SmartPhone
A smartphone is
a full-featured mobile phone with personal computer like functionality.
Most smartphones are cellphones that support full
featured email capabilities with the functionality of a complete personal
organizer. An important feature of most smartphones is that applications for enhanced data processing and connectivity can be installed on the
device, in contrast to regular phones which support sandboxed applications.
These applications may be developed by the manufacturer of the device,
by the operator or by any other third-party software developer. "Smart" functionality
includes any additional interface including a miniature
QWERTY keyboard,
a touch screen, or even just secure access to company mail, such as is
provided by a BlackBerry.
Smartphones can be noted by several features which include, but are not
limited to, touchscreen, operating system, and tethered modem capabilities
on top of the default phone characteristics. Full-fledged email support
seems to be a characteristic key defining feature found in all existing
and announced smartphones as of 2007. Most smartphones also allow the
user to install extra software, even from third party sources, but
some phones vendors like to refer to their phones as "smartphones" even
without this feature.
Smartphone features tend to include Internet
access, e-mail access,
scheduling software, built-in camera, contact management, accelerometers
and some
navigation software as well as occasionally the ability to read business
documents in a variety of formats such as PDF and Microsoft Office.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone