What is a smartphone?

With over 3 million a month sold in the US it is pretty likely that before too long you will know by looking at your phone!

A smartphone is a gadget which permits people to make mobile phone calls, while also possessing additional features which  essentially are normally akin to computers.   However smartphones represent more than the mere fusion of cellular phone and personal digital assistant (PDA). 

To better understand what a smartphone is all about a short account of its progression might be useful.   While the early cell phones transformed by getting smaller while simultaneously becoming more powerful, they also added what they could do.    The initial step toward cellular phones being referred to as smartphones was the development of the personal digital assistant (PDA).   While cellular phones main purpose  personal digital assistants, symbolized by  the Palm Pilot, were developed to be used as personal and portable organizers, and not much else.   Personal digital assistants could store   address book information, ‘to-do’ lists, and could sync  with PC computers.  Over time personal digital assistants added wireless capabilties and owners started emailing with them.   Just as PDAs were integrated into the mobile office environment, mobile phones  began sending and receiving e-mails.   PDAs became more like communications devices, cell phones became more like computers.    The result was inevitable.

A standard definition of what is a smartphone mobile phone industry].   However there are some typical features among smartphones, including:

QWERTY Keyboard:  By most definitions smartphones usually include a QWERTY keyboard.  Meaning that the keys are laid out in the same manner as they are on typewriters and computer keyboards, not like a numeric keypad.   Ironically the QWERTY Keyboard was originally developed in the 1800’s to slow down typing speed to prevent typewriters from jamming.  We’ve been cursing that decision ever since, with little expectation for respite any time soon!

An additional typical characteristic among smartphones is having an Operating System.  By and large, a smartphone will be based on an operating system that allows it to operate software applications similarly a computer.   The smartphone operating system is the strongest when trying to identify 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 handset  brands.  When someone says” 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.  However not all BlackBerry operating systems have the identical features.  It is important to know the version, when attempting to check if the phone is compatible with third-party software applications such as Parental Monitoring, Employee Monitoring and Information Backup software from PhoneBeagle for BlackBerry and Android .

Software and Web Access:  Just about every brand of mobile phones offer some kind of software, for managing contacts for example , but a smartphone is going to have the ability to do many more things.  Browse the web work with documents and spreadsheets, review files, download additional software applications for various purposes .   The expansion of broadband data networks added to the addition of Wi-Fi, makes smartphones very practical. 

Communications and Messaging:   Every cell phone has SMS text messaging, but smartphones use email.  MMS multimedia message service extends SMS text messaging to include longer text, graphics, photos, audio clips, video clips and is becoming common too.   Not just a great manner for people to correspond, SMS texting can be a handy manner for software programs to exchange simple messages, and even setup commands, between  smartphones.  SMS does not need a direct connection between mobile phones; the communications infrastructure for the system is already prepared, and it works across most cellular service providers.  One aspect of text messaging that makes it particularly practical for mobile software programs is that it relies on mobile device fixed identity, the phone number.   SMS texting is the most commonly used data application on earth, with about 2.4 billion active users, or almost 75% of all cell phone subscribers.

A GPS locator isn’t unique to smartphones, however smartphones are making more use of this technology.  GPS receivers have become extremely economical through miniaturization to just a few integrated circuits.  These days GPS is finding its way into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially  cell phones.  These systems can be viewed as Network Based, Handset Based or a Hybrid approach.  GPS location is Handset based as it requires software applications installed on the smartphone  in conjunction with GPS hardware.  Triangulation and CellID are Network Based as they use the equipment and information from the wireless provider.  Hybrid systems combine techniques to make best use of available data and to make position cell phone tracking faster.

A very impressive software program that assists parents and employers monitor smartphones and everyone to backup their communications information including GPS location, SMS text messages, MMS messages and phone event/call logs is Phone Beagle. 
Mobile Monitoring software for BlackBerrys and Androids from Phone Beagle..