No one seems to know exactly what a smartphone is. The dictionary definition is “a mobile telephone with extended features as a personal digital assistant, Internet browser, etc.”, but that could now apply to almost all mobile phones so that idea is out.
This is your chance to define what a smartphone is in under 50 words and the best answer will win a near perfect condition HTC Touch Diamond. It is not the newest of smartphones, but it is a good one and thanks go to Peter for donating it.
Just post your answers by replying to this topic and the closing date for entries is midnight (UK time) on 22nd January. Good luck and the winner will be announced on 25th January.
PIM and connectivity define a smartphone. It needs to be able to replace a traditional diary and be able to push data from cloud services to you in real-time.
I initially came up with a more robust definition, but I figured I’ll try to put it in just 2 sentences.
Naturally I have the winning answer, but it would be a little silly my entering… *Shameless plug*
It’s a phone and a PDA all in one. That’s why it’s smart. (And PDA is not only PIM, but also media, entertainment, connectivity, navigation, photography and so on).
It’s a computer away from home. A device which can be developed for and to which you can add a variety of applications in order to make it more productive for you and/or your business. It has to be capable of running some sort of Office Suit.
It’s all encompassing. It draws the user in through much more than voice and text. It’s an addictive device that takes over your life…
It tells you what to do, when to do it. It entertains, it guides. It is your life…
Sid
Ok, then, here’s go mine (considering the latest topics): Definition for smartphone: It’s a CLIE – a “communication, link, information and entertainment” tool.
And my 2nd personal definition: It’s a marriage between a featured mobile phone and a PDA. (The issue is… who’s the man and who’s the wife?
) I guess the man is the phone, the PDA side the wife? Then again…
Smartphone – Marketing term created to make a device distinguished from the typical phone devices due to its advanced capabilities.
Smartphone – A mobile phone with PDA functionality and lower-end PC features.
Smartphone, noun. A mobile phone, with extended features such as PIM applications, email, internet access, music and video players. Capable of synchronising information between between itself and other sources, such as on-line services or desktop PCs. Implementation of a full QWERTY keyboard (either physically or on-screen) is also required.
‘Smartphone’ is now an outdated term, often used in the past by those who originally used a separate PDA and phone. The first ‘smartphones’ were a somewhat unhappy marriage between a PDA and a phone to create a converged device. Now, all but the most basic phones have converged capabilites.
It’s an extension of me….
“‘Smartphone’ is now an outdated term, often used in the past by those who originally used a separate PDA and phone.” – very true Austin. There was a time when the term samrtphone had meaning, but presently it is vague as every device has somehow a bit of “smart” built in. So Shaun… instead of trying to get a definition that we get us nowhere, why not try and come up with a new word for the present devices?
Like I read somewhere online, the first device called “samrtphone” has “smart” features that even a typical current phone has. So…
A smartphone is a phone that makes you think you are a smart person for having such a clever piece of kit.
DEFINITION: “A Smartphone is a phone with advanced features that place it ahead of the pack, or at least in the top tier. It therefore follows that today’s Smartphones are tomorrow’s Distinctly Averagephones”.
I’ve tried to answer this question, but I can’t.
A smartphone is a device that Communicates (with sound, pictures, and text wirelessly via cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.), Organizes with PIM products, Records (via video, audio, and text), entertains (via games, audio, and video), and is Adaptable with optional applications. COREA.
My definition has changed – for now, I call a ‘smartphone’ an internet computing device that is so good at connecting me to the rest of the world that it is good enough for me to use INSTEAD of a computer. I do not care about technical specs per se – just that it is a preferred method to get something done.
We have a pair of Nokia phones that have a (on paper) decent camera, contact app, can text, and even connect to the web etc. On paper, they would pass muster as having many features listed for a ‘smartphone.’ But the implementation is SO bad, we basically use none of them.
In contrast, a Palm Pre or iPhone really make surfing the web from a small pocket computer usable – sometimes even preferred over pulling out a computer. I swear Google maps on my iPhone is easier to use than the same site connected by a computer because the latter does not have GPS info connected to it.
It’s a linking device that connects you to your life:
- to people: by voice, text, email & social networking; by photos & videos;
- to essential data: by PIM, office apps & syncing to the cloud;
- to places: by GPS & location services
- to your thoughts: ebooks, notetaking, journalling
- to relaxation: movies, music, games
It is an extension of my brain. It is part of me and not just a tool.
Sid
A smartphone is a pocket-sized device that provides:
1) Wireless communication (voice, text, data, and perhaps GPS, WiFi, bluetooth)
2) Personal Information Management (calendar, todo, contacts, memos, …)
3) email, web, and perhaps other internet services such as chat
4) synchronization of data with the ‘cloud’ and/or a pc
5) extensibility – user can install applications from 3rd party developers
Or the short version – it’s the Swiss Army knife of electronic gadgets
A smartphone is an internet capable mobile device capable of running multiple applications in a true operating system environment. It allows the user to customize the interface, install additional applications and to create a personal mobile environment for their needs.
It is a phone which can sustain your life, entertainment and everything in between.