What is a Smartphone? There are many answers to this question, but they all boil down to one fundamental difference from ordinary mobile phones - the presence of an operating system that combines the functions of a phone and a pocket computer in the device. So, let's take a closer look at what smartphones are, how they differ, what to look for when choosing.

Functionality

To understand what a smartphone is, you can barely pick up an ordinary mobile phone and a device with advanced functions for comparison. The presence of an operating system opens up new possibilities for mobile devices. In addition to regular calls or sending short messages, a smartphone is able to receive e-mail, access the Internet, and more and more text editors are installed in it to view the most popular file formats. Another distinctive feature is the ability to install third-party software on the device, including audio players, video players, as well as various games. Experienced programmers can create programs on their own, subsequently installing them on their smartphone. However, it is worth noting that with the development of technology, mobile phones are increasingly equipped with some of the functions that were once inherent only to smartphones.

Operating system

The choice of a smartphone, as a rule, is determined by the tasks with which the device must cope. Everyone's requirements may be individual, someone needs reliability and speed of work, someone needs a large number of applications and the ability to install third-party software. In general, operating systems can be roughly divided into open, for example Android, and closed, like in Apple smartphones running iOS.

Appearance

What is a smartphone in terms of appearance? If earlier the first devices with the functionality of a pocket computer gave out large sizes, today the size is not decisive. A cell phone and a smartphone may practically not differ in appearance, but nevertheless, due to the use of a smartphone, more and more for solving problems that require a large amount of information to be displayed on the screen, modern devices are distinguished by a large screen size. And with the development of touch control technology in smartphones, it is almost impossible to find familiar buttons, they were replaced by a virtual keyboard. The camera on the back of the case is also not a priority for smartphones, even the most budget models of phones are equipped with a camera, the only difference is the quality of the pictures and the capabilities of the camera.

Additional features

In addition to the aforementioned distinctive features, the smartphone can be supplemented with the functionality of a GPS navigator, and Wi-Fi technology allows you to access the Internet with a high data transfer rate. The presence of these and other functions can also play an important role in answering the question: "Which smartphone should you choose?" In any case, having made a choice in favor of a smartphone once, the user will certainly appreciate all its advantages. After all, this is the only way to understand once and for all what a smartphone is.

More than a dozen years have passed since the first mobile phone appeared. Over time, they have been constantly improved, new functions have been added to them, and their size has decreased. But at one point, all the functions invented by engineers became cramped in the concept of "mobile phone". This is how the concept of “communicator” arose, and then “smartphone”.

• Mobile phone(English mobile phone) - a portable communication device designed primarily for voice communication.
• Smartphone(English smartphone - smart phone) - a mobile phone supplemented with the functionality of a pocket personal computer.
• Communicator(English communicator, PDA phone) - a pocket personal computer supplemented with the functionality of a mobile phone.

advertising

Having a fully functional operating system makes smartphones and communicators more attractive to most users. Modern solutions (models of the middle price category and above) perfectly cope with many tasks that go beyond the telephone: working with e-mail, viewing text documents and spreadsheets, working with the task scheduler and many others. Expanding the functionality of phones is possible due to J2ME-programs, which are supported by almost all mobile devices. The screen of a number of phones is not inferior to most smartphones; many models are equipped with a memory card slot.

It is important to note that programs written specifically for the operating system of a smartphone or communicator are full-fledged sequences of low-level microprocessor instructions compiled into binary code. Specialized applications use processor resources more efficiently and, as a rule, have more functionality than "generic" J2ME programs.

However, for most users, this circumstance is not the main selection criterion. Smartphones are promoted by manufacturers through other factors such as:

• Advanced multimedia features (better camera, enhanced video playback capabilities, improved musical ability);
• Increase in the number of cores and processor frequency;
• Using the unique design of the model;
• Protection of the device from external influences.

The history of the emergence of smartphones

What is the first smartphone? They tried to combine the functionality of a mobile phone and a communicator almost immediately after the appearance of the first communicators in the early 90s of the last century.

We are constantly talking about some features of smartphones, trying to solve the problems that arise with them, but there are people who do not even know what it is. Therefore, today we will tell you what a smartphone is and why you need it.

Smartphone (from English Smartphone - smart phone) is a mobile phone that is supplemented with the capabilities of a personal computer. And this is true - today smartphones have replaced computers for many users, since they provide almost all the same functions. Smartphones are predicted to become even more popular in the future as a replacement for personal computers and laptops. This is also confirmed by the fact that users are increasingly using smartphones to access the Internet.

The main difference between a smartphone and a usual mobile phone is the presence of an operating system. However, considering the fact that some phones are equipped with an operating system, there should be much more differences. And so it is. For example, this is a large touch screen.

This is what a regular smartphone looks like.

iPhone 6s

Samsung Galaxy S7

Above are flagship smartphones, but there are also budget models on sale. In general, today the cost of smartphones has dropped significantly. So, you can become the owner of such a device for just a couple of thousand rubles. Of course, this will be the simplest device, but the fact is the fact.

The very first smartphone in the familiar form with a touch screen, where control was carried out only by hand, was the first iPhone - this happened in 2007. Then the smartphone became a real sensation, because before that no one offered anything like it on the market. Unsurprisingly, in a matter of months, the iPhone became the top seller.

It should be noted that the functionality of the very first iPhone was limited. For example, it lacked the ability to send MMS-messages, which, however, did not affect the sales of the device in any way.

OS

Most often, there are smartphones on sale that run on one of three operating systems: Android, iOS and Windows Mobile. The most popular operating system is Android. Most smartphones are based on it. The second OS is iOS, only Apple devices work on it. Third place goes to Windows Mobile.

Why do you need a smartphone?

If you suddenly do not know what a smartphone is for, then here is the answer.

• Surfing the internet and social networks.

• Multimedia center. On the smartphone screen, you can watch movies, listen to music, watch online broadcasts.

• Games. In official online stores today you will find a huge number of all kinds of games. Among them there are those that, in terms of graphics, can give odds to computer games. However, many games are free.

• Cameras. Cameras allow you not only to get great photos, including selfies, but also to broadcast online or chat with friends via video chat.

• Wireless modules greatly expand the possibilities. For example, you can use mobile communication to access the Internet, and now such technologies are used when the speed of the mobile Internet can be higher than on a home computer.

• Applications. There are a huge number of applications, like games, in online stores for every taste and wallet.

Generally speaking, the “smart phone” fully justifies its name - it really is a phone and a computer in one device.

Hello dear blog readers!

First of all, I am very glad to welcome you to the new design of my resource. I have long wanted to change the appearance of the site, but then there was not enough time, then the opportunities. But it was impossible to delay further, so I nevertheless asked one excellent designer to redo the appearance of the blog for me (or, more precisely, to do it from scratch, but leaving the main advantages of the old design).

How do you feel about the new design? Did you like it? Is it better than the previous one? Do you have any ideas for improving it? I would be very happy if you answer any of these questions in the comments to this article.

Now let's go directly to the topic of the post. As you know, in my article on video games, I promised that I would continue to write about innovation, technology and everything that the 21st century has to offer us.

I keep this promise, and today I will tell you about what has already become an integral part of the life of everyone who acquired it. I'm talking about IT devices like smartphone, tablet, laptop, e-book and others.

This series of articles, rather, will be useful to people who have long intended to purchase one of these devices, but find it difficult to choose one. And I fully understand them, because the question is not about tens, and not even about hundreds of rubles, and therefore I would not want to give a significant amount and get a low-quality product or one that does not meet expectations or will not be useful.

At one time, I spent more than one and not 5 hours studying this issue, and found that, as in the case of video games, I am dealing with an entire industry. There is just a huge number of manufacturers, operating systems, there is a classification of devices and much, much more. This series of articles is being written to save you time by sharing my experience in researching this issue and testing and using these devices directly.

So, the guest of our day is a smartphone.

Smartphone(from the English smart - smart, phone - phone) is a mobile phone we all know, but it has evolved into something more. What exactly? I will not be mistaken if I say that it is a real PDA (compact personal computer). As in the case of a computer, it has its own operating system (we'll talk about them a little later), on which applications are installed. This allows the smartphone to go far beyond the "dialer" functionality.

Manufacturers often install different sensors in their next product: accelerometers, compasses, gyroscopes, etc. Combined with various applications, this allows you to determine your location and navigate on the map, determine the slopes of surfaces and more. Also, there is a music player, video player and internet browser.

A distinctive feature of a smartphone from a mobile phone is the presence of a large touch screen. The absence of buttons allows you to increase the display area of ​​visual information, which, of course, is a convenient solution when using - it is more convenient to watch videos, browse Internet pages, and many other operations are easier to perform.

Separately, I will say about the touch screen: it is much more convenient and easier to use it when navigating the same Internet pages or even through the device menu than using a numeric keypad and a joystick (crosshairs). This is especially true when typing.

Based on my experience, I can say this: don't be fooled by the great functionality of your smartphone! Believe me, 60% of those who bought a smart phone use it to make a call, write an SMS and see the time. This is despite the fact that the same functions are performed by an ordinary mobile phone, which is 2-3 times cheaper.

The other 30-35% of people initially used their smartphone to the maximum, but then came to the conclusion that a heavy load drains the battery faster, and 80% of functions are absolutely useless. Now they call from it, go to the Internet, use notes and reminders, maybe an alarm clock and (very rarely) a stopwatch. A device of an average price category - 7-15 thousand rubles (and often a budget one - up to 7 thousand - is quite suitable) is suitable for such functionality, but the owners of flagships - 15 thousand and more - are very often disappointed in their purchases.

So, let's summarize a small summary of the smartphone.

pros:

• good old dialer, a means of communication, without which there is now nowhere;
• the ability to access the Internet anywhere in the Wi-Fi zone or mobile network coverage;
• a large number of small functions with which a smartphone collects the functionality of a bunch of different tools (notepad, stopwatch, ruler, calendar, etc.);
• is an accessory that speaks of your image (the more expensive the smartphone, the higher the image, but in any case, even with a budget smart, you will look more solid than with a dialer with buttons. Why? Well, this is how society is already talking ...).

Minuses:

• functionality quickly becomes boring, which is why most devices cease to justify their cost;
• Wi-Fi is not available everywhere, and 3G Internet is often an expensive pleasure;
• without the ability to access the Internet, it has only slightly more functionality than a regular mobile phone;
• unlike the same mobile phones, the smartphone requires recharging, on average, every 2 days.

Output: in my personal opinion, the advantages of a smartphone are more weighty than the disadvantages, which means that wisely chosen smart will become a useful tool and accessory for you in your life and work.

Now let's take a look, but how do you choose a smartphone “wisely”?

The first thing to choose is the operating system. There are three main ones: Android, Windows Phone and iOS.

The first one is Android - the most popular, let's start with it. The well-known company Google is developing and supporting this OS. It is installed on devices from most manufacturers. The most famous android smartphones are smartphones from Samsung, HTC, LG, ASUS, Sony and many other manufacturers.

The advantage and at the same time the disadvantage of this OS is its openness and freedom of customization. You yourself are free to choose the interface of your gadget (often, the manufacturer's shell is installed by default, but this does not prevent you from replacing it without getting into the smartphone's program code). Also, you install the applications you need yourself, and with the help of USB you can open the directory of files and folders without any additional services and programs.

Why is this an advantage? Because it is easy and affordable to customize the smartphone for yourself and your needs. Why disadvantage? Because such a setting requires learning and mastering, and also such freedom makes it possible to "screw up" in the settings so that you have to carry your brand new smart to the SC. In short, android is an operating system for the thinking and not lazy. And it scares some (I wonder why? ..).
Further, Windows Phone- the operating system of the Microsoft company. Yes, yes, this is the same Windows familiar to us, but adapted for mobile devices. At the moment, only Microsoft itself produces devices under this operating system, although you can still find models from Nokia on the market (rarely from HTC and Samsung).

All smartphones under this OS have a template interface, and a simple user cannot change it. While this is not pleading with the fact that Windows Phone is beautiful and easy to use. In addition, developers place great emphasis on speed and simplicity. And although there is much less freedom here than in android, it is pleasant and comfortable to use such a gadget. Also, synchronization with a PC using the Zune program is well organized (although you cannot directly connect to directories).

This operating system is quite young, and therefore many complain about the relatively small number of applications. However, the Windows Store is growing and developing, every day there are applications that are analogous to those found on other operating systems, as well as absolutely unique. Therefore, the scale of this problem is gradually decreasing.

As a conclusion, I can say that Windows Phone is an excellent operating system with a lot of development potential. In addition, WP devices are significantly cheaper than their android counterparts with the same quality level. Windows Phone is worth it if you like Windows Phone. If you like its interface, if speed and simplicity are important to you, and all this for a reasonable price - Windows Phone will not disappoint you.

And the latest operating system - iOS... Everyone already knows which company makes this OS and on which smartphones it installs it, right? And everyone knows very well how much such devices cost. Due to the fact that they are definitely and definitely not worth their money, that the aforementioned company invests half the cost of its products in its brand (the same stub), I will not tell you anything about iOS.

Interesting? Enter into Google "review on the IPhone 6" and see how everyone loves this "product". My opinion is this: I took the cost of the sixth iPhone, bought a smart one from Microsoft, and invested the rest in the Internet or self-development. Seriously, it is better to buy an e-book for the rest (there will be a separate article about them).

Okay, we've decided on the operating system, now choose a manufacturer... With WP, everything is clear, but there are a lot of "androids", eyes run up.

I will tell you this - here is a delicate moment, brand manufacturers - Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG - also invest in the brand value, but these guys know their job. Here you will receive a well-assembled and thoroughly tested product that, if used properly, will last you a minimum of 2-3 warranty periods.

Other, less eminent manufacturers - Prestigio, ASUS, ZTE and others - their brand costs less, but this does not mean at all that they make lower-quality gadgets (although sometimes this is the case). In order to be competitive, they produce products that are not worse, and often even better than the aforementioned branded devices. But the risk of getting a pig in a poke is still present.

Now let's talk about the price... As I said, flagships do not always justify their cost, so do not follow the stereotype “more expensive is better”. Look closely to the middle-class and budget models, they are quite capable of satisfying all the needs of 80-90% of potential buyers, without taking away extra cost from them.

And finally, here's my advice to you: after weeding out all smartphones according to this principle and choosing one or several that suit you, do not rush to buy them at breakneck speed. Take an hour or two to look at or read a couple of reviews about them, a few reviews and recommendations. Treat this wisely and then you will choose the one you need, and it will become your irreplaceable assistant in your business.

Good day, friends!

Today you will not surprise anyone with a mobile phone that can take pictures, access the Internet, shoot high-quality video, work with documents, etc. Moreover, progress does not stand still, and most of these functions are already able to do even wrist watches, for example - iWatch (Apple). But how can everyone figure this out if you previously had a regular mobile phone without all this, which could just call and send / receive SMS? This will be discussed in today's article - about smartphones.

So, what is a smartphone, what functions it has, and 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 a smartphone are:

- Internet access;
- photo / video functions, as well as a voice recorder;
- audio / video playback of records;
- reading e-books, various documents;
- work with e-mail;
- GPS navigator;
- All kinds of records: memos, contact information, lists, databases.
- Typing, programming.
- All kinds of games;
- Work with office applications;
- Control of various electronic devices:, projector, DVD-player, and many others.
- Of course, making calls, SMS, MMS have not gone anywhere;
- Stopping other programs, thanks to which the smartphone actually turns 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 drain 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. their control is touch-sensitive, you can't even make a call. I remember the Nokia 3310, in terms of indestructibility - no comparison. 🙂

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

- Application developers want to know almost everything about you. When you install any program, it asks for permission to access everything that is possible, from your contacts in the phone book, SMS, the duration of calls to your place of stay. 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 paid attention or not, but entering a subway car you can see that just a huge number of people are constantly sitting 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.

- It will be more difficult for people who are far from technology 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 for him and what a disadvantage in a smartphone, so you will continue the rest of the list yourself, for example, in the comments to the article. 😉

Characteristics of smartphones

After the 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 technology, choosing a smartphone is better to start with choosing a manufacturer. This is, firstly, 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 be radically different in terms of speed.

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

2. The 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 just 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 a call from the most beneficial one 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 be more comfortable in your hand. I have a smartphone with a diagonal of 5 inches, but I also have a big hand. My wife is already extremely uncomfortable using my phone.

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

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

- Protection of 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 best medium version is 1280 * 720), and a protected surface 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 there will be 16 or more cores in the future. The more cores, the faster and more stable the smartphone will perform several tasks at the same time.

Also, processors have a clock speed. The higher it is, the faster the phone thinks.

Conclusion: It is better to buy a phone, if possible, with a processor from 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-definition movies. Most mid-range smartphones have 1GB of RAM, but I won't be mistaken if I say that this is the minimum figure for active smartphone users.

Conclusion: It is best to buy a smartphone with RAM 1.5-2 GB and above.

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. 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 writing something.

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

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

The cheapest way 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 embankment of the Dnieper, although there are no establishments relatively nearby. Excellent technology. All smartphones have a Wi-Fi module, but pay attention to what type of connection it has. The standards are: a, b, c, g, n, ac. "A" is the slowest internet and the shortest range of wireless networks, "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 the 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, the second rear). If you often communicate with someone via Skype, then not only will you be able to see your interlocutor, but he will also see you.

Photo. In addition, cameras are characterized by shooting resolution, which is measured in pixels. The more mega-pixels, the larger in size and better quality the photos will be. Of course, there are exceptions, if, for example, there is a cheap Chinese or "basement" optics.

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

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

By the way, I want to note that premium phones are already able to shoot video with 4K resolution (4096 × 3112). True, TVs with such a resolution are sold well over UAH 100,000 (from $ 11,000)

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 figure, the longer you do not need to charge the device. Most smartphones have a battery capacity of 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, the GPS navigator will help you find a 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 for geolocation additionally uses an Internet connection, 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 analogous to GPS, the only thing is that the connection with satellites is more stable.

In addition, a compass can be installed on most smartphones.

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

Conclusion: It is better to buy a smartphone with GPS, 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 pace 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 about 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. Ability to expand the internal memory. This can be done using an additional USB stick. When choosing a flash drive, pay attention to its class. The higher it is, the faster it reads / writes information - the faster the flash drive will work.

Conclusion: Purchase a flash drive with at least 32 GB of at least 10 class.

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

Additional functions of smartphones

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

Which smartphone should you choose?

Based on all of the above, a smartphone with the following characteristics will 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 minimum specifications can be purchased for about $ 100-120.
• Medium level - 200-250 USD
• Top division smartphones cost from $ 500.

On this note, perhaps, everything. Have you forgotten anything? If anything, remind in the comments.

I wish you success, dear readers, in buying the best smartphone that will always delight you!