Can anyone here point me to a simple Smartphones For Dummies site please.

I just have a simple bog standard Nokia that lets me make calls and send texts. Thought it was time to drag my sorry ass into the 21st century so first I need to have just the basic understanding re what the actually do and the pros and cons of different types.

I know I can go to a Vodafone store and they will sell me something but I need at least to understand the basics first.

The easiest way to think of a smart phone is as a computer that can also make phone calls.

A quick google brought this up:

Clicky

It's a little outdated, but the gist is there.

First of all you may not need one, not everyone does. If you go into a phone shop they will want to get you to sign up there and then. So if you are feeling pressured say that you are waiting for the next iPhone. It will be announce on 10th September, so you cannot sign up for any thing till then. It does not commit you to anything and might stop the sales pressure. Get them to demonstrate both Android and iPhones.

If you know anyone with a smart phone ask them to show you what theirs can do. Hands on without any pressure to buy is probably best of all. Then if they have given you an idea of what you might want to do with a smart phone then for iPhones go to iTunes and look at the millions of apps they have first. Just search for the sort of app you are looking for and see what is available. Do the same with Android if you can. See what is available and tot up the size needed and the cost and that will help you decide the amount of space you might need and the budget to buy them all. Look at in app purchases to see how to get rid of ads if that is going to bother you.

Take your time and stick to your budget.


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There are a couple of questions to ask yourself if you are thinking of getting a smartphone:

1 - Do you want or need to have access to your e-mail or the internet while out and about?
2 - Do you want to be listening to music?
3 - Do you want to take photos?

Only the first of those would actually require a smart phone. 2 & 3 can both still be done with less complex phones but the downside is that the big phone manufacturers a moving away from low end (non-smartphone) devices and it really shows in the capabilities of the products on offer.

There are four smartphone OS's to consider:
iOS (Apple iPhone)
Android (Google)
Windows Phone 8 (Microsoft)
Blackberry (RIM)

You'll only get iOS on an iPhone and likewise Blackberry OS on Blackberry devices. Android offers the widest choice of handsets.
Windows Phone 8 trails the pack by some margin at the moment but I have been seeing more people using them. Blackberry used to be very popular but they didn't really innovate much and had some fairly epic technical problems a couple of years ago that did them a lot of damage

iOS and Android are pretty much level pegging for App support these days. You're more likely to have to pay for something on iOS than on Android. WP8 lags behind both as far as app selection goes. Not sure about the Blackberry ecosystem.

If you want to stick with a Nokia then the bulk of their new phones come under the Lumia brand and run WP8.

Whatever you do it's worth trying to find a live example of the phone you are considering to have a play with in a shop, preferably one that's not so tightly tethered to its stand that you can't pick it up. The vast majority of smartphones are almost entirely touchscreen devices (i.e. no physical keypad and maybe only a couple of buttons which may also be touch sensitive). If you like to type on your phone one handed it's a good idea to pick up any phone you are considering and having a bash on the on-screen keyboard and making sure the stretch from one side to the other isn't uncomfortable. I've got a Samsung ATIV S (WP8, but same dimensions as a Galaxy S3, and I find that it's a real stretch to type one handed).

When buying my last mobile I found this site very handy...
http://www.knowyourmobile.com
(if you have a shortlist of models, check out their Reviews section for comparisons)

Nothing beats trying them. If you have friends with smartphones, try them out.

I've had iPhone, Android and Windows Phone. I liked the Windows Phone best, iPhone the least, but I currently have Android, as I have to use what the company offers me - I had the choice of iPhone 5 or a Samsung Galaxy S 3.

The range of Apps is pretty much the same on all platforms - about 75% of the big name apps are on all platforms, it is the hundreds of thousands of fart apps and quizzes that makes up the numbers.

I have the same apps or the same apps on all the platforms.

That said, I'd very happily give up my smartphone. If I was honest, I'd give up my mobile completely.

I have had friends describe the iPhone as the best phone that they have ever had. It is a matter of preference.

Thanks guys.

I'd already found Spreadie's site and taken a look. If I do take the leap I think it will be android but at least now I can furnish myself with some basic knowledge before I go looking in stores for phones and packages.

If you play with Android and like it, consider buying a nexus 4 direct from google. It's the only way to ensure you get the latest Android updates.

If you are feeling adventurous there is always this

It also runs Android.

I wonder how many countries could actually make a smart phone. America would struggle, and I doubt anywhere in Europe could.

I mean you can buy bits from Samsung and put them together like Apple does, but I mean actually make one without imports.

Given most licence ARM CPU designs, probably none. There's tech from many countries in all mobile phones.

The North Korean smartphones are probably built in China anyway.


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