Beginners' guide to smartphones

What is a smartphone?

In layman’s terms, it does exactly what it says on the tin: a ‘smartphone’ is a smart phone – a mobile handset with a computer chip inside that works just like a laptop or PC.

Smartphones tend to have much the same functionality as a standard mobile phone – calls/texts, music/camera, and some office/online functionality. Early smartphones mainly improved on the business side – opening Word docs or getting your Outlook email on your mobile – but not any more. Learn more about business smartphones here.

Where a BlackBerry was once purely an office extension, now smartphones from all the handset manufacturers blend work and play on ever more intelligent devices. Improved mobile broadband, high-def screens, massive storage capability, full internet browsers, sat nav – they truly are mini computers.

Who needs a smartphone?

It might be easier to ask who doesn’t need one! To which the answer would be, people who simply use a mobile phone to call and text. Everyone else should seriously consider a smartphone, as long as there’s room in your budget.

The good news is, prices of smartphones are coming down all the time. The technology is moving fast, so technology considered cutting edge just a year ago is already old hat – which means great budget smartphones are all over the market now too.

But why do you need one? Well, there are plenty of reasons and the number is getting bigger all the time – there are thousands of them now. They were already tempting enough. As well as calls and texts, you have a sat nav wherever you go, a Walkman, a way to watch TV and video clips, your email, the internet – even your office. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The key word here is applications, or ‘apps’. These are programs you can download via broadband and add to your smartphone, either directly or from your PC. All the major smartphone types have their own ‘app stores’ now, so while some may have more choice than others, they all have thousands to choose from.

They really do come in all shapes and sizes – from free to expensive, useful to pointless, fun to serious – all the bases are covered. Check out our App Guide for more details.

Types of smartphone

With more than 50 smartphones on the market at any one time, it can be tricky to find the right smartphone for you. We have extensive help on both ‘ types of smartphone’ and ‘ types of smartphone deal’ elsewhere (just click through from here), but here are a few of the basic considerations:

  • Business, pleasure, or both: A good number of smartphones have a full QWERTY keyboard, making them much better for applications – and so also office work. They tend to have smaller screens because of it, or are more bulky. Other options have a full virtual QWERTY on the touchscreen, meaning you can get pretty quick on documents with practice while not giving up that big screen to watch vids and play games! Others tend to give up on documents altogether, packing in a better camera or more social networking functionality.
  • Manufacturers: Depending on the type of smartphone you are looking for, different manufacturers can be seen to specialise (though not exclusively) in different areas. At the business end, BlackBerry still rules the roost thanks to superior messaging and security. Traditional consumer handset manufacturers tend to make models with more focus on multimedia, with Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Nokia and again HTC all strong in this area - alongside Apple's iPhone, of course. You will also find handsets branded by the mobile providers themselves, such as Vodafone and T-Mobile. These tend to be budget smartphones, but don't rule them out - there are some real bargains out there.
  • Operating system: If you're new to smartphones, this may not mean much to you, but the operating system is becoming an increasingly important part of many people's smartphone choice. With the exception of BlackBerry, HP (formerly Palm) and Apple, who have their own operating systems, the other manufacturers are currently making smartphones for a variety of operating systems - Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Mobile being the big guns. In many ways, operating system choice is replacing manufacturer choice - each system is set out differently, has different applications etc. If you can, have a look at how some of your friends' smartphones work, and see which operating system you get a feel for.

For more information, see our guide to comparing smartphone handsets.

Types of smartphone deal

If you've had a mobile phone deal before, you can expect exactly the same set up with a smartphone deal - either a contract, or pay as you go deal. The one difference may be that you'll also now be looking at how much data is included (so you can go online, check email etc) alongside minutes and texts.

Smartphone contract deals tend to offer more value, as they tie you in for a longer period with the mobile service provider. Your monthly bill may be more, but usually to subsidise a 'free' or cheap handset. Also, you'll usually get more minutes, texts and data allowance.

Pay as you go smartphone deals may see you paying a bit more for a handset, and getting less 'free' minutes, data and texts, but what you gain is flexibility. You won't tend to waste your money by not using your allowances each month, while you'll also have the chance to move on to another mobile provider when the mood takes you.

Finally, there are short contract deals available - one month rolling contracts that offer something of a halfway house between the two. You get the stability of a contract, but with the option to duck out a much shorter notice.

For more details, check out our guide to smartphone contract deals.

Smartphone broadband

One of the key features of smartphones is their ability to get you online on the move - whether it's checking your email or surfing the web, even downloading files, as long as you've got a mobile signal, you can access smartphone broadband.

While laptops and netbooks are awesome, sometimes you really don't need to be lugging around something that bulky - a nice three or four-inch smartphone can be just right for the job. It can be a faster way to access the internet too, as smartphone apps are designed to get things done simply and efficiently, whereas most laptop functionality is really designed for fixed-line PC connections. As home computers tend to have faster internet connections, this means they often need to transfer more data to work properly - slowing them down on a mobile broadband connection. You'll also find that some websites have specific .mobi extensions, designed for fast access by smartphones.

Different smartphones will offer a variety of ways for you to connect to both the internet and also computers, as well as other smartphones and devices. You'll want to look to see if your smartphone supports 3G/HSPA (the fastest type of mobile broadband), as well as Wi-Fi - and there is also GPS (for sat nav and maps in general) and Bluetooth (for transferring files over a very short range). For more on this topic, see our dedicated guide to smartphone connectivity.

What are the downsides to owning a smartphone?

For some, the upside of smartphones - the impressive functionality - can actually be a downside. The screen size tends to be big, or there's a QWERTY keyboard, making most smartphones pretty chunky, which isn't to everyone's taste. They can be pretty heavy too, while the likes of Wi-Fi can eat a battery down fast.

At the same time, a three-inch screen is big for a phone, but it's still pretty small in reality. You may find the screen is still too small to be able to happily do email or surf the web, or to watch video clips. If you find you're not using these extras, you may be paying for a phone with bells and whistles that you simply don't need.

Data caps can also be an issue, leading to higher bills if you're not careful. Getting online on the move is great, as long as you can afford it! This is especially true if you intend to use your smartphone abroad, where data especially can be prohibitively expensive. See our smartphone roaming guide for details.

Can I cancel my smartphone deal?

If you go for a pay as you go deal, this won't be a problem at all. If it's a contract, it will depend on who you took the deal with. All the providers have slightly different terms and conditions, so make sure you read up on your contract before you sign up.

Some will also have a pretty generous cooling off period, so if the smartphone isn't for you there's a chance to send it back and cancel. Again, be sure to check the terms and conditions for this.

It's worth remembering that, even if you can't find anything about a cooling off period in a firm's T&Cs, thanks to the UK's distance selling regulations you are allowed to return an item within seven working days if you've bought it online - another advantage of buying through Broadband Genie over popping into a store.

If you stick with a contract, or a prepay smartphone, but decide later to change mobile provider, you may need to get your smartphone 'unlocked'. If you got your smartphone from a mobile provider (O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Three, Virgin Media or Vodafone) the chances are it will be 'locked' to that network. If it has clear branding from one of them, either on the handset itself or on the software, chances are it will be locked. This means you won't be able to use it on another network until you get it unlocked.

The mobile service providers aren't keen on smartphone unlocking, but it isn't against the law - however, it may break any warranty you have on the smartphone. For more details, see our guide to switching providers and unlocking.

Still have smartphone questions?

If you're still not sure about any aspect of buying a smartphone, please check out our other guides. Alternatively, if you have a specific question, why not Ask The Genie?