CHARACTERISTIC OF A MOBILE PHONE
Cell phones have come a long way from the days where people solely used them to place
calls. Today's smartphones are able to text message, access the Internet, exchange email, take
videos and pictures, update Facebook and Twitter statuses and more. While the
aforementioned are a few commonalities that all smartphones share, there are other, more
specific characteristics that define a smartphone.
Connectivity
1. Smartphones are able to keep you connected in one of two ways. First, there's
the data plan that you have to purchase from your cell provider that allows you
to access the Internet through 3G and 4G networks. However, smartphones are
also able to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots, which generally process data faster and
don't count against your data plan. Most smartphones also have Bluetooth and
microUSB capability.
High Cost
1. One of the few drawbacks to smartphones is the high price tags they carry
compared to your standard talk and text cell phone. While you're likely to get
the latter style phone for less than $100 -- perhaps even free when you sign on
to a provider or are due for an upgrade -- smartphones cost hundreds of dollars.
In terms of non-contract prices, the Motorola Droid Razor Maxx HD has an
MSRP of over $700, the HTC One X clocks in at over $400 and the iPhone 5
at around $500. That's not even including voice, data and texting plans.
Video Chatting
1. Most smartphones today allow you to video chat in high definition with friends
and family. Video chatting can be especially helpful for chatting with out of
town family members and friends, and for businesspeople staying in touch
with the office and clients. The iPhone, for example, comes with a FaceTime
chatting feature. The Windows Phone 8X and Droid DNA are other examples
of smartphones that offer video and group chatting.
Battery Life
1. Another characteristic of a smartphone is a long battery life. With a
smartphone, users are doing much more than just placing phone calls and texts,
so there needs to be a battery that's powerful enough to support video
streaming, Internet browsing, picture and video taking and more. That's why
most smartphones have enough battery capacity to last at least a day's worth of
general use. The Motorola Droid Razor Maxx HD, for example, can last up to
32 hours worth of talk time.
Functionality
1. Regular cell phones offer texting and calling functionality, whereas
smartphones offer a list of features including email, Internet access, video
chatting, gaming, app downloading, video taking and music storage.
Camera
1. Many regular cell phones are equipped with cameras, but not of the quality
found on smartphones. For instance, the iPhone 4S features an 8-megapixel
camera, capable of taking both still photos and video in 1080p quality. It also
offers the ability to edit from the phone itself and enables users to share
pictures and videos instantly. Zoom features, face detection and reduced
motion blur are other features of the 4S camera.
Purpose
1. Smartphones offer users a level of on-the-go convenience not matched by
standard phones, increasing user efficiency. This is important with sales
representatives and other executives, as smartphones enable them to check
email and browse information while they're on the road or away from a
computer. Smartphones are also stylish and portray a sense of professionalism
and efficiency, traits that are viewed positively by clients and potential clients.
Cost
1. Cost is the main area where traditional cell phones still hold an advantage over
smartphones. For instance, purchasing a smartphone starts around $200, and
that's only if you're a new customer or eligible for a phone upgrade; for others,
the cost is much higher. Then there's the mandatory cellular data package,
which costs about $30 per month in addition to text and talk plans. Regular cell
phone users don't pay for data plans. Traditional cell phones are also much
cheaper -- if not free -- up front.
