So you think you're in the market for a smartphone right? The question you have is "which smartphone should I get?" Well there are a few things to consider but don't make the process harder than it needs to be.
First of all the choice these days is really between BlackBerry, iPhone, Android phone. Yes, Microsoft's Windows Phone is out, and HP's Palm Pre and other webOS phones are on the way, but you really want to be on one of the three most popular platforms. Again, that's Blackberry, iPhone, or Android.
Now, ask yourself these questions.
1. Why do you want a smartphone, and what do you want it to do for you?
2. What carrier do you prefer?
3. Do you want a tactile keyboard or can you get by with an onscreen keyboard?
You may not know the answers to all of the questions but it should give you an idea. I think picking a smartphone is pretty easy and I'll try to narrow it down for you.
1. Why do you want a smartphone, and what do you want it to do for you?
This question may sound silly but it's not. Do you need a smartphone? If you just want to make phone calls and send a few text messages you don't really need a smartphone. Just go to your local AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile shop and look for a budget phone that can text.
If you want to be able to do more like listen to music on your phone, get email, look at websites, check flight information, buy coffee at Starbucks, etc., then get a smartphone. But which one? Let's go on...
2. What carrier do you prefer?
This is probably the most important question that needs to be answered. Pick the carrier first, the phone second. If you travel internationally you'll probably want to choose AT&T or T-Mobile. Those carriers use a standard called GSM for their phones and GSM is used widely internationally. It will be much easier to take your phone to another country and buy a sim card enabling you to make calls while you're there.
If you don't travel internationally then you can choose either AT&T or T-Mobile, but you also have Verizon and Sprint to choose from. Verizon and Sprint use a technology called CDMA which some say is superior to GSM. I say, choose the carrier who has the best coverage in your area. Ask your friends, go to the carrier's store and find out what kind of coverage you have at the places you tend to spend most of your time.
Once you pick a carrier, move on to picking a smartphone that they offer.
3. Do you want a tactile keyboard or can you get by with an onscreen keyboard?
Lots of people like iPhones, but I know a bunch of people who just can't type on an iPhone. If you need a tactile keyboard look at an Android phone with a slide-out keyboard, or a BlackBerry. If you don't care about the keyboard and just want the most popular smartphone, get an iPhone.
Those three questions should narrow you down quite a bit but here's more to consider. This is not really that big of a deal unless you're an obssessed techie who has to have the latest and greatest. My advice is as follows. If your primary purpose in getting the phone is for email, get a BlackBerry. If you like the full screen you can get a BlackBerry Torch that has the full size screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry is simply the best phone for email on the market, which is why most corporate users still use a BlackBerry.
If you want the hippest phone on the market and want to be one of the "cool people" who have the latest and greatest, get an iPhone. You'll be able to take pictures, listen to music, and do a lot of other cool things, and Apple makes it easy to do without having to think about it. The iPhone has a large userbase and lots of apps. Even though Android now has a bigger marketshare than Apple, for some reason the coolest apps come out on iOS first. Also, the iPhone has the best battery life of any comparable phone. That's a real bonus.
If you want to be able to do the things the iPhone does, but want to be able to fiddle and tweak the settings to make it do all kinds of neat things that even an iPhone won't let you do, get an Android phone. I think most programmer/hacker types have Android phones now. It just gives you more options in the tweaking department.
That's it. I know Microsoft and HP will not agree that they should be left out. If they make huge gains in marketshare I'll update this post. Until then, choose from BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android, but PICK YOUR CARRIER FIRST!
First of all the choice these days is really between BlackBerry, iPhone, Android phone. Yes, Microsoft's Windows Phone is out, and HP's Palm Pre and other webOS phones are on the way, but you really want to be on one of the three most popular platforms. Again, that's Blackberry, iPhone, or Android.
Now, ask yourself these questions.
1. Why do you want a smartphone, and what do you want it to do for you?
2. What carrier do you prefer?
3. Do you want a tactile keyboard or can you get by with an onscreen keyboard?
You may not know the answers to all of the questions but it should give you an idea. I think picking a smartphone is pretty easy and I'll try to narrow it down for you.
1. Why do you want a smartphone, and what do you want it to do for you?
This question may sound silly but it's not. Do you need a smartphone? If you just want to make phone calls and send a few text messages you don't really need a smartphone. Just go to your local AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile shop and look for a budget phone that can text.
If you want to be able to do more like listen to music on your phone, get email, look at websites, check flight information, buy coffee at Starbucks, etc., then get a smartphone. But which one? Let's go on...
2. What carrier do you prefer?
This is probably the most important question that needs to be answered. Pick the carrier first, the phone second. If you travel internationally you'll probably want to choose AT&T or T-Mobile. Those carriers use a standard called GSM for their phones and GSM is used widely internationally. It will be much easier to take your phone to another country and buy a sim card enabling you to make calls while you're there.
If you don't travel internationally then you can choose either AT&T or T-Mobile, but you also have Verizon and Sprint to choose from. Verizon and Sprint use a technology called CDMA which some say is superior to GSM. I say, choose the carrier who has the best coverage in your area. Ask your friends, go to the carrier's store and find out what kind of coverage you have at the places you tend to spend most of your time.
Once you pick a carrier, move on to picking a smartphone that they offer.
3. Do you want a tactile keyboard or can you get by with an onscreen keyboard?
Lots of people like iPhones, but I know a bunch of people who just can't type on an iPhone. If you need a tactile keyboard look at an Android phone with a slide-out keyboard, or a BlackBerry. If you don't care about the keyboard and just want the most popular smartphone, get an iPhone.
Those three questions should narrow you down quite a bit but here's more to consider. This is not really that big of a deal unless you're an obssessed techie who has to have the latest and greatest. My advice is as follows. If your primary purpose in getting the phone is for email, get a BlackBerry. If you like the full screen you can get a BlackBerry Torch that has the full size screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry is simply the best phone for email on the market, which is why most corporate users still use a BlackBerry.
If you want the hippest phone on the market and want to be one of the "cool people" who have the latest and greatest, get an iPhone. You'll be able to take pictures, listen to music, and do a lot of other cool things, and Apple makes it easy to do without having to think about it. The iPhone has a large userbase and lots of apps. Even though Android now has a bigger marketshare than Apple, for some reason the coolest apps come out on iOS first. Also, the iPhone has the best battery life of any comparable phone. That's a real bonus.
If you want to be able to do the things the iPhone does, but want to be able to fiddle and tweak the settings to make it do all kinds of neat things that even an iPhone won't let you do, get an Android phone. I think most programmer/hacker types have Android phones now. It just gives you more options in the tweaking department.
That's it. I know Microsoft and HP will not agree that they should be left out. If they make huge gains in marketshare I'll update this post. Until then, choose from BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android, but PICK YOUR CARRIER FIRST!