What is a Smartphone?

What’s a a Smartphone? With over 140 million sold every year around the world it is pretty likely that soon you will know by looking at your phone! A smartphone is a device which permits you to make cell phone calls, while also offering additional features that basically are usually associated with computers. But they represent more than just the union of cellular phone and personal digital assistant (PDA). To help get a sense of what a smartphone means a brief background of its development may be of use. While the early mobile phones evolved by getting smaller while at the same time more powerful, they also added functions. The initial stage toward cell phones becoming smartphones was the development of the personal digital assistant (PDA). Just as cellular phones primary function PDAs, symbolized by the Palm Pilot, were designed to be used as personal and portable organizers, and little more. PDAs stored contact info, ‘to-do’ lists, and could synchronize with PC computers. Eventually personal digital assistants gained wireless functionality and owners started emailing with them. Just as PDAs began integrated into the mobile office environment, cellular phones started sending and receiving e-mails. PDAs became more like communications devices, cellular phones became more like computers. The result is the smartphone. There is not a mobile phone industry standard definition for what constitutes a smartphone. But there are some typical functions among smartphones, including: QWERTY Keyboard: By most definitions smartphones typically include a QWERTY keyboard. This means that the keys arearranged similarly to they would be on typewriters and computer keyboards, rather than in alphabetical order. Incongruously the QWERTY Keyboard was originally developed in the 1800’s to slow down typing speed to keep typewriters from jamming. We’ve been cursing that decision ever since, with little hope for respite in the near future! One more typical characteristic among smartphones includes having an Operating System. In general, a smartphone will be based on an operating system that allows it to control software programs just like a computer. The smartphone operating system is the strongest when identifying a smartphone. Some of the leading hardware manufacturers use their own proprietary system which is exclusive to their brand – BlackBerry and Apple iPhone. Other operating systems are licensed to handset manufacturers, Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian operating systems are used by a wide range of hardware brands. If you say” I have a BlackBerry”, then they have a BlackBerry operating system. If someone says I have an HTC or a Samsung, it might have Android, Windows Mobile or even a Symbian operating system. Software and Web Access: Almost all cell phones provide some sort of software, as a contact manager for example , however a smartphone is going to have the capability to do many more things. Browse the web create and edit documents and spreadsheets, view files, download additional software applications for various purposes . The growth of high speed data networks combined with the addition of Wi-Fi, makes smartphones very practical. Communications and Messaging: Every cell phone includes SMS text messaging, but smartphones support email. MMS multimedia message service video and graphics is becoming common too. Exchanging text messages, technically identified as Short Message System (SMS), but more commonly acknowledged as “texting”, is a uncomplicated, easy, and convenient manner to communicate between mobiles. One functionality of SMS messaging that makes it particularly useful for mobile software applications is that it uses mobile fixed identity, the phone number. Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication service component of the GSM mobile communication system. It uses standardized communications rules that allow incoming and outgoing short text messages between mobile phones. A GPS locator isn’t unique to smartphones, but they are taking advantage of this technology. Soon GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone, or more likely included with every phone handset. GPS can determine locations accurate to a matter of just a few meters. In fact, incredibly with advanced forms of GPS it is possible to make measurements to less than a centimeter! In a sense it’s like giving every square meter on the globe a unique address. To track a cell phone involves several main ways of determining smartphone location. GPS Global Positioning System-Satellites, Triangulation, and CellID. All these technologies transform smartphones into mobile tracking systems.