Advantages of the smart phone

Advantages of the Smart Phone Blythe Oade Baker College Smart phones combine the versatility of cell phones, gaming consoles, PDAs, and personal computers into one handheld device. Whether people need them for personal or business use, they can find a smart phone to customize that meets their liking. “ It seems America is getting hooked on the smart phone. We depend on these modern Swiss Army knives for everything from planning our schedules to checking the news, finding entertainment and managing our social network. ” (Sutter, 2010). This is very true and shows that there are many advantages to having a smart phone, some of which include; staying in touch via e-mail, YouTube, Skype, the many multimedia functions, applications, and when necessary can be a portable office. The Internet functionality you typically associate with using a personal computer is now available, wirelessly, on a handheld device. While many standard cell phones allow you to check email, smart phones offer the complete Internet experience. They allow people to view and open e-mails that have attachments such as pictures or documents. Another big thing that is newer to smart phones is that capability to use Skype, which is a service that allows users to communicate across an internet connection by combining voice, video, and instant messaging. Other internet functions that are available on smart phones are that people can look up movie times to checking flight schedules. Many smart phones support GPS, using 3G or 4G connectivity. Allowing people to always know exactly where they are and the ability to find directions to any destination in moments. This eliminates one more piece of technology to be purchased. Why buy a separate GPS when it’s included on your smart phone? Smart phones allow you to download and store your entire collection of music. This allows people to listen to their music collection at any time, like while working out or even in their vehicle. This is another way of eliminating another piece of technology to purchase, like a MP3 Player or an iPod, because it’s available on the smart phone! Depending on what people enjoy, smart phones allow people to download and watch movies and television shows, while keeping up with their reading using either an eBook reader, or the smart phone’s ability to play audio books. Whether you’re waiting at a doctor’s appointment, trapped in a traffic jam or bored in a class, your favorite media is at your fingertips. Perhaps the greatest advantage to owning a smart phone is the availability of thousands of small applications, called apps. A wide variety of apps can be downloaded from online stores, allowing people to customize and personalize their phone. Games, photo utilities, online magazines and interactive reference apps can help enhance how you use your smart phone. Most apps must be purchased, but are inexpensive. But there are also a wide variety of apps that are free. Many smart phones offer functions and apps so people can remain productive no matter where they go. There are a variety of productivity apps which include word processors, personal organizers and spreadsheet programs. Smart phones feature built-in QWERTY keyboards that make working on these handheld devices easy. Note-taking and calendar apps with reminders help people stay organized and make sure they don’t forget important tasks. High-quality cameras/camcorders are now standard on smart phones. The camera/camcorder is useful in many ways; allowing you to take photos while you are working with a client at their business site, uploading pictures to Facebook right from your phone, to videotaping your child’s basketball game . Many smart phones also feature voice recorders so you can record important business meetings or even recording interviews with potential employees. Whether you are contemplating to switch from a regular cell phone to a smart phone, or you are new to the benefits of mobile technology altogether, you can’t help but to be impressed by the many advantages of the smart phone over its rivals. There are various types of smart phones available from a range of big-name manufacturers, but all have one thing in common, they combine the performance of a cell phone and a computer into one hand-held device. References Anderson, M. S. (N/A). The Advantages of the Smart Phone. In eHow. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://www. ehow. com/list_6880854_advantages-smart-phone. html Jones, O. W. (N/A). The Advantages of Smartphones. In Tech Tips. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://techtips. salon. com/advantages-smartphones-3480. html