Smartphones, What Is a Smartphone?

Chances are you have probably heard about the term smartphone, and to many, this term is somewhat a mystery. What was once only showcased as a prototype in 1994 has now become a phenomenon in the wireless cell phone industry. To learn more about smartphones and what they are, read on below.

So what is a smartphone? If you have held an iPhone or Android phone in your hands, you have held a smartphone. These popular devices are taking not only the wireless industry by storm, but even starting to outpace laptop and desktop computers in sales combined at a phenomenal rate. Yes, even computers.

Smartphones first and foremost are cell phones. They make and receive calls like any other cellular device, however there is one main distinction that separates them apart from the rest of the pack of our handy mobile devices. They can run full operating systems (OS). If you were ever familiar with the term PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), then a smartphone is a cell phone/PDA on steroids.

An operating system is exactly what is on your current computer right now. Like Windows XP/Vista/7 for PC or the MAC Snow Leopard for Apple computers, a smartphone runs off of an OS. While the brand of operating system may be varying from the brand names mentioned above, a smartphone operates much the same as a computer. As a matter of fact, you might as well call them a computer phone.

So with these phones you essentially can email, instant message, go on your online social sites, make online searches, edit text documents, take pictures, shoot video, and more all while on the go. The main big fad though that goes beyond these functions is what are called apps.

What are apps? Well apps first off are an abbreviated and lazy term for applications. Apps basically are small versions of software compatible with smartphone operating systems. These apps can be anything from a daily weather update, a photo editor, document creator, all the way to a multilevel game.

Currently every cell phone manufacturer has a their version of a smartphone. Some of these phones for 2010 include BlackBerry Torch, Motorola Droid, Samsung Intercept, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, HTC Aria, and more.

Common attributes with a smartphone usually include a touchscreen phone and/or a QWERTY board, large display screens, multimedia capabilities (video, music, etc.), USB plug in, bluetooth (wireless talking), Internet access (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G WiMax, etc.), a still shot and/or video camera, memory card slot, and sometimes even more.