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Most users who are tech savvy probably know the difference between a phone and a PDA. However, time passes, manufacturers are constantly improving their devices, simplifying the process, and therefore it is difficult for many today to say what is a smartphone and what is it for?. Let's try to answer these questions.

What is a smartphone and what is it for?

Externally, the described device looks like a mobile phone. It has exactly the same standard set of functions, but its interface and versatility can be compared to a desktop computer. At the same time, while having the functions of a PDA, it differs from it in the body and display size.

Most modern smartphones are equipped with a touch screen. The user enters the necessary data using the QWERTY keyboard, which pops up when you press your finger on the empty text field. All smartphones run some operating system (for example, Windows Phone, Android, Symbian, iOS).

The very first smartphone is considered to be the model 7650 from Nokia. And today this manufacturer produces high-tech mobile devices of appropriate quality - take, for example, the Nokia Lumia line of devices, which is popular among buyers.

The demand for smartphones is constantly increasing, and they are gradually replacing regular cell phones. When purchasing such a device, you should not neglect the protective equipment - a special adhesive film and a cover. The same is important with, which needs protection no less.

So, we figured out what a smartphone is and why each user needs it personally, we’ll look at it below.

Why do you personally need a device like a smartphone?

Many users, accustomed to the simplest push-button phones, are sincerely perplexed about whether it is worth overpaying when buying a device such as a smartphone. At this stage, we’ll figure out whether we need our device only for communication, and how often we suffer in the absence of a desktop computer.

Most often, a buyer purchases a smartphone to perform several tasks at the same time. For example, he uses it not only for communication and exchanging SMS messages, but also for communicating via Skype, on social networks, as a calculator, player, camera, video camera, notebook, etc. In other words, in most cases the device is supposed to be used as a mini-computer. As a result, the user acquires a portable device with a huge range of functions. If desired, it can be used as a web camera, modem, etc.

If comfortable browsing the Internet is one of the priorities when choosing a device, it is recommended to give preference to smartphones with a large screen diagonal and support for all the most important modules, including 3G and Wi-Fi. It is also desirable to have a high battery capacity. It is very convenient to access the network from an Android device.

If this question seems stupid, then you are already very familiar with smartphones. However, think about the millions of people who have never held this wonderful device in their hands. They use regular dialers. A touch screen, lack of physical buttons, fragility, large dimensions, the need to charge almost every day - all this will be unusual for them.

The transition from a regular phone to a smartphone means a complete revision of the model of interaction with a mobile communication device.

If you are going to buy your first smartphone, then first find out what you will have to deal with. If it is a gift for someone, then first introduce the person to the device and clarify whether he needs all this at all.

Have you decided that you still need a smartphone? In this case, you need to determine the parameters of your dream gadget in order to get everything important and not overpay.

Budget

The combination of uncertainty about acceptable expenses, poor understanding of the topic and the persuasiveness of the sales consultant can hit the wallet hard.

Any purchase begins with the formation of a budget.

There are thousands of smartphone models. You can get a decent device for 9 thousand rubles, or you can get it for 209 thousand!

If the speed and quality of a wireless connection is critical to you, then you can go ahead and buy the necessary equipment and create the “mesh of your dreams” at home or at work. Otherwise, there is no need to worry about the presence of 5 GHz Wi-Fi in your smartphone.

operating system

Windows-based mobile devices are not worth considering. The strength of smartphones lies in the range of application stores, and only the iOS and Android operating systems can boast of it. By the way, there is no particular difference between them.

iPhones are, to put it mildly, not cheap and do not have a variety of characteristics. Accordingly, you won’t be able to buy an Apple gadget, for example, with a larger battery.

The advantage and at the same time the disadvantage of the Android system is that it controls thousands of device models for any budget and needs, while there are only a few current iOS gadgets.

What's the downside? The diversity of Android causes system fragmentation. Some people have the seventh version, while others still have an A or even a B. Manufacturers often forget about support and updates, but try to create their own user interfaces. And they don’t always succeed.

Fragmentation is a headache for Android application developers and a potential problem for users related to compatibility and stability of a particular device.

In favor of Android, we can write down greater freedom and flexibility of customization, but the average user often needs a convenient system out of the box without tinkering or pre-settings.

The confrontation between Android and iOS has been going on for a very long time and it seems that it will never end. Gigabytes of text have been and will continue to be written by not very smart people during fierce Internet battles. In fact, the truth is always the same, and it sounds very simple: “Everyone chooses what he likes.”

Hold an iPhone and several Android smartphones in your hands. Compare the systems in use and choose the one that seems more convenient to you.

Good day, friends!

Today you won’t surprise anyone with a mobile phone that can take photographs, access the Internet, shoot high-quality video, work with documents, etc. Moreover, progress does not stand still, and even wristwatches, for example, iWatch (Apple), can already do most of these functions. But how can you figure it all out if you previously had a regular mobile phone without all this, which could simply make calls and send/receive SMS? This is what we will discuss in today’s article – about smartphones.

So, what is a smartphone, what functions does it have, and also what you need to pay attention to in order to choose the “right” smartphone and be satisfied with your gadget.

Smartphone(English Smartphone, “smart phone”) - supplemented with the functionality of a pocket personal computer (PDA).

Smartphone functions

The main functions of the smartphone are:

— Internet access;
— functions of photo/video shooting, as well as voice recorder;
— audio/video playback of recordings;
— reading electronic books, various documents;
— work with e-mail;
— GPS navigator;
— All kinds of records: memos, contact information, lists, databases.
— Typing, programming.
— All kinds of games;
— Working with office applications;
— Control of various electronic devices: projector, DVD player, and much more.
— Of course, making calls, SMS, MMS has not gone away;
— Stopping other programs that turn your smartphone into a mini-computer.

Disadvantages of a smartphone

- Sometimes sizes. For example, it is not very convenient to use a smartphone with one hand that has a screen of 5 inches or more;

— Most smartphones run out of battery very quickly. Some of them need to be charged literally once a day, or even more often.

— You need to be careful when using smartphones. Large screens often stop working when dropped, and... They have touch controls, so even making a call won’t work. I remember the Nokia 3310, in terms of indestructibility there is no comparison. 🙂

— Smartphones are more sensitive to the environment in which they operate. For example, if the temperature is sub-zero, the screens literally freeze and the phone literally refuses to work. If humidity is high, condensation may form under the glass.

— Application developers want to know almost everything about you. When you install a program, it asks you to allow access to everything possible, from your contacts in the phone book, SMS, call duration to your location. I suspect that the developers of both smartphones and applications for them do not even officially open everything to the average user.

— I don’t know whether you noticed or not, but when you enter a subway car you can see that a huge number of people are constantly on their phones, and if you look at some statistics, you can conclude that modern gadgets develop addiction in people. I will say that sometimes it is useful to take a walk in nature without electronics.

— People far from technology will find it more difficult to understand the menu. After all, even to just make a call you no longer need to press 1-2 buttons, but go here and there.

Of course, each person chooses for himself what is an advantage and what is a disadvantage in a smartphone, so you can continue the rest of the list yourself, for example, in the comments to the article. 😉

Characteristics of smartphones

After our first acquaintance with smartphones, let's move on to studying their characteristics and figure out how to choose a smartphone?.

1. Manufacturer. Oddly enough, but unlike most other equipment, it is better to start choosing a smartphone by choosing the manufacturer. This, firstly, is a guarantee of the quality and durability of the device. Secondly, the performance of the gadget. After all, as you know, with the same technical characteristics, devices can differ radically in operating speed.

The leaders among smartphones are: Apple, Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, Nokia, Sony, LG.

2. Number of SIM cards. With today's variety of mobile operators, as well as their conditions, many users have 2-3 or more SIM cards. Previously, we simply opened the back cover of the phone and changed them. Now you can buy a phone into which you can insert 2 SIM cards at once, and make/receive calls at the most advantageous rate for us.

Conclusion: If you are economical, it is better to take a phone with 2 SIM cards.

3. Display. The smartphone screen has several characteristics:

- Screen diagonal. Buy a smartphone with a display that will fit more comfortably in your hand. I have a 5-inch smartphone, but I also have a big hand. It’s already extremely inconvenient for my wife to use my phone.

— Matrix type. The most popular are AMOLED, super AMOLED and IPS. Moreover, some people like one option, others another. Personally, I prefer IPS.

- Screen resolution. The higher the screen resolution, the better. Firstly, watching high-resolution videos is much more pleasant, and secondly, the quality and clarity of displaying documents, photos, websites, games and other applications will be much higher.

— Protecting the display from dust and moisture getting inside;

— Special glass that protects the screen from scratches

Conclusion: It is better to buy a smartphone with a diagonal of 4-5 inches, IPS, with a resolution of 960*540 (the optimal average option is 1280*720), and a surface protected from moisture and scratches.

4. Processor (CPU). All modern smartphones, like computers, have their own “brain,” which is technically called a “processor.” There are 1, 2, 4, 8 processors, and I think in the future there will be 16 or more core ones. The more cores, the faster and more stable the smartphone will perform several tasks simultaneously.

Processors also have a clock speed. The higher it is, the faster the phone thinks.

Conclusion: It is better to purchase a phone, if possible, with a processor of 4 cores from 1.2-1.5 GHz.

5. Random access memory (RAM). RAM affects the speed of all applications, especially dynamic ones, such as games or watching high-resolution movies. Most mid-range smartphones have 1GB of RAM, but I won’t be mistaken if I say that for active smartphone users this is the minimum.

Conclusion: It is best to purchase a smartphone with RAM 1.5-2 GB or higher.

6. Permanent (built-in) memory. This is actually an indicator of how much information you can store on your smartphone. The more, the better, of course, because... from year to year, and sometimes more often, programs, videos and other applications take up more and more space. If there is little memory, you will need to delete something before you can write anything.

Conclusion: It is better to purchase a smartphone with internal memory of at least 8-16 GB

7. Internet connection. Connecting a smartphone to the Internet can be done using 3G/4G modules, standard means of mobile operators, or using a Wi-Fi module.

The cheapest method is Wi-Fi (wireless networks). Places with free access to the Internet using Wi-Fi are only growing from year to year, these are airports, McDonald's, parks, hotels, etc. Where I live, there is free Internet even on the Dnieper embankment, although there are no establishments relatively nearby. Great technology. All smartphones have a Wi-Fi module, but pay attention to what type of connection it has. Standards are: a, b, c, g, n, ac. “a” is the slowest Internet and the shortest range of the wireless network, “ac” is the largest. The more connection types, the more versatile the smartphone, i.e. it can be connected to almost any Wi-Fi network.

3G. If you use the Internet via a 3G module, the connection speed is higher, and the price for the service is lower than the means of connecting to the network with standard functions of mobile operators.

4G. The Internet is much faster than the 3G standard, but also more expensive.

Conclusion: Choose a smartphone with Wi-Fi a/b/c/g/n/ac, 3G/4G.

8. Camera. Today, there are smartphones with 1 or 2 cameras (one front, one rear). If you often communicate with someone via Skype, then not only will you be able to see your interlocutor, but he will also be able to see you.

Photo. In addition, cameras are characterized by their shooting resolution, which is measured in pixels. The more megapixels, the larger the size and the better quality the photos are. Of course, there are exceptions, if, for example, the cost is cheap Chinese or “basement” optics.

As for the front camera, i.e. the one that is located on the front side of the phone, then it does not need to have a very high resolution, because High-resolution video is difficult to transmit over the Internet, and most likely, if the Internet is not of very high quality, your interlocutor will not see you.

Video. Video quality is also affected by camera resolution, quality of optics, and hardware features. Make sure that your smartphone can record video with a resolution, preferably FullHD (1920*1080). This is due to the fact that most modern TVs and monitors display images with exactly this resolution. Then your video will be clear and play beautifully on modern information display devices.

By the way, I would like to note that premium phones can already shoot video at 4K resolution (4096×3112). True, TVs with this resolution are sold for well over 100,000 UAH (from 11,000 USD)

Conclusion: The optimal resolution of the main camera is 8 megapixels, the front one is 2.

9. Battery. Battery capacity is measured in mAh (mAh). The higher this indicator, the longer the period of time you will not need to charge the device. Most smartphones have a battery capacity from 1800 to 3500 mAh.

10. GPS. The presence of a GPS navigation system in devices (satellite navigation system) is now difficult to underestimate. You can go anywhere in the world, and if you have maps installed on your smartphone, a GPS navigator will help you find your way out.

There is also A-GPS technology, which allows you to determine your location more quickly and accurately. The disadvantage is that A-GPS additionally uses an Internet connection for geopositioning, which actually makes this service “paid”.

Glonass- Soviet/Russian satellite navigation system, developed by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense. In practice, Glonass is an analogue of GPS, the only thing is that communication with satellites is more stable.

In addition, most smartphones can also be equipped with a compass.

However, it is advisable to be able to navigate the terrain without electronics. After all, the ability to recharge a phone in extreme conditions is not always possible.

Conclusion: It is better to purchase a smartphone with GPS and Glonass functions.

11. Operating system (OS). Early mobile phones had standard firmware with the standard functions required for a regular mobile phone: calling, SMS, MMS, phone book, calendar, alarm clock, a couple of “light” games and a few more functions. But, keeping up with the times, manufacturers decided to expand the functionality of phones, and operating systems for smartphones were born.

The most popular operating systems for smartphones today are iOS, Android and Windows Mobile. It's all a matter of everyone's taste. I will only note that iOS is used only in Apple products.

Conclusion: Pay attention to the OS version. If the version is outdated, then this may indicate that this smartphone model is outdated.

12. Possibility to expand internal memory. This can be done using an additional flash drive. When choosing a flash drive, pay attention to its class. The higher it is, the faster information is read/written on it, and the faster the flash drive will work.

Conclusion: Buy a flash drive of at least 32 GB and at least class 10.

13. Design. Choose only a design that you really like. Fortunately, the variety is great, and if not, then “dress” your phone in some interesting case.

Additional functions of smartphones

Depending on the manufacturer, smartphones have many additional functions, for example:
- FM receiver;
— Ability to connect additional devices (Gear watches that measure heart rate monitor, accelerometer, calling/receiving calls and much more);
— fingerprint activation;
— LED flash;
— video editor;
- standard sets of calendar, alarm clock, weather, and much more.

Which smartphone to choose?

Based on the above, a smartphone with the following characteristics would be excellent:

4.5-5 inches IPS (1920*1080)/ RAM 1.5-2Gb/16-32Gb internal memory/Wi-Fi a, b, c, g, n, ac/Bluetooth 4.

Everything else is at your discretion.

How much does a smartphone cost?

• A smartphone with minimal characteristics can be purchased for about 100-120 USD.
• Average level – 200-250 USD
• Top-tier smartphones cost from 500 USD.

On this note, perhaps that's all. Have you forgotten anything? If so, remind me in the comments.

I wish you success, dear readers, in purchasing the best smartphone that will always make you happy!

Not everyone understands what a smartphone is and how it differs from a telephone, but, in fact, it is nothing more than its improved version.

The history of the first smartphone

Over the years of constant improvement of technology, manufacturers of conventional mobile phones have become convinced that users have become limited in the functions offered to them, and they expect something fundamentally new from their “dialers”. That is why the first smartphone was released in 2001. What is a smartphone today and a smartphone in the early 2000s? – Of course, these are completely different things. For the first time, Nokia (who pioneered this issue) expanded the multimedia functions of the phone and positioned it as a business model that actually looked like a small laptop.

Now it’s quite funny to talk about the amazing functions of the first smartphone model, since it couldn’t boast even half of all the features that any modern smartphone is equipped with these days, but that’s where it all started.

And yet, what is a smartphone phone?

A smartphone is a “smart” phone (from two English words smart – “smart” and phone – “telephone”), which combines the functions of a regular cell phone for communication and a personal computer that performs any functions, from recognizing a person’s speech to scanning it fingerprints.

As a matter of fact, it was the emergence of operating systems that led to the emergence of such a device as a smartphone. What it is? – In simple terms, the operating system is a complex of all those applications thanks to which a regular phone acquired a “smart” prefix. It made it possible to organize full-fledged work with files, input and output of data similar to how a computer does it. Operating systems are also constantly being improved and are represented on the world market by three giant companies:

1. Apple. Steve Jobs' famous Apple phones are equipped with an operating system called iOs.
2. Google. An equally well-known green android robot is the logo of the operating system, which is found in almost all modern smartphones (Samsung, LG, ASUS, Lenovo, etc.). So, answering the question of what a smartphone and Android are, we can immediately note their direct relationship to Google, which produces the Android OS.
3. The “brainchild” of this manufacturer is Windows Phone, which lags somewhat behind its competitors, but, nevertheless, still remains in the top three.

It is impossible not to note such a concept as a communicator. Despite the fact that this term has not become as widely known as a smartphone, most modern gadgets with which we make calls are communicators. In general terms, we can describe what a smartphone and a communicator are and what is their difference. In fact, the functionality of these devices is identical, but the history of their appearance and evolution is different:

What is a smartphone and iPhone??

If you understand a little about the concept of “smartphone,” then for many it will still be unclear what it is. Essentially, this is the same smartphone, only developed under the leadership of Apple and equipped with slightly different functionality provided by the iOS operating system. This is the fundamental position of the manufacturer to name all its products uniquely with the characteristic prefix “ai”. Surely you have heard the names of such gadgets as iPad and iPod. But, simply put, this is an ordinary tablet and media player from the same manufacturer.

Which smartphones are considered the best?

With today's variety of models? It all depends on what goals you are pursuing and how important the price tag is to you. One thing is for sure. – If you are looking for a device that offers the best price-quality ratio, then the main thing you need to pay attention to is the quality of the case, processor performance and battery life of the phone. If you prefer to buy the best, then pay attention to the flagship line. , it’s not that difficult to explain: this is a model that is currently the best of the best. But the “palm of championship” constantly passes from one smartphone to another, and the price of such gadgets is several times higher than the cost of devices that are quite acceptable in all respects.

Read reviews of current smartphone models, reviews from other users and share your impressions!

Gadget manufacturers often add additional prefixes to model names, for example Lite, Note, DS, etc. Not all users immediately understand what this means and why it is being done. Companies also do not always follow the standards set by someone else, and in some cases there are exceptions, but we will tell you about the main features.

Note

The prefix Note or Note means that the diagonal of the smartphone is 5.5 inches or larger. This can be seen in the following examples: Lenovo k5 Note, Meizu M6 Note, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4– all of them have a diagonal of 5.5 inches. The exception is Samsung, where the Note prefix is ​​used for the company’s flagship lineup. Yes, yes, those same explosive ones Galaxy Note 7.

Lite

Lite in the name of the smartphone means that you are dealing with a “light” version of the device. Lite versions usually have a worse processor, camera module, and less memory. The price is correspondingly lower too. Examples Honor 8 And Honor 8 Lite more Lenovo Vibe x3 And Lenovo Vibe x3 Lite. Rogue sellers take advantage of this and remove the Lite prefix from the name, counting on the inattention of the buyer. Be carefull.

DS- Dual Sim – Dual – Duos

It may be called differently, but the essence is the same - the presence of two SIM cards. Some manufacturers like to indicate that the device has two SIM cards in the model name. They do this if there are two identical models on the market, but one of them has two SIM cards, and the other has one. Examples: Nokia 230 And Nokia 230 Dual Sim, more Sony Xperia XA And Sony Xperia XA Dual.

4G

Well, everything is clear here. 4G in the name means that the smartphone supports 4G/LTE networks. This information is usually added in budget devices to emphasize that despite its cheapness, the smartphone works with LTE. Examples: Motorola Moto C 4G.

Mini

This prefix means that there is an “older” version, with a larger screen, and Mini is a smaller and in many ways “lighter” copy. Examples: Samsung Galaxy j1 And Samsung Galaxy j1 Min i.

Max

The opposite of Mini. Max means the largest diagonally variant of one model range. Examples: Nubia z11 Max, Nubia z11 And Nubia z11 Mini.

Pro

Improved and expanded version of the smartphone. For example, in Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 there was no memory card slot in Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro slot added. Pro is also usually used in the top-end configuration. For example, Xiaomi Mi Max Pro has a maximum memory capacity of 128 GB, 4 GB of RAM and an improved processor with additional two Snapdragon 652 cores.

Prime

The same as Pro, only it may be called differently in different stores.

Plus

Improved and expanded version with a large screen. Examples: Xiaomi Mi5s, Xiaomi Mi5s Plus.

S.E.

SE - Special Edition - means special edition. There may be any differences and innovations. IN Redmi Note 3 Pro SE, we slightly changed the dimensions of the smartphone, so much so that it was impossible to find accessories for it for a long time, and added a frequency Band 20.