Smart Phones of today

Blackberry, iPhone and Palm are the three most popular Smartphones in the US market. ChangeWave Research has recently conducted a study to find out which Smartphone rules the industry of Smartphones.

According to the study, there is a stiff competition taking place between Apple’s iPhone Smartphones and RIM’s Blackberry Smartphones since the launch of the iPhone in July 2007. Whilst Blackberry Smartphones have held the highest market share for some time now, Apple’s iPhone Smartphones are popular for being the most desired Smartphones in the Smartphone Industry.

Although Apple’s newest iPhone 3G Smartphone has been doing really well since its launch, things however look brighter for RIM as it plans to launch its first ever Touch Screen Blackberry device known as the Blackberry Thunder very soon. The Blackberry Thunder will compete directly with the iPhone 3G and it will allow RIM to increase its market share both in the enterprise and consumer segment as the Blackberry Thunder will offer iPhone like features with more powerful enterprise features. RIM’s market share is also set to rise with the introduction of its new Sleek and trendy device known as Blackberry Bold and first ever flip Blackberry device known as the Blackerry Kickstart.

Things on the other hand don’t look too good for smaller players in the US Smartphone Industry such as Palm and their market share and popularity will keep on declining with the stiff competition that is taking place between RIM and Apple.

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At last amongst all the iPhone hype, Palm released a new? Treo after what seems like many years after the 700wx. While a lot of people will say that the looks aren?t that great compared to flashy devices like the iPhone and HTC Touch, and I?d have to agree that the Treo isn?t the greatest looking device, I think that functionality and performance are far more important.? I?m also not saying that the device looks terrible either? it is an improvement of the brick-like feel of the 700wx.

So, what does the Treo 800w have going for it?? Here are a few notable features:

• Windows Mobile 6.1
• Threaded Text Messaging
• 320?320 Screen Resolution (700wx was 240?240)
• Built-in GPS (must be initially connected to network to establish GPS tracking)
• Wi-Fi Capable
• 2 Extra Customizable Buttons (Email and calendar by default)
• MicroUSB Connector for Sync and Charging (replaces terrible Palm proprietary connector). Also, no 2.5mm or 3.5mm headset jacks, must use bluetooth or MicroUSB.

So, here are a few notes from 1.5 days of use compared to the 700wx:

• Not sure about battery life yet, it does have a notably smaller battery than the 700wx.? This is the same battery that you?d find in the Palm Centro.? I typically do not leave Bluetooth on during the day, so I did not notice a huge battery drain during standby.? Your mileage will vary.
• GPS works pretty well with Google Maps and Live Search.? I changed the program port to COM7 from GPD1 in the GPS Manager.? Had no trouble after making those changes.
• Interface seems snappier than WM5 on the 700wx.? Not sure if that is the result of WM 6.1 or other hardware changes.? It appears that the 800w may include hardware accelerated graphics.
• Still waiting on a Plantronics Voyager 510 headset to try out, will report on that later.
• HTML email support with Exchange 2007 and personal accounts is pretty neat.
• Internet Explorer feels snappier, even on full HTML pages.
• Plastic stylus feels cheap, but it is usable.
• Lack of antenna stub is nice, so is the smaller form factor.
• 800w also weights less than 700wx, more comfortable to use.
• Keypad is similiar to the 700wx, still one of my favorite features of the device.

Well, that is about it for now.? I will post more of my findings in a week or so after I?ve been able to test the device more closely.

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I can?t believe the number of people who got confused last Friday. They must have thought the Treo 800w was launching three days earlier than it did and on a different carrier. Too bad the poor folks got stuck with the iPhone 3G. The new Treo is available today from Sprint with a nice set of features inside the phone?s, um, classic Palm look.

Running Windows Mobile 6.1, the 800w has EVDO Rev. A, built-in GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi (about time, Palm!). Program memory is solid at 128 MB, and there?s a microSD slot to supplement the 256 MB device memory. The camera is 2.0 megapixels and can take video, and the 1150 mAh battery is rated for 4.5 hours of talk time.

Last time Palm released a new phone it worked out pretty well for them. Jumping back into the WinMo world may be tougher, especially since the 800w will set you back $250 with a contract on top of the $70+/month for a Sprint unlimited data plan. The Treo 800w might have been a hit a couple of years ago, but it looks to me like too little, too late.

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While established mobile workers may not find the Palm Centro fulfilling all of their needs, for those just getting into the smartphone arena, the Centro may be a hit! While Palm has been under fire recently for lack of OS updates, management shakeups and general business problems, I would have to say that their latest product, the Centro, works well for what it is designed to do.

Still on the fence? What follows are some pictures and links to help you with your decision.

Here’s the front of the phone looking at the main application window. Quite a bit smaller than a regular size phone, the display is bright and the smoothness of the fonts makes it quite legible and easy to read. I’ve been using both Weasel and the Palm Reader on the unit and have yet to start squinting. The included stylus is different than the standard Palm pieces and are quite a bit smaller and more flexible. I’m somewhat concerned about the display as the phone came with no cover, but so far no problems. The documentation did state that there was a “screen protector” built in.

This will give you some sense of the size of the unit as compared to everyday items. I’ve found that in moving from a flip phone, this one is not that much bigger and in fact is quite slimmer than my old one. On the side of the phone is the door for the microSD card as well as the IR port.

Notice the keypad as well as the keyboard, if I can call it that. The home keys, calendar keys and the phone keys are quite handy and feel substantial with nice feedback. The keyboard, considering how the engineers had to squeeze things into a lot smaller form factor is ok. I personally find it hard to use, but with two-thumbed technique, it’s getting better. There is a built-in key lock once the phone has been turned off or left alone for a bit. This is handy if you have the phone in your pocket and keep bumping things.

The back of the phone contains the battery as well as the microphone, camera and for the lack of a better term, the aiming mirror. The phone’s speaker as well as microphone are the best I’ve ever seen in a cell phone. It is legible and when set on speaker phone is quite handy. There is a sound-out mini jack at the
bottom of the phone for attached speakers and/or headphones, but note that it is non-standard and you will need to buy an adapter for use with regular stereo ear buds/headsets. I found mine at a big-box retailer.

The camera, well, let’s just say you will never be an ace photojournalist with it, but for emergency and quick everyday use, it is fine. It comes with a video mode and can record both to the phone memory as well as an external storage card.

In any event, the phone is nice and the added features, while perhaps not on the same level as a Windows smartphone, enable it to compete well in its field. Follow the links below for some more sources and reviews to help you in your buying choice. I didn’t have time to touch on the applications that came with the phone, so stay tuned!

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