticized for a weak network with rolling outages every so often.
• Apple. Apple makes the iPhone with their iPhone OS. With tight restrictions on what software they allow in their App Store, the quality of iPhone applications is high. You can find just about any kind of application for any kind of need.
• Palm. Palm phones were popular just when smartphones were just getting started. Using Windows Mobile, users could fit right into the phone and easily sync it up to their computer. They have been praised for how easy they are use, but criticized for falling behind in the smartphone race.
• HTC. While this Taiwanese company still has a focus on Windows Mobile, it has also expanded into making various Android phones. Phones using the Android operating system are equally as easy to use as their Windows counterparts, but they have been criticized for just have "cool" features that the average consumer won't find useful. For example, the T-Mobile G1 (by HTC) has a infrared scanner that allows you to scan barcodes to look up price comparisons online.

So who makes the best smartphones? There is no one definitive answer to that question. It all depends on what features are available for you, how the phone is constructed, and how its functions match with your needs. It's all up to you.

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