What is a smart phone?

There's been much buzz recently about smart phones and their stellar growth in the UK (and elsewhere) but what exactly are they and how are they defined?

Unfortunately, there is no standard definition across the industry as to what smart mobile phones actually are so we need to start at the beginning. A smart phone is a mobile phone with functionality beyond making calls and sending texts but there are of course, other things to consider such as internet access.

Internet access: Clearly, smart mobile phones must have internet access but as WAP internet has been around for the past decade, this is no longer in itself enough. Smart phones typically satisfy two criteria as far as the internet is concerned - they have 3g access (i.e. they access the internet over the 3G network rather than using the normal voice network) and Wi-Fi capabilities- i.e. if you walk into your living room, the phone should connect to your home wireless network automatically.

Software: Most phones (including all Nokia phones) can run some basic software applications. Smart phones however, can also run "productivity applications" such as Microsoft Office.
QWERTY Keyboard: As anyone who's tried typing an email on a standard mobile phone keyboard knows, standard keyboards on mobile phones are extremely tiresome for anything more than a quick text. For this reason, smart phones tend to have full QWERTY keyboards.
Cameras: Given the prevalence of camera on even the most basic handsets, the availability of a camera (even a very good one), is not a smart phone feature.

Hopefully, you'll now have a clearer understanding about what a smart phone is and what they can be used for. From these definitions you'll appreciate that smart phones are by definition, high end. They are by no means for everyone as many people don't require all the features that they typically have. There are a range of handsets with some smart functionality so make sure you shop around to get the right mobile phone for you.