[enots27]

Hello all i have read lots of people saying that legacy bbos phones are not smartphones. Myself i say they are but i think it might be interesting to hear what other people think makes a smartphone a smartphone and weather or not you think bbos phones are smartphones.

I look forward to hearing all your thoughts.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Asmooh]

It should know what I want to do before I even know!

Other wise it's a 'I do whatever you want me to do'-phone

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone with 10.2.0.483 from Sweden. [2ABA2B4C]

[axeman1000]

Fart apps according to the imore masses!

Posted via CB10

[SlcCorrado]

It's pretty basic. Comprehensive Web browsing, email, etc. In other words, not limited to calls and texts. Legacy OS was definitely smartphone material. People are just being facetious

[amazinglygraceless]

What Makes a Smartphone Smart?

What Makes a Smartphone Smart?
We tackle the question: Just what is a smartphone, and why is it so smart?

From Liane Cassavoy, former About.com Guide

You probably hear the term "smartphone" tossed around a lot. But if you've ever wondered exactly what a smartphone is, well, you're not alone. How is a smartphone different than a cell phone, and what makes it so smart?

In a nutshell, a smartphone is a device that lets you make telephone calls, but also adds in features that, in the past, you would have found only on a personal digital assistant or a computer--such as the ability to send and receive e-mail and edit Office documents, for example.

But, to really understand what a smartphone is (and is not), we should start with a history lesson. In the beginning, there were cell phones and personal digital assistants (or PDAs). Cell phones were used for making calls--and not much else--while PDAs, like the Palm Pilot, were used as personal, portable organizers. A PDA could store your contact info and a to-do list, and could sync with your computer.

Eventually, PDAs gained wireless connectivity and were able to send and receive e-mail. Cell phones, meanwhile, gained messaging capabilities, too. PDAs then added cellular phone features, while cell phones added more PDA-like (and even computer-like) features. The result was the smartphone.

Key Smartphone Features

While there is no standard definition of the term "smartphone" across the industry, we thought it would be helpful to point out what we here at About.com define as a smartphone, and what we consider a cell phone. Here are the features we look at:

Operating System: In general, a smartphone will be based on an operating system that allows it to run applications. Apple's iPhone runs the iOS, and BlackBerry smartphones run the BlackBerry OS. Other devices run Google's Android OS, HP's webOS, and Microsoft's Windows Phone.

Apps: While almost all cell phones include some sort of software (even the most basic models these days include an address book or some sort of contact manager, for example), a smartphone will have the ability to do more. It may allow you to create and edit Microsoft Office documents--or at least view the files. It may allow you to download apps, such as personal and business finance managers, handy personal assistants, or, well, almost anything. Or it may allow you to edit photos, get ]driving directions via GPS, and create a playlist of digital tunes.

Web Access: More smartphones can access the Web at higher speeds, thanks to the growth of 4G and 3G data networks, as well as the addition of Wi-Fi support to many handsets. Still, while not all smartphones offer high-speed Web access, they all offer some sort of access. You can use your smartphone to browse your favorite sites.

QWERTY Keyboard: By our definition, a smartphone includes a QWERTY keyboard. This means that the keys are laid out in the same manner they would be on your computer keyboard--not in alphabetical order on top of a numeric keypad, where you have to tap the number 1 to enter an A, B, or C. The keyboard can be hardware (physical keys that you type on) or software (on a touch screen, like you'll find on the iPhone).

Messaging: All cell phones can send and receive text messages, but what sets a smartphone apart is its handling of e-mail. A smartphone can sync with your personal and, most likely, your professional e-mail account. Some smartphones can support multiple e-mail accounts. Others include access to the popular instant messaging services, like AOL's AIM and Yahoo! Messenger.

These are just some of the features that make a smartphone smart. The technology surrounding smartphones and cell phones is constantly changing, though. What constitutes a smartphone today may change by next week, next month, or next year. Stay tuned!

[monil11]

I think the term smartphone is really still evolving quite a bit. The best example I can give for this is Nokia Asha phones. They are not really considered smartphones by most but they have mail, internet browsing and apps. And those phone seem pretty basic in todays world because of their limiting hardware and OS.

Here is what I would call a smartphone. Something with a Modern operating system, which allows apps, enabling hardware which is constantly getting added functionality/value through apps. (I dont know why but buying a very cheap android phone would still be considered buying a smartphone but buying a relatively decent specced Nokia Asha would still not be considered as buying a smartphone)

[enots27]

I am glad you mentioned about cheap android phones. A friend just bought a galaxy y "smart phone".
It is definatly not very smart after installing facebook and recieving a few txt messages the memory is full. can that really be considered a smart phone.

I have to say there are more than a fair share of crappy useless android devices out there.


Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[DenverRalphy]

Good lord... this topic again?

It's very simple. Smartphones are any telephonic device that's also designed to be a general computing platform. Simply put, it's the result of progression from the specific purpose built embedded telephone devices (aka the general purpose cell phone) to telephone devices capable of performing general purpose computing functions.

The smartphone terminology debate occurs every 6 months or so from people who were late to adopting the use of smartphones, and feel a need to throw their own interpretations in. Along the same lines, it's the same people who insist that smartphones today should still be considered embedded devices, when for all practical purposes... they're not. They're general computing devices (just like a desktop PC or laptop) with a different method of interaction and input. They're computers with a telephone app (and of course the telephony hardware to accompany).

And then the debate complicates matters further. After the smartphone came into being... embedded smartphone manufacturers expanded their phone capabilities to produce the "feature phone" which was still an embedded device with features mimicking general computing capability. Hence the reason we now have Dumb Phones, Feature Phones, and Smart Phones.

[TgeekB]

Fart apps according to the imore masses!

Posted via CB10

Thanks for not adding anything constructive to the conversation.

[BlackBerry Guy]

As the hardware and software evolve and get better, what a smartphone is will change to fit ever increasing capabilities. It is at its core what was pointed out in AG's post.

Are legacy BBOS devices smartphones? Most definitely. But they are not high end smartphones. They lack front facing cameras, ample on board storage, and other features and specs that are considered almost standard and can be commonly found on BB10 and competition devices.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[monil11]

I guess when people said that legacy devices aren't really smartphones I kind of see their rationale. I do think that BB was one of the first devices to be recognized as a smartphone. But the problem here is that there is no clear definition of a 'smartphone' therefore some users on other platforms with their fancy touchscreen and oceans of apps felt legacy BB to be inferior without these options. Also using hardware that seemed obsolete in most smartphones such as trackpad and physical keyboard added to this believe that legacy BB devices werent smartphones. However in my book legacy BB definitely makes the cut but just barely to be honest.

[johnnyuk]

BBOS phones were Smartphones when compared to contemporaries of their time. Even today's BBOS phones are in the category of Smartphones with functionality far above Feature phones.

The problem BBOS phones have had recently is not being associated with the word Smartphone in the mind of the consumer. That misconception wasn't helped by RIM not referring to its own phones as Smartphones until recently, in the past they were always called 'BlackBerry Devices'.

RIM made a mistake (yes yet another one) in not catching on to the Smartphone buzz word for their consumer marketing quickly enough and still pay the price for that today. I've heard people say when looking at phones to buy "I don't want a BlackBerry, I want a Smartphone". That says it all.

Posted via CB10

[jegs2]

Hello all i have read lots of people saying that legacy bbos phones are not smartphones.

,,, and comments like that would be dead-wrong.