The smartphone roundup:
Which is best for your business needs?

Are you interested in getting a new smartphone for your business needs, but feeling overwhelmed by the options?

With so many advocates screaming product benefits so loudly, it's difficult to get an accurate, balanced look at what each of the smartphones on the market have to offer.

We've taken a close look at three of the most popular smart phones.  We'll give you the pros and cons of each, so that you can make an informed choice (without all of the hype!). 

We'll be discussing Google's new smart phone, the Nexus One, BlackBerry's latest, the Storm 2, and Apple's iPhone 3GS

The Nexus One, from Google:

While BlackBerry and iPhone have been in the market for a few years now, the Nexus One is brand new, and seems to be receiving the most hype in recent weeks. 

Here's our balance of the pros and cons of the new Nexus One:

Pros:

• The Nexus One sports a sleek design, and one of the best-quality screens on the market.  It has to be seen to be believed!


• The Nexus One has an extremely quick processor - a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor.  Many reviewers have commented on the immense speed of the phone, citing it as one of the fastest on the market today.  Programs open quickly, and web scrolling is very responsive.


• A 5 megapixel built-in camera takes very impressive-quality photos, and can record up to 30 minutes of video.


• Google Voice: a free Google service that allows voicemail access via email, customized voicemail boxes based on callers, and transcription of voicemail into email format.

Cons:

• Many reviewers have commented on the keyboard, and it is easily the most-heard complaint for this phone.  Reviewers note that it's difficult to type on, and many wish for a physical keyboard.  It should be noted that there is an application released that altars the keyboard to be more "iPhone-like" in function, which many reviewers prefer.  It is called "Better Keyboard", and is available in the Android Marketplace.


• Business users may feel left out with the lack of Outlook syncing capabilities.


• If apps are your thing, you may be disappointed by the Android offerings of 20,000 apps, as opposed to Apple's more than 100,000.

iPhone 3GS:

The iPhone has become a well-regarded phone with consumers, however business-users have been slower to adopt it, concerned that iPhone's benefits are more oriented towards recreation than business.   We'll take a look at the pros and cons of the iPhone, as it relates to the business user. 

Pros:

• Easy-to-use interface makes using a smart phone a breeze (if you've resisted a smart phone for your business for this long, the iPhone can be a great way to get into the market). 


• The large screen and easy zooming capabilities make reading emails, documents and webpages much easier than on many other types of smart phones.


• Multimedia device: this is one of the big selling features for recreational users, but this also has a number of applications for business users.  Viewing news-based YouTube clips, or listening to audio podcasts is very easy with the iPhone.


• Apple offers over 100,000 apps in their app store.  Think apps are just for recreational users?  Think again, as you can get apps for reading your favorite newspapers or magazines, language applications if you have to go on a business trip and need a quick-reference guide to helpful phrases, and much more. 

Cons:

• iPhone does not have a physical keyboard.  While it does allow the keyboard to be used in portrait or landscape - allowing for flexibility that physical keyboards don't - many users prefer the tactile nature of physical keyboards.


• The iPhone does not offer the same level of security that the BlackBerry does at a business level.

BlackBerry Storm 2:

The BlackBerry Storm 1 was positioned to be a competitor for the iPhone, and left many users wishing for more.  Now that the BlackBerry Storm 2 has hit the market, BlackBerry fans are looking for the smart phone they were hoping for.

Pros:

• The new BlackBerry Storm boasts a much faster interface and processor, addressing one of the biggest concerns about the first generation of the Storm. 


• Redesigned look gives it a much sleeker first impression.


• Though the BlackBerry Storm 2 does not have a physical keyboard like its other BlackBerry cousins, it does offer "SurePress" technology, which takes the typing on screen concept a bit closer to a physical keyboard, with the need to press down on the screen to select a button.


• Storm 2 also features Wi-Fi capabilities, and larger memory than its predecessor.

Cons:

• The web browser is, by the accounts of almost all reviewers, not on a par with the Apple iPhone (though it has been improved from the first generation).


• Some BlackBerry users may miss the physical keyboard.