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THE technology question I'm asked most by friends and family is: "What phone should I get?"
It used to be an easy question. There was always one phone on the market that clearly outshone the others in terms of features and value, like the Nokia E71 when it launched, or the BlackBerry Bold 9000. These days it's become more difficult to choose, however.
Not long ago a phone was just a phone. It made calls and could do SMS messages. Cameras became standard fare.
But the migration to smartphones has changed everything. Whereas people used to deliberate endlessly over which laptop to buy, now the choice of which cellphone to get when a contract expires has become the difficult issue.
Tried and tested choices like Nokia are not so clear-cut any more. The Finnish company has had a bad run-in terms of its smartphone models, but is set to change all that with new devices like the N8. It will run the new Symbian^3 operating system that breathes new life into the ageing platform Nokia has championed for years.
There's also MeeGo - a new platform developed by Nokia in partnership with processor manufacturer Intel that we will see on the market soon, and may well be worth the wait if you're shopping for a new phone.
Another option that might be worth holding out for is the Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft that will become available later this year. Microsoft has pulled out all the stops, and Phone 7 will have built-in support for Microsoft's gaming and content network Xbox Live, a system of live widgets designed to keep you up to date with all your communications from the phone's dashboard and a slew of other new features.
Microsoft has fallen behind in the mobile race, but Windows Phone 7 looks set to boost it back into the game.
Another company that has lost some ground is Samsung, but the Korean company also has new devices and an operating system called Bada that it hopes will bolster its position in the smartphone market. The Samsung Wave runs the new Bada system and is a beautiful, polished smartphone that will win many fans thanks to its powerful features - including the ability to shoot high definition video - and budget price.
Samsung's Galaxy S has also just hit the market, running Google's Android operating system and doing an arguably better job of doing so than its competitors.
Samsung's Android device is squarely pitted against Taiwanese manufacturer HTC that leads the Android-based smartphone market with models like the Desire. This is similar to the Google Nexus One sold in other markets outside SA, and is one of the best phones currently on the market.
You also can't discount Sony Ericsson which has made great progress with Android on its X10 and X10 Mini phones. These will soon be updated to the latest version of Android and are great devices with quality touch screens and a neat user interface system built on top of the Android base.
Of course, other options include the two brands that seem to get most of the media attention - iPhone and BlackBerry. The Apple device is now in its fourth incarnation and the iPhone 4 is expected to be available in SA in September.
Whereas it was only available from the Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD] before, it seems certain that the MTN Group [JSE:MTN] will also start to supply the device.
One analyst recently described the mobile phone market as having "BlackBerry fever". The Canadian company has managed to snatch the lion's share of the smartphone market in the USA, with models like the powerful Bold 9700 and ultra-popular Curve 8520, which offers extreme value and can now be bought in SA for under R3 000.
Another part of BlackBerry's attraction is the connectivity service that allows for unlimited internet access to email, Twitter, Facebook and other services for a low, fixed monthly cost. BlackBerry Messenger is also part of the deal, which has been a big part of the brand's success in the consumer market.
With so many outstanding choices available, it's no surprise that consumers get confused. I don't have a definitive answer as to which is the obvious choice - it's become highly subjective and reliant on personal needs. What I can say, however, is that it's hard to go wrong with any of the options I've mentioned in this article.
- Fin24.com
It used to be an easy question. There was always one phone on the market that clearly outshone the others in terms of features and value, like the Nokia E71 when it launched, or the BlackBerry Bold 9000. These days it's become more difficult to choose, however.
Not long ago a phone was just a phone. It made calls and could do SMS messages. Cameras became standard fare.
But the migration to smartphones has changed everything. Whereas people used to deliberate endlessly over which laptop to buy, now the choice of which cellphone to get when a contract expires has become the difficult issue.
Tried and tested choices like Nokia are not so clear-cut any more. The Finnish company has had a bad run-in terms of its smartphone models, but is set to change all that with new devices like the N8. It will run the new Symbian^3 operating system that breathes new life into the ageing platform Nokia has championed for years.
There's also MeeGo - a new platform developed by Nokia in partnership with processor manufacturer Intel that we will see on the market soon, and may well be worth the wait if you're shopping for a new phone.
Another option that might be worth holding out for is the Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft that will become available later this year. Microsoft has pulled out all the stops, and Phone 7 will have built-in support for Microsoft's gaming and content network Xbox Live, a system of live widgets designed to keep you up to date with all your communications from the phone's dashboard and a slew of other new features.
Microsoft has fallen behind in the mobile race, but Windows Phone 7 looks set to boost it back into the game.
Another company that has lost some ground is Samsung, but the Korean company also has new devices and an operating system called Bada that it hopes will bolster its position in the smartphone market. The Samsung Wave runs the new Bada system and is a beautiful, polished smartphone that will win many fans thanks to its powerful features - including the ability to shoot high definition video - and budget price.
Samsung's Galaxy S has also just hit the market, running Google's Android operating system and doing an arguably better job of doing so than its competitors.
Samsung's Android device is squarely pitted against Taiwanese manufacturer HTC that leads the Android-based smartphone market with models like the Desire. This is similar to the Google Nexus One sold in other markets outside SA, and is one of the best phones currently on the market.
You also can't discount Sony Ericsson which has made great progress with Android on its X10 and X10 Mini phones. These will soon be updated to the latest version of Android and are great devices with quality touch screens and a neat user interface system built on top of the Android base.
Of course, other options include the two brands that seem to get most of the media attention - iPhone and BlackBerry. The Apple device is now in its fourth incarnation and the iPhone 4 is expected to be available in SA in September.
Whereas it was only available from the Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD] before, it seems certain that the MTN Group [JSE:MTN] will also start to supply the device.
One analyst recently described the mobile phone market as having "BlackBerry fever". The Canadian company has managed to snatch the lion's share of the smartphone market in the USA, with models like the powerful Bold 9700 and ultra-popular Curve 8520, which offers extreme value and can now be bought in SA for under R3 000.
Another part of BlackBerry's attraction is the connectivity service that allows for unlimited internet access to email, Twitter, Facebook and other services for a low, fixed monthly cost. BlackBerry Messenger is also part of the deal, which has been a big part of the brand's success in the consumer market.
With so many outstanding choices available, it's no surprise that consumers get confused. I don't have a definitive answer as to which is the obvious choice - it's become highly subjective and reliant on personal needs. What I can say, however, is that it's hard to go wrong with any of the options I've mentioned in this article.
- Fin24.com
