Ten years ago, when we talked about using personal digital assistants (PDAs), we were considered cutting edge because we could send and receive emails. Today’s gadget gurus will tell you a different story about the technology, which has evolved into today’s smartphone.
Some say smartphones have become smarter than people. I’m not sure that’s true, but my guess is that within the next two years, you won’t be able to run a business without a smartphone. These devices have become the platform of choice for almost every new application on the market. Software companies have figured out how valuable the handheld applications are to business productivity.
If you’re satisfied with the capability of your phone to take pictures, send emails and download music, then you’re probably with the masses. But many of today’s successful business entrepreneurs consider their phones to be an extension of their laptops. These individuals rely on a device’s capacity, battery life and laptop-like applications to squeeze every minute out of their hectic days.
Which smartphone is right for you?
The most important consideration when choosing a smartphone is the operating system. If you’re a Mac person, then your choices are limited — but true Apple supporters would rather give up choice to be assured of the stability of Apple’s platform.
As for the rest of you, the choices are between Microsoft Mobile Windows or Google Android. Both systems are effective, and your choice will come down to which apps you need to run on your device to communicate with your office systems.
Other key considerations of smartphones are highly dependent on individual needs and preferences. Items such as camera quality, processor speed, screen brightness, keyboard (touch or key) and display size are all personal preferences that make the right smartphone different for each individual.
Choosing the right smartphone today is probably different than making the choice a year ago — and it will be different if you wait another six months. Because there are hundreds of phones to choose from, making that choice could take months of research.
Although we try not to promote specific products, I’ve compiled the gadget guru’s top eight choices. This will help you narrow your search. These choices are based on testing various components such as processor speed, RAM, memory capacity, camera pixels, display quality, weight, size and battery life. The alphabetized list is: Blackberry Z-10, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S4, HTC One, iPhone 5, Nexus 4, Optimus G Pro and the Xperia Z.
No matter the reason to look for a new smartphone, make sure you take the time to research. Read some of the tech columns, compile your list of needs and wants, and ask lots of questions of your dealer. Many dealers will have incentives to push certain brands of phones, so you need to arrive well prepared to ensure the phone you purchase is what you need. pmp
You can reach Stanbridge, a PMP and longtime technology columnist, at dean@directlinesales.com.
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