Today everyone wants to stay connected, especially small businesses. The best way to do that is with a smartphone. With a single device you can utilize a phone, email, Internet, GPS, calculator, day planner, music, alarm, clock, notepad, address book, and camera. As if that wasn't enough NOW you can download almost any game or application to make your phone even more useful.

All of the features and the many available smartphones can be overwhelming. We reviewed the top phones to help you make an educated decision about your needs.

We reviewed the most popular smartphones and provide a brief synopsis below.

iPhone
Pros: speaker phone, ease of use, GPS, App Store, iPod, Safari, reliable email, Browser, Wi-Fi
Cons: no multimedia texting, no voice dialing, no video recording, no physical keyboard
SCREEN SIZE: 3.5 in
BATTERY LIFE: 300 mins
MEMORY: 16GB
3G: Yes
WI-FI: Yes

Palm 800w
Pros: Windows OS, Wi-Fi, GPS, physical keyboard
Cons: sluggish, poor call quality, Internet Explorer issues, batter use
SCREEN SIZE: 2.5 in
BATTERY LIFE: 270 mins
MEMORY: 256MB
3G: Yes
WI-FI: Yes

Blackberry Storm
Pros: removable battery, expandable memory, video recording, copy & paste, editable word docs
Cons: no Wi-Fi, cumbersome email interface, poor screen zoom, email syncing issues, no physical keyboard
SCREEN SIZE: 3.25 in
BATTERY LIFE: 330 mins
MEMORY: 1.128GB
3G: Yes
WI-FI: No

T-Mobile G1
Pros: physical keyboard, voice dialing, GPS, Android Market, removable battery, Wi-Fi
Cons: requires a gmail account to activate it, all calendar and contact synching must go through the gmail account, typing is difficult, no video recording
SCREEN SIZE: 3.2 in
BATTERY LIFE: 300 mins
MEMORY: 192MB
3G: Yes
WI-FI: Yes

Palm 755p
Pros: editable word & excel, modem, 3rd party applications, Palm OS
Cons: no Wi-Fi, pricey, size, GPS
SCREEN SIZE: 2.6 in
BATTERY LIFE: 252 mins
MEMORY: 128MB
3G: No
WI-FI: No

Nowadays it is almost impossible to buy JUST a cell phone. Cell phones have improved exponentially and now have become mini-computers known as smartphones. Out of all of the smartphones available we believe the iPhone is far superior. The iPhone has a very clean interface and is easy to use. All of the features available on the phone work smoothly, which we cannot say for some of it's competitors.

There are numerous features of the iPhone, but there are still some complaints. The major complaint we hear about the iPhone is that there is no physical keyboard. We find once people use the phone for a few days they get used to the touch screen and actually come to like it better. The iPhone was designed to think for you while typing and if you trust the phone, typing becomes a breeze.

The second noteable con is the lack of the ability to copy and paste text. We do not view this as a major flaw since this is a feature that is not necessary but it is a capability that is certainly missed in some scenarios. Luckily Apple is continually updating the iPhone software so this feature will likely be available for free in a future update.

Free updates is one of the great things about the iPhone. The operating system is always being updated so you don't have to buy a new phone every time a new feature becomes available. Just plug your phone into your computer and your Apple iTunes software will automatically detect the update and guide you through the installation.

We feel the best feature for small business users is the e-mail application. The e-mail application provides the cleanest and easiest user interface out of any smartphone. It is also the easiest e-mail application to configure since it is nativly compatible with all of the major email protocols you are likely to find in a small business. The iPhone even provides seamless integration with Microsoft Exchange Server. Integration with Exchange Server allows you to access your e-mail, contacts and calendar in real-time from virtually anywhere your phone has signal.

Other great features of the iPhone that can help a small business are the fully functional web browser, Google maps and GPS navigation.

If these applications aren't enough Apple has taken the smartphone to a whole new level with the "App Store." The App Store give the iPhone limitless capapbility and buries every competing smartphone in bleeding edge technology. Just select the application you want, tap the install button and you will be using it before you can say "amazing!"

There are numerous smartphones available and we only reviewed the top five. They all have pros and cons, but it's all about choosing the right tool for you. Based on our experience working with small business we have found the iPhone provides the best overall user experience and offers the best productivity tools available.

If you need any help choosing your smartphone or setting it up
call Onsite Computer Systems
at 856-626-3349.