Smartphones Review

Why Buy a Smartphone?

As a busy person, you know the importance of staying a step ahead of your clients and your family. You probably know the feeling of being  tied to your desk or home so as not to miss that important email or phone call and to maintain convenient access to essential data—proposals, schedules, contact information, business news or the stock market. However, thousands have newfound freedom using PDA-style smartphones designed for business (and fun). These cellular devices trace their roots back to the personal digital assistant or PDA. Originally used as businessperson’s right hand to track important client information, project statuses, and task lists, these devices have evolved into an everyman’s (and woman’s) tool.

These cellular devices are much more than just cell phones; they provide instant access to the web. Whether you’re researching news to predict the stock market or looking for the perfect golf course on the weekend, you’ll find it on the net.

Many of these devices allow you to sync with your desktop computer. This means you can store, view, and work on documents directly on your handheld. You can also receive and respond to emails as they arrive in your inbox on your home computer with real-time push email.

These products can also serve as multimedia devices, so your entertainment goes with you. They can store and display pictures and videos of friends and family and even entire feature-length movies. Most can take pictures and capture video, but the most common multimedia function is the ability to play MP3s—sit back, relax, and enjoy your favorite tunes while traveling or during breaks.

Another perk of using one of these devices is the fairly recent development of third-party applications (or apps). These apps range from those geared toward hardworking business tasks to entertaining games and everything in between. With thousands of apps available to download in a range of prices, there’s sure to be something that will appeal.

In this site, you'll find articles on smartphones, comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison that will help you make an informed decision on which smartphone is right for you. And be sure to check out our top ranked smartphone cell phones: Apple iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III, and the Motorola Droid Razr HD.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Smartphones: What to Look For

In the past, business people were easily identifiable—they carried large briefcases, binder planners and perhaps a brick cell phone. The scene has changed and so has the way we conduct life and business. One of these devices stores important data and documents, offers a calendar planner, provides instant access to the internet and email and keeps you in touch with clients, coworkers, friends and family – anytime and anywhere.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate these cellular devices.

Design
Size and weight, along with screen size and resolution, make a difference in the display and handling of these devices.

Multimedia
The best business cell phones have at least a 5 megapixel camera with zoom features and the ability to play and record audio and video. These cell phones act as life management devices and include organizational features like calendars and task lists. Most sync with home computers allowing for document viewing and editing.

Call Features & Quality
The foundation of business is communication, and these product's first function is as a cellular phone. These devices for business should include all typical cell phone features including speakerphone, three-way calling, voice dialing, call waiting, etc.

Battery Life & Memory
The most practical products are compact, include good input and display options, and enough battery life to last through a full day’s work and beyond.

Additional Features
Many cellular devices include practical tools like calculators, map applications and GPS. Some have the ability to support third-party or browser-based programs that can perform a variety of specific functions. Third-party apps are becoming a key component, allowing the user to customize their smartphones to support their lifestyles.

 
 
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Electronics » Cell Phones » Smartphones
Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
10-9  Excellent
8-6    Good
5-4    Average
3-2    Poor
1-0    Bad
Apple iPhone 5 Samsung Galaxy S III Motorola Droid Razr HD LG Optimus G Google Nexus 4 HTC One X Samsung Galaxy Note II Sony Xperia TL Motorola Atrix HD T-Mobile myTouch 4G
Apple iPhone 5 Samsung Galaxy S III Motorola Droid Razr HD LG Optimus G Google Nexus 4 HTC One X Samsung Galaxy Note II Sony Xperia TL Motorola Atrix HD T-Mobile myTouch 4G
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Visit Samsung Galaxy S III
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Visit LG Optimus G
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Visit HTC One X
Visit Samsung Galaxy Note II
Visit Sony Xperia TL
Visit Motorola Atrix HD
Visit T-Mobile myTouch 4G
Ratings
9.90
9.83
9.65
9.38
9.20
9.10
8.95
8.70
8.60
8.23
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
10.00
10.00
10.00
9.38
10.00
10.00
10.00
9.38
9.38
10.00
10.00
8.75
10.00
9.38
10.00
9.38
9.38
8.13
9.38
10.00
9.38
9.38
9.38
9.38
8.75
10.00
8.75
8.75
8.13
9.38
7.50
9.38
8.13
9.00
10.00
8.13
10.00
8.13
8.13
8.75
8.13
8.13
9.38
7.50
9.38
8.75
8.13
8.13
7.88
8.13
 
Design
Phone Style Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen Touchscreen
Display Resolution 1136 x 640 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 1280 x 720 800 x 480
Screen Size (inches) 4.0 4.8 4 4.7 4.7 4.7 5.5 4.6 4.5 4.0
Depth (inches) 0.30 0.34 0.33 0.33 0.36 0.35 0.37 0.37 0.33 0.41
Height (inches) 4.87 5.38 5.19 5.15 5.27 5.29 5.95 5.09 5.26 4.94
Width (inches) 2.31 2.78 2.67 2.82 2.7 2.75 3.17 2.65 2.75 2.50
Weight (ounces) 3.95 4.70 5.15 5.19 4.9 4.59 6.34 4.9 4.94 4.94
Multimedia
Rear Camera (megapixels) 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 13 8 5
Front Camera (megapixels) 1.2 1.9 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.9 1.3 1.3 0.3
Video Recorder
Digital Player
Email
Call Features & Quality
3 Way Calling
Call Hold
Call Timer
Call Waiting
Caller ID
Battery Life & Memory
Installed Memory (gigabytes) 16/32/64 32 16 16 8/16 16 16 16 8 4
Expandable Memory  
  
Talk Time (minutes) 480 480 960 600 918 510 900 420 540 366
Standby Time (hours) 225 200 286 324 390 302 300 450 204 186
Additional Features
Number of Processor Cores 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 2 2 1
Processor Speed (gigahertz) 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1
RAM (gigabytes) 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 0.7
4G
 
Wi-Fi
GPS
Bluetooth
Internet Browser
Tethering
Operating System iOS 6 Android 4.0 Android 4.0 Android 4.0 Android 4.2 Android 4.0 Android 4.1 Android 4.0 Android 4.0 Android 2.2
Warranty (years) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1