[TheComebackKidd]

The question is simple...

Should the iPhone be considered a "smart" phone if it can only perform singular actions the way regular phones do (features and apps aside)?

The question just dawned on me when reading about a new Pre-like iPhone skin and in the caption made reference to still not being able to multitask...

Here's the link to the engadget article

Palm Prefection iPhone theme lets you have the best of both worlds, kinda

I'm not an iPhone hater, although I do not agree with the iPhone being used as the De Facto basis for comparing touchscreen smart phones (which seems to be the case on Crackberry anyway), I'm just curious what people think.

[Kazakaz]

I would still consider it a smartphone. Although it doesn't multitask (the old Palm OS wasn't really a multitasking device either,) its use of email, web, and calendaring, puts it in that category. Not to mention the $30 data plan.

[just txt and calls mam]

I think it depends on your interpritation of a smart phone

some may say the storm is a smart phone by label, but having to battery pull, stick coins between the battery and lid to push up the click screen to get it working, having to have continual updates to try and get the thing working and having multiple returns cannot be considered smart surely?

if your definition is a phone that seems to do almost everything you need then most phones would be a smart phone these days iphone or not

the iphone , i'm afraid you can't apps aside because I feel that is the key issue with the iphone as the push email is with the bb

I feel the iphone is a smart phone with one of the most user friendly interfaces on the market.. from a business point of view..that's smart

[TheComebackKidd]

I think it depends on your interpritation of a smart phone

some may say the storm is a smart phone by label, but having to battery pull, stick coins between the battery and lid to push up the click screen to get it working, having to have continual updates to try and get the thing working and having multiple returns cannot be considered smart surely?

if your definition is a phone that seems to do almost everything you need then most phones would be a smart phone these days iphone or not

the iphone , i'm afraid you can't apps aside because I feel that is the key issue with the iphone as the push email is with the bb

I feel the iphone is a smart phone with one of the most user friendly interfaces on the market.. from a business point of view..that's smart

Ok I can see where you're coming from, although I have a couple of issues:

Battery pulls are not Storm specific. That is a possibility with any phone that has a removeable battery. Frequency of doing so is also not the same for everyone. I would not take this into consideration about smart phones (or the Storm as a smartphone) because it is not relevant to smartphones only.

As far as the screen clicking is concerned, again, that's not the case for everyone. One may not NEED to put anything there but may choose to do so.

And updates? Really? Have you ever used another smartphone that DIDN'T have updates?

All of that said, I'm not trying to compare phones here, I'm speaking specifically about the iPhone. I couldn't care less someones personal opinion of the iPhone vs the Storm.

What I'm looking for is an unbiased discussion of the question asked. The Storm is not the only phone that multitasks so it is unfair to use the Storm as the only example as so many other phones exist on the market that multitask as well.

[sniffs]

The iPhone multi-tasks out of the box.. always has.

It's just that it's not accessible to the end user. The apps that do it are the Apple apps on the device. Mail, Messages, Safari, iPod, those can all run in the background.

It's specific to 3rd party apps that CANT run in the background.

[xxfire]

And look for the new OS...

[TheComebackKidd]

The iPhone multi-tasks out of the box.. always has.

It's just that it's not accessible to the end user. The apps that do it are the Apple apps on the device. Mail, Messages, Safari, iPod, those can all run in the background.

It's specific to 3rd party apps that CANT run in the background.

Which means it doesn't truely multi-task. Blackberries would be the same if 3rd party apps could not run in the background.

[mapimages]

I can take the iphone on a 3 day work or family trip and not need any other device, including laptop.

That makes it a smartphone to me

[newyork_1]

Of course it should still be considered a smartphone. You can get your email, check your calendar, browse the web, sync with your computer.

[dukes011]

I can take the iphone on a 3 day work or family trip and not need any other device, including laptop.

That makes it a smartphone to me

I agree very much so.

[scorpiodsu]

The question is simple...

Should the iPhone be considered a "smart" phone if it can only perform singular actions the way regular phones do (features and apps aside)?

The question just dawned on me when reading about a new Pre-like iPhone skin and in the caption made reference to still not being able to multitask...

Here's the link to the engadget article

Palm Prefection iPhone theme lets you have the best of both worlds, kinda

I'm not an iPhone hater, although I do not agree with the iPhone being used as the De Facto basis for comparing touchscreen smart phones (which seems to be the case on Crackberry anyway), I'm just curious what people think.

It depends on if you consider the criteria to be a smartphone is that it MUST multitask. Forget all the organization of calendars, emails, notes, tasks and information like stocks and stuff. It must multitask to be a smartphone. Pardon the sarcasm.

[armedtank]

The only thing the iPhone doesn't do is run 3rd party apps in the background, it multitasks native apps just fine. Other than that, it does everything else any other smartphone does. I'm a BB fan, owned them for years, own 2 right now, but no multitask seems to be the only argument you hear in this place. Sad really.......

[cobra302]

I can take the iphone on a 3 day work or family trip and not need any other device, including laptop.

That makes it a smartphone to me

that pretty much sums it up! very nice

[Bettermost]

How many "smart phones" multi task except the Pre?

[sniffs]

How many "smart phones" multi task except the Pre?

Every single one of the Windows Mobile devices, as well as all newer Blackberrys.

[Bettermost]

Every single one of the Windows Mobile devices, as well as all newer Blackberrys.

My Storm can barley make a phone call let alone multi task.