Are you like a lot of people that feel left behind in the fast paced techno savvy world? Devices come and go so fast, technologies get replaced so quickly. Sometimes it feels that the devices you buy today will be obsolete in a year or so.

Without exaggeration, new and improved generations of the gadgets you buy today seem to pop up every two years, a lot of people feel so obligated to upgrade or buy the newer ones, only to find that after some time they will have to buy even newer versions.

This is applicable not only to phones but also to other hardware and software. Now one such new device that has gained popularity is the smartphone. But what exactly is a smartphone anyway?

Smartphones are the new catch word in the mobile phone industry. The trend of course is to combine so many devices or functionalities in one smart package. But not all phones that have cameras and mp3 playing capabilities can be called a smartphone. Perhaps the two most popular smartphones are the Apple iPhone and the Blackberry Storm.

If you are like me five years ago, you probably have already seen these phones and wondered what the heck made them so special or “smart” in the first place. There are things you will notice in most smart phones. Of course the first thing is that they are phones which can make calls and text messages. The second most noticeable and standard addition is the camera. But the essence of these smartphones is the new improved operating systems that are based on systems designed specifically for handy phones.

These phones connect through 3G connections. The most important factor in smartphones is that they can function like the usual personal computer or laptop. You can watch videos, browse the internet, check and send email, type documents (preferable short ones since you won’t be able to type fast enough as compared to the garden variety smart notebook laptops).

Many smartphones contain windows as an operating system. This means that you won’t feel totally confused or lost because of your familiarity with the look, feel, and style of the operating system. Smartphones abound in the market today. So many new features and upgrads in every new model are produced regularly.

The mobile phone industry has experienced a significant boost because of this constant need of upgrades and tweaking whether it be in the processors, or the amount of memory, in the size and quality of the screen, in the operating system, or in the interface architecture.

What Is a Smartphone? is a post from: New and Used Smartphones For Sale