Think back to the misty days of, say, 2003. You probably
still had a Motorola RAZR in your pocket. Picture messaging was a mind-blowing
development and, if you were a hotshot, a Blackberry or a Palm Treo let you
roll e-mails away from your computer.
Really advanced devices let you squint at dehydrated versions of the web
back then.
Now, in a post-iPhone world, smartphones have become even
more like handheld computers than ever before. Cutting-edge processor chips, razor-sharp
cameras and hi-def video output make the best smartphones into powerful mobile
media hubs. The new breed of mobile operating systems get frequent updates
that keep the best handhelds in an ever-evolving state, meaning you don't
necessarily need a new device to do new cool stuff. Combine drool-worthy
hardware with the next-gen cellular networks that are starting to pop up and
smartphones will be getting smarter faster. Still have that boring-ass flip
phone that came free with your contract? Read on for 11 reason to ditch your
drab dialer and grab a phone with a PhD in awesome.
Which Smartphone is the Smartest?
If you're up for a free phone upgrade or are thinking of switching carriers, scope out these phones to find out what's best for you.
|
June 3, 2010
|
HTC Evo 4G
HTC Evo 4G
Carrier & Price: Sprint, $199 with $100 mail-in rebate and two-year contract
Why It's So Damn Smart: The HTC Evo 4G merges the sweetest of all possible worlds. Best network? It runs on Sprint's crazy-fast next-gen cellular infrastructure. Best hardware? An 8MP camera, another camera on the front for video calls and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, all put together by HTC, the hottest handset manufacturer in the game right now. Best operating system? This bad boy currently runs with Android 2.1, the latest version of Google's burly mobile OS. The Evo also outputs video in HD and can serve as a hotspot for up to eight other devices too. You can also use the front-facing camera for video calls... just like in Blade Runner.
Droid Incredible
Droid
Incredible
Carrier & Price: Verizon, $199 with $100 mail-in rebate and two-year contract
Why It's So Damn Smart: Another HTC phone, the Incredible features the company's Sense user interface over Android 2.1. Sense gives you seven homescreens full of apps and lets you manage all that Google goodness quickly and easily. You do that with Leap, an element that reduces every screen to a tiny icon that you can access no matter what homepage you're on. Sense's Friend Stream feature lets you put all your social networking from sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr all in one place.
iPhone 3G S
iPhone 3G S
Carrier & Price: AT&T,
$199 for 16GB with two-year contract
Why It's So Damn Smart: Rumors of an impending replacement may abound, but the 3G S still represents a ton of phone for your money. There's a light-sensitive camera and the on-the-go video editing means you don't have to wait to get back to a computer to send out clips of what you've shot. The best App Store anywhere offers hundreds of thousands of apps and new features like Voice Control give you hands-free access to contacts and music.
Nexus One
Nexus One
Carrier & Price: T-Mobile
, $179 with two-year contract; $529, unlocked for use with T-Mobile or AT&T
Why It's So Damn Smart: This phone epitomizes the beautiful marriage of HTC and Google and features total Google integration, including support for multiple Gmail accounts, real-time Maps navigation. The Nexus One will be the first Android device to get the latest update to 2.2, which brings new awesomeness like streamlined camera controls and better networking options.
