Why I Really Like My Smartphone

When smartphones first came out a while back, I assured myself that I didn't need one. It was just a bunch of bells and whistles and most of the stuff people do on them (from my experience: games) was pretty much useless. Arriving in London two years ago, I bought the cheapest new phone I could get (approximately £25). It allowed me to call people and to text. Since I didn't do much of either, I was happy. Then as time went on, everyone started getting iPhones and similar phones and I started seeing a few things here and there that might be useful. So when I knew I was leaving England and that I'd need a new phone for New Zealand, I bit the bullet and bought the cheapest smart phone I could find, a Samsung Galaxy Y, for a shade less than £100. I must say, in my just over one month of using it, I am more than pleased.

Not even going into the different apps that I've started using (those will all be future posts), for roughly four times what I paid for my first UK phone, I've gotten way more than four times the return. Here is just a small snippet of what a smartphone offers:

1) Google Maps. By far the biggest reason I decided to get a smart phone. When living in a big (and new) city, it can be very easy to get lost. Not sure where you are or how to get to the nearest underground station? Turn on your map and not only will it give you a street layout, but it will also pinpoint your location as well as give you walking directions to wherever you choose. Already it has helped me immensely in both London and Auckland.

2) Web Browser. Need to look something up while on the go? Having a web browser on your phone makes that a lot easier. In the last few years, I've often wondered how we got things done before the Internet. In a few years I imagine the same thing will be said about the Internet on phones.

3) Email. Though I could access my email by web browser, my phone does one better and syncs my gmail account to my phone. So I get a little ding every time I get an email. Quite useful, really.

4) Camera. Yes, most people have digital cameras anyway, but this can save on pocket or bag space if you're in a pinch. Also, it is helpful if you see something that you want to remember but just don't have the time to make a memo (note: my phone also lets me make memos). Very useful, and I find the quality of the pictures to be alright.

5) mp3 Player. Also a space saver. Really, all you need in the way of devices is a smart phone. Works pretty much like any other mp3 player you have. My phone has a slot for a memory card of up to 32gb. My iPod only holds 4gb. Hmmmm. Also, my phone has an FM radio, though I know not all phones have this feature.

6) SatNav/GPS. Ever needed driving directions on the go? Smartphones can do that too. Similar to google maps, this has a slightly different interface and can show/tell you in real time which way to turn and when.



7) Apps. Yes, there are literally millions of these available. I'll go into a few that I use frequently in more detail at some point, but the point to be made here is that there are pretty much apps for everything.

8) Etc. There are a ton of little things that a smart phone can do as well, including: a voice recorder, a picture gallery, facebook and twitter updates, calculator, weather updates, news feeds, etc. Oh yeah, and you can call and text with it too.

If anyone out there is debating whether or not to get a smart phone, my ethusiastic response would be yes! But if you have a perfectly good phone, don't go out and upgrade for the sake of doing so. My old phone was not very good and it was really only useable in the UK (I bought a SIM-free phone), so it made sense for me. I'm glad I chose what I did though.