A smart phone is a mobile phone that uses an operating system and has complex features. A smart phone possesses computer capabilities with its advanced features. The first smart phones introduced integrated the functions of a personal digital assistant to those of a mobile phone. Later smart phones included portable media player, digital camera, pocket video camera and GPS navigation functionalities.
Today’s smart phones are made with complexity that takes a while to grasp. The smart phones include high-resolution touch screens. Moreover, they have web browsers that display mobile optimized and standard web pages.
Key Smart Phone Features
1. Operating System:
An operating system is a key feature that defines a smart phone. The type of operating system that a smart phone has, determines its performance. Furthermore, an operating system determines how a smart phone runs its applications. Mobile providers have different operating system with each improving to compete favorably with the other. For instance, Apple iPhones run iOS, BlackBerry smart phones run Blackberry OS and Samsung smart phones run Google Android OS.
2. Applications:
The applications in a smart phone are among the major factors that lead people to making choices when it comes to using smart phones. Smart phones differ in applications. Each smart phone has a specific application that separates it from the rest. However, some applications are common and are found in almost all smart phones.
3. Web Access:
This is a fundamental feature in smart phones. The world has become a global village due to internet access and people stay connected more. Smart phones are evolving and several of them can access the internet at very high speeds. This is further supported by the development of data networks like the 3G and 4G. Moreover, the smart phones are Wi-Fi supported.
4. Flexible Interfaces:
One of the most notable features of a smart phone is the ability to multitask effectively. A smart phone is able to play music while you view photos at the same time. Furthermore, you can watch a video clip, take a phone call, and then resume playing the video clip after the call. All these are done without closing any application.
In addition, smart phones can be synchronized with outside applications or devices. This is made possible by the use of Bluetooth application or a USB cable data cable. A user can easily transfer data to and from a smart phone with ease. Bluetooth is a wireless radio service that allows devices within a short range to link up. The devices should be Bluetooth enabled to allow this.
5. Smart phone operating systems:
As noted earlier, an operating system runs a smart phone’s applications and manages the hardware. Below are some of the common operating systems installed on smart phones.
6. Blackberry OS:
The RIM’s BlackBerry OS has is used by BlackBerry smart phones. This operating system is reliable in email messaging and so Blackberry smart phones are considered as good email machines. The Blackberry OS supports up to 10 corporate and private email accounts. Additionally, it has an app store known as BlackBerry App World. The application store hosts a reliable browser, cool maps app, and exceptional broad media features.
7. Symbian:
More than 100 different models of smart phones use Symbian operating system, most notably Nokia smart phones like the N8. This operating system constitutes of the middleware and kernel components of the software stack. Symbian OS developed by Psion was the world’s most widely used operating system until recently when Nokia dropped the platform in favor of windows phone OS.
8. Windows mobile:
The Windows phone operating system consists of the entire software stack from the kernel to the application interface. This OS is based off on Window CE.NET. In 2007, Microsoft Company released the Windows Mobile 6 operating version. However, the Nokia smart phones, the Lumia series to be specific rocked the market with the Windows 8 operating system.
9. Android OS:
Android operating system is Google’s mobile operating system. The Android OS is able to sync with a user’s Google Calendar and Google Mail. This operating system has the capability to perform complex tasks concurrently. A user can play games while running other application like listening to music. The Android OS is more fun as apps are free of charge to download. Some of the smart phone models that use Android OS include Samsung smart phones and Tecno.
10. Apple iOS:
The iOS is from Apple Inc. several Apple Inc. devices use this operating system. Apple iPhones, iPads and their second-generation television have all used this OS. The OS supports third party web 2.0 applications available on the smart phones’ web browsers. A process known as jail braking enabled Apple iPhones to replace the built-in functions with third party native functions.
Conclusion:
To summarize, smart phones are getting thinner and thinner. Mobile provider continues to improve upon their smart phone versions and unveil even more powerful phone. In the future, there will be very complex smart phones that you can even begin to fathom.
