Why you should get a smartphone

The reasons behind the popularity of smartphones in today's market are almost as innumerable as the devices themselves and experts predict that over the coming years, smartphone sales will dominate the mobile market as prices fall and technology continues to improve.

The first benefit offered by smartphones is that of raw power. Handsets such as the iPhone 3Gs and the Samsung Jet feature processors capable of running at 800Mhz, although the 3Gs has its processor slightly underclocked. Most smartphones are also able to incorporate significant on-board storage. The Nokia N97 and the iPhone 3Gs both have up to 32GB of storage capacity straight out of the box, whilst most modern smartphones are compatible with microSD memory cards. Modern memory cards can store anywhere between 1GB and 16GB of data and you can of course purchase multiple memory cards and swap them as you fill them up.

Smartphones are superior when it comes to photographic capabilities. There are a number of smartphones with built in digital cameras capable of capturing 12 megapixel images and some can even record video in high definition. Smartphones with a particular focus on digital photography often feature advanced Xenon flashes which are extremely bright and energy efficient, making them perfect for use in any lighting conditions.

Most smartphones worth their salt will feature an innovative interface. The trend at the moment is to include a large touch sensitive screen. This allows for a smooth, virtually button-free design and with the multi-touch capabilities sported by the iPhone and the HTC Hero, today's touch screens make everything from gaming, web browsing and media playback vastly more intuitive and enjoyable.

Connectivity plays a big part in the usability of smartphones. 3G and HSDAP compatibility can allow smartphones to connect to the internet and download files at speeds of up to 7.2Mbps anywhere with adequate network coverage. Wi-Fi is another important facet, as most homes and businesses now have wireless networks to which smartphones can connect for even faster web browsing.

GPS navigation has become integral to smartphones over the last couple of years. With GPS you can pinpoint your location anywhere on the globe, use your phone to navigate whilst driving or walking and even geotag photographs so that you have a record as to exactly where you were when you took all of your snaps.

Communication is of course important and with modern smartphones the aim is to amalgamate your online life into a single device. You can send and receive emails, manage your shopping and finances, update your favourite social networking sites, watch videos on YouTube, upload photos to Flikr and make free calls to your friends and family around the world using VoIP. Many modern smartphones have specially designed widgets and applications that allow you to receive live updates from popular sites such as Twitter directly to your phone's home screen, which allows you to stay connected without even having to open an application.

Aside from official software, smartphones have built a reputation for independent developer innovation. The iPhone 3Gs has the App Store, the N97 has the Ovi Store and many HTC handsets have the Android Market. All of these services allow budding software companies to sell their applications to the entire user base of a particular smartphone and apps can be useful, fun or completely pointless, but fun nevertheless. Many applications will require a small fee for their use, whilst others are completely free.

This brief guide has barely scratched the surface as to what smartphones have to offer, but it should explain, in part, their growing popularity and why you might want to consider getting one yourself.