What is a Smartphone?
With over 3 million a month sold in the US it is fairly certain that before too long you will be able to answer that question yourself!
A smartphone is a piece of equipment which allows you to make mobile phone calls, while also possessing added functionality which fundamentally are commonly associated with computers. But they represent more than the mere combining of cell phone and personal digital assistant (PDA).
To better understand what a smartphone means a brief background of its evolution might be useful. While the early cell phones evolved by getting smaller while at the same time more powerful, they also added functions. The first point toward cellular phones turning into smartphones was the development of the personal digital assistant (PDA). Just as cellular phones primary purpose personal digital assistants, characterized by the Palm Pilot, were developed to be used as personal and portable organizers, and not much else. PDAs could store address book data, ‘to-do’ lists, and could synchronize with PC computers. Over time personal digital assistants gained wireless connectivity and users began emailing with them. Just as personal digital assistants began integrated into the mobile office environment, cell phones started sending and receiving e-mails. Personal digital assistants became more like communications devices, mobile phones became more like computers. The result is the smartphone.
There is not a mobile phone industry standard definition for what makes up a smartphone. But there are some common features among smartphones, including:
QWERTY Keyboard: By most definitions smartphones usually include a QWERTY keyboard. This means that the keys are laid out the same as they are on typewriters and computer keyboards, not like a numeric keypad. Paradoxically the QWERTY Keyboard was originally designed in the 1800’s to slow down typing speed to keep typewriters from jamming. We’ve been struggling with that design ever since, with no expectation for change in the near future!
Another common trait among smartphones includes having an Operating System. Generally speaking, a smartphone will use an operating system that allows it to control software applications the same way as a computer. The smartphone operating system is the most determining factor when trying to identify a smartphone. Some of the big names hardware manufacturers use their own proprietary system which is exclusive to their brand – BlackBerry and Apple iPhone. Other operating systems are licensed to hardware manufacturers, Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian operating systems are used by a wide range of hardware brands. When someone says” I have a BlackBerry”, then they have a BlackBerry operating system. If someone says I have an HTC or a Samsung, it might have Android, Windows Mobile or even a Symbian operating system. However not all BlackBerry operating systems support the same features. It is critical to identify the version, when trying to verify if the smartphone is compatible with third-party software programs such as Parental Monitoring, Employee Monitoring and Information Backup software from PhoneBeagle for BlackBerry and Android .
Software and Web Access: Almost all cell phones provide some sort of software, as a contact manager for example , but a smartphone will have the ability to do many more things. Surf the internet work with documents and spreadsheets, review files, download third-party software applications for various purposes . The expansion of broadband data networks combined with the addition of Wi-Fi, makes smartphones very useful.
Communications and Messaging: Every cellular phone has SMS text messaging, but smartphones allow email. MMS multimedia message service extends SMS text messaging to include longer text, graphics, photos, audio clips, video clips and is becoming common too. In addition to being a great means for people to communicate, SMS can be a handy manner for software applications to exchange simple messages, and even settings commands, to and from cell phones. SMS texting does not need a direct connection between mobiles; the communications infrastructure for the process is already prepared, and it works across most cell networks. One functionality of SMS messaging that makes it particularly valuable for mobile software applications is that it uses smartphone fixed identity, the phone number. SMS text messaging is the most commonly used data application in the world, with about 2.4 billion active users, or three quarters of all mobile phone subscribers.
While having GPS location tracking isn’t unique to smartphones, but they are taking advantage of this technology. GPS receivers have become very affordable through miniaturization to just a few integrated circuits. Nowadays days GPS is incorporated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially cell phones. These systems can be viewed as Network Based, Handset Based or a Hybrid approach. GPS location is Handset based as it requires software programs installed on the mobile phone along with GPS hardware. Triangulation and CellID are Network Based as they use the equipment and data from the cellular provider. Hybrid systems combine techniques to make best use of available data and to make location mobile phone tracking faster.
A very impressive software application that helps parents and employers monitor smartphones and everyone to backup their communications data including GPS location, SMS text messages, MMS messages and phone event/call logs is Phone Beagle.
Mobile Monitoring software for BlackBerrys and Androids from Phone Beagle..
