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Smart Phone Reviews

Are you considering buying a smart phone? We have a business columnist who writes in our local paper and he is really good at explaining technology. Here is what he had to say about buying a smart phone.

Do you really need one? - Smart phones are great for communicating in a variety of ways - email, instant messaging, via social networks, and texting. Most let you take pictures; many capture video. You can access the Web and some let you install more programs on them. So - do you really need all the extra stuff? A standard phone can send text, take pictures, capture video, even work with e-mail. How badly do you need the extra features a smart phone would bring you? My phone does all those things just mentioned and it is not a smart phone.

Can you afford one? - Smart phones cost more than traditional cell phones. Expect to pay at least $100.00 and more likely $200 and up. To get the best price, you usually need to sign a contract with a wireless carrier for a year or two. And money saving deals usually favor new customers. You have to agree to a plan for voice usage based on minutes and pay a separate data fee for accessing the Internet or sending e-mail. You can pay based on the amount of data you think you’ll use, or you can buy an unlimited plan. The columnist says go for the unlimited plan because data plans that have a usage cap usually have huge per-kilobyte charges over the cap. Unlimited plans vary between $20 and $40 depending on the carrier. But be aware that may not include text messages, for which you’ll need a third plan. And, if you buy a BlackBerry, you’ll pay yet another charge for its e-mail service. Not unusual for the monthly voice/data/text bill for a smart phone to approach or even exceed $100.

What kind should I get? - You should physically try out the phones you’re interested in before buying so you know what they feel like to use. You’ll do alot more typing on these phones than on a standard phone and a keyboard that doesn’t work for you can make you unhappy and aggravated. You should also think about features. If you travel alot you want GPS. If you work for a company that uses Microsoft Exchange servers, you’ll probably want a phone with that kind of email. If you want to sync with your PC or Mac, you’ll have to make sure it has software that will work with the kind of computer you have.

How durable is it? Look for one that’s solidly made which is yet another reason to try it first in a store. Once you buy it you will want to protect it with a case. This is particularly true with the iPhone 3G.

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