More Info About PDA/Smart Phones

A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone, often with PC-like functionality. There is no industry standard definition of a smart phone. For some, a smartphone is a palm phone that runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application developers. For others, a smartphone is simply a cellphone with advanced features like e-mail and Internet capabilities, and/or a full keyboard.

There is no agreement in the industry about what a smartphone actually is and definitions have changed over time. According to David Wood, EVP at Symbian, "Smart phones differ from ordinary mobile phones in two fundamental ways: how they are built and what they can do." Other definitions put different stresses on these two factors.

Most devices considered smartphones today use an identifiable and open operating system, often with the ability to add applications (e.g. for enhanced data processing, connectivity or entertainment) - in contrast to regular phones which only support sandboxed applications (like Java games). These smartphones applications may be developed by the manufacturer of the device, by the network operator or by any other third-party software developer, since the operating system is open.