Best Smartphone Comparison

Buyers' Guide: How to Choose the Best Smartphone

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What is a smartphone?

Smartphones are usually thought of as being a mobile phone and a handheld computer combined, but that does little to distinguish between the vast number of different models on the market. So, before we identify how to find the best smartphone for you, let's start by splitting mobile phones into three categories that define what they're capable of: dumbphones, featurephones, and - of course - smartphones.

First up is the dumbphone - not a very flattering description of the technology that kick-started a global communications revolution, but nonetheless fitting for phones that can do little more than make calls, send text messages and manage your contacts.

Using a mobile phone as, well, a mobile phone is more than enough for many people, but the rise of the internet has created a need for access to other kinds of communication on the move. This is where the featurephone comes in.

Although they work (and often look) just like a traditional mobile phone, large colour screens and more powerful hardware mean that featurephones are a bit more capable than dumbphones. Most can play simple games, double up as a digital camera and act as a basic MP3 player, but web browsing and email are also offers.  Few featurephones excel in any of these areas though, since they're phones first and everything else second, so those extras are really only suited to occasional use.

So, if you need all the power of an internet-connected computer in your pocket, you need a smartphone. Qwerty keyboards, fast data connections and the ability to install new applications mean that these mini marvels can do almost anything a laptop can - albeit with a few restrictions imposed by their smaller screens.

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What is the mobile internet?

As far as smartphones are concerned, the mobile internet isn't much different to the desktop internet. Unlike early featurephones that relied on severely limited WAP browsers for web access, modern smartphones have full web browsers that are every bit as capable as Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Since screen sizes are closer to 4" than 14" though, browsing the web on a smartphone does involve a few compromises. The most obvious is that text can be too small to read until you zoom into a page, but some smartphones make this so easy that the action soon becomes second nature.

The best smartphones handle email just as easily as a desktop or laptop computer, too. Almost all email service providers are supported, which means you can manage your messages from wherever you are.

Social networking works well with smartphones too, and having access to Facebook or Twitter on a handheld device you always carry with you makes such services all the more useful.

The Apple iPhone leads the pack by some margin when it comes to web access, with a very able browser that's extremely easy to use. Android-based smartphones (from various manufacturers including HTC) and Palm's two models are close behind, but BlackBerry, Nokia and Windows Mobile (again from various manufacturers) smartphones still have a way to go before they can compare. 

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What are the best smartphone operating systems?

There's more to choosing the best smartphone than just picking the one you like the look of. Just like desktop computers use Windows, Mac OS and Linux, different smartphones use different operating systems too, and that in turn affects the software they can use.

For example, if you want to make use of the 180,000+ applications (or 'apps') available for the iPhone, you'll need an iPhone from Apple - no one else makes it, and no other smartphone runs the required iPhone OS operating system. Google's Android operating system, on the other hand, is used by a number of different smartphones, including one sold by Google itself.

It's a similar story for the other three main operating systems - Nokia's Symbian is used by both its own smartphones and those from the likes of Sony Ericsson, while RIM and Palm follow the Apple model of making both the operating system and the smartphones that use it.

Windows Mobile takes a different tack and while Microsoft makes the operating system, it leaves the job of making smartphones to use it to other manufacturers. One word of warning here, though - Microsoft recently announced a complete reinvention of its smartphone operating system called Windows Phone 7. This is completely incompatible with Windows Mobile and so all smartphones that currently use this operating system will effectively be obsolete when Windows Phone 7 launches at the end of 2010.

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What other features should I look out for when choosing the best smartphone?

If you're shopping for a smartphone with an open mind and a free choice of mobile network, don't place too much importance on the operating system straight away. Start by deciding which features are most important to you - this could be a wide choice of apps, but could just as equally be a big screen, long battery life or a physical Qwerty keyboard.

All smartphones can be used as an MP3 player (with varying degrees of success) and most can also take good-quality photos, but don't be fooled by very high megapixel ratings. The lenses used in smartphones are usually too cheap and the image sensors too small for anything more than snapshots.

Most smartphones work best if you also have a computer and connecting the two together is the quickest way to transfer music and photos. Some also need a computer for the occasional operating system updates that manufacturers release - the iPhone does, for example, while Android smartphones don't.

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What are mobile apps all about?

Mobile applications - or 'apps' - are no different to the applications you use on a desktop or laptop computer, and they're the reason that the best smartphones are so powerful. Apps can turn a smartphone into a powerful handheld games console, an ebook reader, video player, sat-nav device and much more besides - and the number of apps you can use is only limited by the storage capacity of the smartphone.

Smartphone apps are downloaded from the internet using either the smartphone itself, or with a computer for later installation via synchronisation. There's a mix of free and paid-for apps for all smartphone operating systems, but it's important to note that apps designed for one won't work on another.

A wide selection of apps is no guarantee of quality, but it does increase the chances of finding a particular app you want. The iPhone is the smartphone currently favoured by many app creators and the Apple App Store has over 180,000 to download. Other smartphones don't have anywhere near this number, so if there's a specific type of app you know you'll want, find out if it's available for your chosen smartphone before buying. 

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What do I need to know about smartphone tariffs?

All smartphones are available on either pay-monthly or PAYG tariffs, but don't be mislead into thinking that a free phones represent good deals. Whichever mobile operator you choose, it's important to calculate the total cost of the smartphone - for PAYG, this is simply the up-front cost of the phone, but for pay-monthly, you'll need to work out what the monthly payments add up to over the full course of the contract.

Free minutes and text message bundles can make direct comparisons of different tariffs a little difficult, but smartphones have something else that's important to consider - data use.

Most touch screen phones will connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot to get online when you're at home, but you'll be using 3G for internet access when you're out and about. Web browsing and email don't use much data, but downloading apps and music do, so be sure to select a smartphone tariff that includes enough free data use (measured in megabytes or gigabytes) to cover your needs - and isn't too expensive if you exceed the data limit.

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Overview of the current UK smartphone market

Apple iPhone

The iPhone is probably the one smartphone that most people have heard about, thanks to its staggering success in the three years since it was first launched. The current model is the iPhone 3GS, but the previous-generation iPhone 3G is still available at a discounted price. Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone this summer, so you can expect the year-old iPhone 3GS to see similar discounts at some point. 

Google Android

The Android operating system and the smartphones that run it are seen as the main competitor to the iPhone, although nowhere near as many have been sold. The Google Nexus One is considered to be the definitive Android smartphone, but the HTC Desire is just as good. Android isn't as polished as the iPhone operating system, but it looks and works in a similar way - and the number of apps is quickly growing.

RIM BlackBerry

The BlackBerry is a popular choice for businesses that rely upon mobile messaging, thanks to its sophisticated corporate software. The different BlackBerry models don't have quite as much to offer to non-business users, but they're still a popular choice for people who prefer physical keyboards to virtual touch-screen ones. 

Windows Mobile

Lots of smartphones use Windows Mobile - the operating system has been around for several years and is very well established, but its features have been surpassed by the more sophisticated competition.

HTC makes some of the best Windows Mobile smartphones and it does a good job of hiding the often-awkward interface behind its own slick software. The imminent launch of Windows Phone 7 means that the days of this dated smartphone operating system are numbered, though. 

Nokia

Nokia uses its Symbian operating system on both featurephones and smartphones - as do a few other manufacturers. Symbian smartphones are available in all shapes and sizes, and offer some extremely sophisticated features, but the operating system isn't as well-designed or as easy to use as the iPhone or Google Android. 

Palm

Palm has been selling smartphones for several years, but its new Pre and Pixi models haven't sold well. Palm's webOS operating system is as sophisticated as the iPhone's and just as easy to use, but a small selection of apps has hindered its appeal. The smartphones are still worth considering though, particularly for heavy users of mobile messaging and social networking - something that webOS was specifically designed for.

Broadband Genie's comparison tables can help you find the right 3G smartphones. Not only can you compare prices to find the cheapest touch screen mobile phones, but you can narrow down your choice dependening on various aspects of your desired smartphone. You can also read current 3G phones customer reviews to find out about their experience. All of this information should ensure you make the best decision. Smartphones are available from all major network providers: Vodafone, 3 Mobile, T-Mobile, O2 and Orange.

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