Smartphones enable us to do a lot of things with it, which is why they are called smartphones. Smartphones are smart because of the operating systems they carry. Smartphones can therefore do things more quickly than their standard mobile phone and PDA precursors. Owning a smartphone could enhance your lifestyle in the following ways: Keeping you organized. It can track important client information; it can function as a personal organizer, and keep track of task lists. Flexible working.

The sync function on the smartphone allows you to sync with your desktop, which means you can store, view, and work on documents directly on your handheld. Always in touch. Emails can be received and responded to while you’re on the move. Now considerably more data can be received and transmitted via a smartphone. Multimedia services. This means your entertainment goes with you, which include music, pictures, videos and movies.

Instant access to the web. New information is always available to you. You could have immediate access to maps, news coverage, weather reports and traffic information. The smartphone might not be something that anyone truly needs, and it could be seen as a luxury to have all these tools at your fingertips. However the luxuries which smartphones offer, could contribute in enhancing your career, help you to not feel detached from social media and will make your life a whole lot easier.

How to compare different types of smartphones.

It is important to do some research before buying a phone. There are different features to consider. To ensure the phone has everything you need you could do some simple hands-on tests. Call quality could be tested by making a few test calls. Take note of static, tinny voices or any other interference. The phone design determines much of the phones usability and features.

Test different designs in real-life before you make a choice, since each design has unique benefits. The mobile operating system you choose will greatly affect the capabilities of your phone. Familiarize yourself with all the operating systems before settling on one. The most popular operating systems are Google’s Android OS (found on different phones), iOS (found only on iPhone) and BlackBerry OS ( found on BlackBerrys of various designs) The size of the screen should be big enough to utilize the phone’s features.

Viewing quality can be very different on different phones. To enable you to make text and graphics easily viewable your phone should allow you to adjust the contrast and backlight settings. Before choosing a touchscreen device or a regular keypad, try touchscreen first, since it can take some time getting used to. Camera specs would be important to consider if you intend to take a lot of pictures (the higher the resolution the better).

To enable you to take good quality pictures indoors or at night you need to ensure the phone has a flash. If video is important to you, make sure that the operating system provides an easy way to upload your videos to Facebook or You Tube. A great deal of smartphones functionality relies on the internet, so pay attention to how they access the internet. Avoid buying a phone that does not support Wi-fi, since it is usually standard on smart phones.

Enhance your business with smartphones.

The smartphone device has evolved into a texting, tweeting, multitasking productivity and entertainment gadget, which offers a wide range of possibilities to enhance your business. The smartphone is transforming the way that people-customers, partners, investors- interact with the business. There are multiple ways that you could capitalize on the growing popularity of the use of the smartphone, to grow your business.

Text messaging: Most people have their phones with them all the time and use their phones for texting rather than making phone calls. You have the opportunity to use text messages to advertise your products and customers can read your messages anywhere they go. The best part is that getting into social media is very cheap.

Use of Apps: Smartphone apps have been created to solve a problem, increase productivity and to offer an intrinsic benefit. Even if you don’t write the apps there are a lot off apps that could help your business. For example people often use an app when they travel to find restaurants, hotels, and other destinations. If you have an idea for an app there are plenty of companies who can help you to develop an app for your idea for you to sell or offer for free.

Your website should be compatible with the smartphone: Ensure that your website is user-friendly when viewed on a smartphone. You’ll reach far more mobile users if you create a mobile-enabled version of your site’s main content. It’s a good idea to provide links from your mobile version to your full site.

Social networking: It has been proven that more people access social media via smartphones than with their desktop computers. By creating a presence on websites like Linkedln, Facebook and Twitter you can expand your reach and increase awareness of your brand.

QR codes: QR codes make it easy for customers to find a company’s website, contact support or get a map to their store. With the right app any smartphone becomes a QR reader. QR codes take the place of having to type in a website address. Mobile Marketing enables you to connect with new customers and to add value for your current customers.

Choosing the right smart phone operating system.

Choosing the right smartphone operating system is no easy task. Some of the mobile operating systems on the market are Android, Windows Phone 7and iOS. While they might seem the same, they are very, very different. Your choice of operating systems affects the look and feel of your phone and the applications that it’s able to run.

Google’s Android operating system has been designed to be used on phones made by many manufacturers, including Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Sony and LG. This means there are many different choices in terms of sizes, shapes, features and colors. To get the best out of the Android platform you should use Google’s Gmail, docs and many of Google’s other free Cloud services. Application developers are increasingly making their applications available on the Android platform.

Excerpted from the book Guide to Smartphones.

This excerpt has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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