The Best Budget Smartphones
You can get a full-featured smartphone for $100 or less.
By Liane Cassavoy, About.com Guide
You don't have to break the bank to get a smartphone. You don't even have to break the bank to get an iPhone -- not anymore, anyway. Here's a list of smartphones that are all available for $100 or less. You'll find some of the most popular handsets available today on our list of the best budget smartphones.
Prices typically are set by the service providers, who offer discounts in order to get you to sign a service contract. It's usually worth it to sign the contract, as you'll need a voice and data plan to use the phone, anyway. Just make sure you read the fine print.
1. Apple iPhone 3GS: $99
No, the iPhone 3GS is not the latest and greatest iPhone. But, while it may not have all the features found on the Apple iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS remains one of the best smartphones on the market, hands down. Plus, it doesn't come with those pesky antenna problems that have plagued the iPhone 4 since its launch. And, with its price lowered to $99, the iPhone 3GS is one of the more affordable smartphones, too.
2. HTC Droid Incredible: $100
With a name like the Incredible, this smartphone has a lot to live up to. But the HTC Droid Incredible manages. Like the EVO 4G, it runs the latest version of the Android OS, and also offers a 3.7-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera. The Droid Incredible is available from Verizon Wireless.
3. BlackBerry Style: $100
The BlackBerry Style is not as high-style as its name would imply; it's actually more of an old-fashioned-looking phone. But that's not a bad thing. Even though it lacks a cutting-edge touch screen and a big, giant display, the Style's style makes it an eminently usable phone.
4. BlackBerry Curve 3G: $50 and up
RIM's BlackBerry Curve smartphones have long been among my favorite devices. They offer the excellent e-mail handling that BlackBerry phones are known for, but in a sleek, curved device that's appealing to consumers. And the BlackBerry Curve 3G offers all of that, plus 3G connectivity and an affordable price.
5. BlackBerry Tour 9630: Free - $49
There's a lot to like about the BlackBerry Tour 9630 smartphone. It has a gorgeous display, a sleek design, excellent e-mail handling, and offers voice and data service both inside the U.S. and outside the country. In fact, the BlackBerry Tour really has just one major flaw: a lack of Wi-Fi support.
6. Samsung Intercept: Free - $99
Most of today's new Android smartphones are all about being bigger and better than past models. That's fine, if you want a smartphone with all the bells and whistles -- and don't mind paying for it. But you do have another option in the Samsung Intercept. This full-featured Android smartphone may lack the flash found on some of its higher-profile rivals, but it's still a very capable device -- and one that comes at a very affordable price.
7. BlackBerry Bold 9650: $100
The original BlackBerry Bold impressed me when it debuted on AT&T's network a few years back. But not everyone likes AT&T's network. Not to worry: you can get the Bold 9650, a handsome, business-friendly
8. Palm Pre Plus: Free - $99
The Palm Pre Plus boast something that only one other phone on this list can offer: Palm's excellent webOS platform. The webOS software, also found on the Palm Pixi Plus, is fun to use (I love tossing apps off the screen to close them) and offers some impressive features, like true multi-tasking, so you can get more done.
9. T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide: $50
The T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide is an excellent update to its older sibling, the myTouch 3G. It features a similar attractive design, but adds a full QWERTY keyboard for easier typing and sports a bigger display; its screen measures 3.4 inches, while the original myTouch 3G features a 3.2-inch screen.
10. BlackBerry Curve 8500 Series: Free - $50
The BlackBerry Curve 8500 series of phones is available from all four of the big cellular carriers: Verizon and Sprint offer the Curve 8530, while T-Mobile and AT&T offer the Curve 8520. Both devicesa top-notch BlackBerry smartphones that won't break the bank. And you still get top-notch messaging and access to BlackBerry App World, where you can find plenty of apps to download.
11. LG Ally: Free - $49
LG's first Android-based phone for the U.S. market succeeds on many levels: it ships with the latest version of Android, it features a nice slide-out keyboard, and it sports an attractive price. Android purists also will like the fact that LG does not add its own user interface or overlay on top of the mobile operating system.
12. Nokia E73 Mode: Free - $49
The Nokia E73 Mode is a slim, sleek, messaging-friendly phone from T-Mobile. It offers a comfortable QWERTY keyboard for typing, plus a decently-sized 2.4-inch screen for composing and viewing messages. The Symbian-based phone lets you switch between two home screens, one for work and one for home. And it comes with free access to Nokia's Ovi Maps app for turn-by-turn navigation.
MY THOUGHTS
have you taken your pick? a $49 smartphone!!!unfortunately, even if you ask someone to buy the cell phone for you, probably will not work here. not sure though. better check. someone sent me a motorolla cellphone years ago. i had to send it back. something about compatibility. but who knows? that was years ago. it might work now.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
On Cell Phones and Gadgets: Wireless Mouse Works your Shoes to a Polish
November 6, 2010 | By Roman Cruz - Source : Tom's Guide US
Wireless Mouse Works your Shoes to a Polish
We've seen gadgets that look like everyday objects. But flip the equation around, and the most you'll get is a pillow shaped like a NES controller. Not this baby. It looks like a mouse, feels like a mouse, and even clicks like a mouse. However, the one thing it won't do is move your cursor.
This unique concept comes to us from Denis of FrameDesign. It's not meant to skim on your mousepad, but on your loafers. Yes, it's a shoe buffer. What's funny is that the middle mouse button actually works. Instead of opening a new tab on your browser, it spritzes oil, cleaning fluid or what have you onto your shoe, so you can get a perfect mirror shine.
MY THOUGHTS
very creative. i can't understand why but still very interesting. i'm sure kids will now want to shine shoes. not just their shoes but shoes of the family. a great gift,too, for dad. especially if he's a computer techy.
Wireless Mouse Works your Shoes to a Polish
We've seen gadgets that look like everyday objects. But flip the equation around, and the most you'll get is a pillow shaped like a NES controller. Not this baby. It looks like a mouse, feels like a mouse, and even clicks like a mouse. However, the one thing it won't do is move your cursor.
This unique concept comes to us from Denis of FrameDesign. It's not meant to skim on your mousepad, but on your loafers. Yes, it's a shoe buffer. What's funny is that the middle mouse button actually works. Instead of opening a new tab on your browser, it spritzes oil, cleaning fluid or what have you onto your shoe, so you can get a perfect mirror shine.
MY THOUGHTS
very creative. i can't understand why but still very interesting. i'm sure kids will now want to shine shoes. not just their shoes but shoes of the family. a great gift,too, for dad. especially if he's a computer techy.
iPad iOS Update: Will It Be Enough To Keep App Developers?
iPad iOS Update: Will It Be Enough To Keep App Developers?
By Erik Sherman | November 5, 2010
http://www.bnet.com/blog/technology-business/ipad-ios-update-will-it-be-enough-to-keep-app-developers/6587?tag=mantle_skin;content
Apple (AAPL) has an iOS update due by November 7th — good news for those experiencing a reported alarm bug and salt in the wound for those suing Apple over iOS 4 over terrible performance on earlier iPhones and even reports of the software turning those devices into bricks.
Another group anxious for the update are iPad owners. Such features as multitasking, folders, improved email, and better enterprise features will go well with the tablet and let it catch up to what the non-bricked handsets can do. Presumably developers are also looking forward to additional capabilities for the apps they want to sell (or even give away).
However, some new research suggests that for Apple’s world domination plans, the updates had better tickle the fancy of those developers, because it seems that as many planning new apps for the iPad are readying software for Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Phone 7, and even more have Google (GOOG) Android on the brain. More on this — after a quick look at an early review of iOS 4.2 from Today’s iPhone:
The study was done by mobile ad network Millennial Media, and usually that’s a negative because it so often means a self-selecting sample, which reduces the value of the information. However, in this case, Millennial worked with tech analyst site Digiday and a Stifel Nicolaus analyst.
All three talked to developers, advertisers, and publishers. Without more details on the study’s methodology, you still need the salt shaker handy, and people talked about what they were planning, not what they were actually doing. Such a survey has the additional flaw that people often think that they will do one thing when they end up somewhere else. But it’s interesting and at least worth considering:
It’s no surprise to learn that Android may see the biggest growth next year, but it’s nice to have actual numbers from developers. 29 percent of developers said they would bring new apps to Android next year, while Windows Phone 7 and the iPad tied, drawing 20 percent of developer interest each.
The surprise is not Android’s strength — the platform continues to take the lead from Apple — but that Microsoft’s new mobile platform is gaining at least as much attention as the iPad, which already has a growing reputation as a major market force.
And that’s a problem for Apple. CEO Steve Jobs has repeatedly pointed to the depth of apps available on the iOS platform, so clearly third-party software is a big sales feature. Apple tried to discourage multi-platform development in hopes of keeping focus on its own products, but had to drop that attempt to avoid more regulatory heat.
Even though it has pushed these new categories — consumer tablets and multi-touch smartphones – the early mover advantage now seems to be over. So Apple will need to find other ways to push its mobile primacy, and as other platforms hit that devilish “good enough” point, we may actually see the market become even more diverse, rather than less.
The good news for Apple and bad news for HP (HPQ)? Only 4 percent of developers have plans for the webOS platform, which is even less than for Symbian. HP’s acquisition of Palm may come to naught, at least on the handset front.
MY THOUGHTS
so hard to catch up with technology. but it's also nice to have the world practically at our fingertips.
By Erik Sherman | November 5, 2010
http://www.bnet.com/blog/technology-business/ipad-ios-update-will-it-be-enough-to-keep-app-developers/6587?tag=mantle_skin;content
Apple (AAPL) has an iOS update due by November 7th — good news for those experiencing a reported alarm bug and salt in the wound for those suing Apple over iOS 4 over terrible performance on earlier iPhones and even reports of the software turning those devices into bricks.
Another group anxious for the update are iPad owners. Such features as multitasking, folders, improved email, and better enterprise features will go well with the tablet and let it catch up to what the non-bricked handsets can do. Presumably developers are also looking forward to additional capabilities for the apps they want to sell (or even give away).
However, some new research suggests that for Apple’s world domination plans, the updates had better tickle the fancy of those developers, because it seems that as many planning new apps for the iPad are readying software for Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Phone 7, and even more have Google (GOOG) Android on the brain. More on this — after a quick look at an early review of iOS 4.2 from Today’s iPhone:
The study was done by mobile ad network Millennial Media, and usually that’s a negative because it so often means a self-selecting sample, which reduces the value of the information. However, in this case, Millennial worked with tech analyst site Digiday and a Stifel Nicolaus analyst.
All three talked to developers, advertisers, and publishers. Without more details on the study’s methodology, you still need the salt shaker handy, and people talked about what they were planning, not what they were actually doing. Such a survey has the additional flaw that people often think that they will do one thing when they end up somewhere else. But it’s interesting and at least worth considering:
It’s no surprise to learn that Android may see the biggest growth next year, but it’s nice to have actual numbers from developers. 29 percent of developers said they would bring new apps to Android next year, while Windows Phone 7 and the iPad tied, drawing 20 percent of developer interest each.
The surprise is not Android’s strength — the platform continues to take the lead from Apple — but that Microsoft’s new mobile platform is gaining at least as much attention as the iPad, which already has a growing reputation as a major market force.
And that’s a problem for Apple. CEO Steve Jobs has repeatedly pointed to the depth of apps available on the iOS platform, so clearly third-party software is a big sales feature. Apple tried to discourage multi-platform development in hopes of keeping focus on its own products, but had to drop that attempt to avoid more regulatory heat.
Even though it has pushed these new categories — consumer tablets and multi-touch smartphones – the early mover advantage now seems to be over. So Apple will need to find other ways to push its mobile primacy, and as other platforms hit that devilish “good enough” point, we may actually see the market become even more diverse, rather than less.
The good news for Apple and bad news for HP (HPQ)? Only 4 percent of developers have plans for the webOS platform, which is even less than for Symbian. HP’s acquisition of Palm may come to naught, at least on the handset front.
MY THOUGHTS
so hard to catch up with technology. but it's also nice to have the world practically at our fingertips.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Are Smartphones Cell Phones? What makes these cell phones smart?
,What Makes a Smartphone Smart?
We tackle the question: Just what is a smartphone, and why is it so smart?
By Liane Cassavoy, 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 you might find 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 productivity applications. BlackBerry smartphones run the BlackBerry OS, while other devices run the Palm OS or Windows Mobile. There are smartphone OSes that are pared-down versions of desktop Linux, too.
Software: 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 applications, such as personal and business finance managers. 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 3G data networks and 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, sometimes, 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. But right now, they're the features we use when deciding whether a phone is a smartphone or a cell phone. 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!
MY THOUGHTS
sometimes the cell phones get so smart i feel"unsmart". how many cell phones have i given up because i can't seem to make it work. i didn't even know that some cell phones have Qwerty keyboards. or at least i didn'tknow that's what they call those computer-like keyboards.
We tackle the question: Just what is a smartphone, and why is it so smart?
By Liane Cassavoy, 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 you might find 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 productivity applications. BlackBerry smartphones run the BlackBerry OS, while other devices run the Palm OS or Windows Mobile. There are smartphone OSes that are pared-down versions of desktop Linux, too.
Software: 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 applications, such as personal and business finance managers. 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 3G data networks and 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, sometimes, 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. But right now, they're the features we use when deciding whether a phone is a smartphone or a cell phone. 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!
MY THOUGHTS
sometimes the cell phones get so smart i feel"unsmart". how many cell phones have i given up because i can't seem to make it work. i didn't even know that some cell phones have Qwerty keyboards. or at least i didn'tknow that's what they call those computer-like keyboards.
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