Review of a Smartphone
Emily K. Yates
I was a little wary of owning a Smartphone, even after hearing many the rave reviews. I liked my previous cell phone. It had possessed all of the features I considered important such as text messaging, an inbuilt camera and of course my cell phones had placed and received calls. Smartphones seemed very involved and expensive. By involved I mean that every person I knew who had one was glued to it all times. Friends were enthralled by the available games, applications and features. Expensive in that the device cost more and there was a required data plan to use it.
When my husband converted to his Smartphone he was lost in the tapping, captivated by playing the flute, mapping constellations at night and downloading a new application every hour of everyday. I felt cautious of such a device’s power over an individual’s time. Was it worth the additional cost to give up my little red flip cell phone and purchase a Smartphone?
When my husband converted to his Smartphone he was lost in the tapping, captivated by playing the flute, mapping constellations at night and downloading a new application every hour of everyday. I felt cautious of such a device’s power over an individual’s time. Was it worth the additional cost to give up my little red flip cell phone and purchase a Smartphone?
As of this month I have now owned a Smartphone for one year. The HTC ‘Desire’ android, very recently, replaced my prior Smartphone, an iPhone 3GS for price reasons. Many of the applications that are desirable cost a little here and there and the monthly bill went up with those purchases. The HTC features a bigger screen then the iPhone 3GS and it has less locked out options. Many of the available applications offer a free version which does have little tiny advertisements in the free ones.
When comparing the iPhone 3GS, my HTC Desire did not take first place in camera or screen resolution (Crammond 2011) but is does beat out the iPhone 4 is speed and performance and its design and build. Whether you have one or ten applications open at the same time, the HTC Desire doesn’t sacrifice performance and it ‘cruises along nicely’. The build is slender and sleek; the screen is easy to read, bright and (as you can see) larger than the iPhone 3GS, and fits nicely into my hand, pocket or handbag. I also did not need to have the HTC Desire wrapped completely in rubber in addition to the case and screen protector as I had to with the iPhone3GS.
The operating systems are simple to understand and use for me and most consumers. Applications or Widgets are increasingly intuitive and focus on what I want them to do; such being able to complete banking transactions, check balances, update my resume online, find accurate directions and communicate effectively in a timely manner. While the iPhone’s operating system came in first, the HTC was a close second (Porges 2010). My primary method of communication is now through my Smartphone as I use email applications, social network sites and the internet all on my Smartphone. One of the highlights for me was the ability to check traffic before pulling out of the parking lot at work to see if I should take the regular drive home or take a detour. Owning a Smartphone has turned out to be a smart decision.
Data management is essential to preventing data overage charges from using options such as streaming videos or music through my Smartphone. As the amount of data I was using increased, I was concerned about going over my data plan. By using my Smartphone wirelessly on my home internet I am able to turn off the network connection and keep my data usage to a reasonable amount. I can also use this feature at coffee shops and book stores and use the offered internet in these places too. Other options include applications (Reardon 2011) that will track my usage and help me stay under the amount that is in my chosen plan.
Like many products that are extremely popular I think current demand has outpaced the development of the Smartphone. The amount of memory available continues to increase with the release of new phones but I still have to be careful to delete or move excess pictures, files or music from my Smartphone to keep it from ‘slowing’ down. There also tend to be ‘bugs’ when a slightly older Smartphone upgrades its operating system to a newer one. I ran into this situation earlier this year. My iPhone 3GS would struggle to load applications or pages quickly once it was upgraded to a newer operating system. One of the biggest headaches was finding out that one of the bugs also prevented me from changing the new operating system back to the old one that worked better.
However, it is encouraging to see other options coming out more and more on the market. Nothing is more healthy then competition when improvement is needed. I also found that the amount of time spent staring at my bright ‘big’ screen Smartphone died down once I had items in place and the novelty wore off. I would recommend owning a Smartphone and I am very curious to see where this technology will go.
My prior cell phone sits in a drawer ready to be a backup should something happen to my Smartphone and I have to admit I do not miss it in the least. It is freeing to not have to run to the office every time I receive an email or need to review a document. It is a valuable time saver to be able to see traffic issues ahead of time. Many features and options that once limited access to information to desktops and laptops are now on the Smartphones. It acts like a ‘mini’ laptop and its creation was a direction in technology that I, as a consumer, was pleasantly surprised by.
Data management is essential to preventing data overage charges from using options such as streaming videos or music through my Smartphone. As the amount of data I was using increased, I was concerned about going over my data plan. By using my Smartphone wirelessly on my home internet I am able to turn off the network connection and keep my data usage to a reasonable amount. I can also use this feature at coffee shops and book stores and use the offered internet in these places too. Other options include applications (Reardon 2011) that will track my usage and help me stay under the amount that is in my chosen plan.
Like many products that are extremely popular I think current demand has outpaced the development of the Smartphone. The amount of memory available continues to increase with the release of new phones but I still have to be careful to delete or move excess pictures, files or music from my Smartphone to keep it from ‘slowing’ down. There also tend to be ‘bugs’ when a slightly older Smartphone upgrades its operating system to a newer one. I ran into this situation earlier this year. My iPhone 3GS would struggle to load applications or pages quickly once it was upgraded to a newer operating system. One of the biggest headaches was finding out that one of the bugs also prevented me from changing the new operating system back to the old one that worked better.
However, it is encouraging to see other options coming out more and more on the market. Nothing is more healthy then competition when improvement is needed. I also found that the amount of time spent staring at my bright ‘big’ screen Smartphone died down once I had items in place and the novelty wore off. I would recommend owning a Smartphone and I am very curious to see where this technology will go.
My prior cell phone sits in a drawer ready to be a backup should something happen to my Smartphone and I have to admit I do not miss it in the least. It is freeing to not have to run to the office every time I receive an email or need to review a document. It is a valuable time saver to be able to see traffic issues ahead of time. Many features and options that once limited access to information to desktops and laptops are now on the Smartphones. It acts like a ‘mini’ laptop and its creation was a direction in technology that I, as a consumer, was pleasantly surprised by.
Works Citied
Bolton, M. ‘HTC Desire Review’ Tech Radar 2011 Web. 22 July 2011: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-desire-s-930920/review
Crammond, T. ‘Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC Desire S’ Know Your Mobile, 2011, Web. 21 July 2011:
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/828838/apple_iphone_4_vs_htc_desire_s.htm
Proges, S. ‘Field Guide’ Popular Mechanics, 2010. Web 23 July 2011: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/best_smartphone_operating_system
Reardon, M. ‘Ask Maggie: Apps for Tracking Smartphone data’ Cnet News, 2011. Web. 23 July 2011 http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20077708-266/ask-maggie-apps-for-tracking-smartphone-data-use/
Crammond, T. ‘Apple iPhone 4 vs. HTC Desire S’ Know Your Mobile, 2011, Web. 21 July 2011:
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/828838/apple_iphone_4_vs_htc_desire_s.htm
Proges, S. ‘Field Guide’ Popular Mechanics, 2010. Web 23 July 2011: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/best_smartphone_operating_system
Reardon, M. ‘Ask Maggie: Apps for Tracking Smartphone data’ Cnet News, 2011. Web. 23 July 2011 http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20077708-266/ask-maggie-apps-for-tracking-smartphone-data-use/