Awhile ago, I wrote about the differences between three different Smart Phones; the Treo, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Mobile devices. Over the last year, the capabilities of all of these devices has changed quite a bit, and I think it's worth revisiting to give a brief overview of the device capabilities, and outline the key differences for business users.
All of the devices below can sync email, calendar, and contacts wirelessly, and work very similarly for the most part. For anyone who doesn't have a particular brand preference or a need for very specific functionality, go with whatever phone you feel most comfortable using. If you're looking for a phone that works well with your car, many automobile manufacturers offer bluetooth integration. Some also offer more tightly integrated systems with specific phones, so it's good to keep this in mind. For example, BMW has additional integration with iPhones and certain Blackberry devices, while Ford offers the most integration with Windows mobile devices, such as the Motorola Q.
Blackberry: Blackberry currently has the highest share of smart phones, with recent sales of the Curve exceeding even the iPhone. Granted the Curve is less expensive, but that's also a selling point. Blackberry devices are really geared towards business users. They offer all of the email synchronization functionality you'd expect, and they're easy to use (and definitely the easiest to setup). Blackberry devices can also be remotely managed, and even erased, if a phone is lost or stolen.
When version 5 of the Blackberry OS is released later this year, wireless public folder synchronization of contacts will be available as well, a huge plus for many users. Many different styles and sizes of Blackberry devices are available on every major carrier, making it much easier to acquire for those not looking to change service providers.
Blackberry does have an app store, although not nearly as comprehensive as Apple's iPhone, and the phones require slightly higher monthly service fees, due to the Blackberry Enterprise Server licenses required.
iPhone: Since Apple introduced the 2.0 update last year, the iPhones have been able to use ActiveSync to sync email, contacts and calendars. ActiveSync is a Microsoft technology built into Exchange, making it a cost effective option for synchronization.
I've got to give Apple a lot of credit for the app store. RIM (makers of Blackberry) is certainly trying to play catch up, but they are far behind. The app store has opened up a world of possibilities for mobile phones to be used in other applications, especially portable video games.
The downside to the iPhone is that it is considerably more expensive than some of its counterparts, and it only works on AT&T's network as well. The iPhone has also had a number of issues over its life, including poor battery performance, overheating, etc., which is something that just seems to come with the territory of owning one of these devices. Apple has made continuous improvements to it though, and I expect it to continue to get better.
Palm: Palm released their new phone, the Pre, earlier this year. Like the iPhone, this phone uses ActiveSync to deliver email, contact and calendar to the device. Unlike the iPhone, this phone has both a touch screen, and a slide-out keyboard, which is something that many people may prefer.
The phone has not been available very long, making it difficult to give an overall opinion one way or another on it. The phone is only available with Sprint, and any other Treo still requires Good Mobile Messaging to sync, a relatively costly option.
Windows Mobile: Windows mobile phones also use ActiveSync, and can be found on a number of devices with a number of carriers.
This leads to the biggest problem with Windows Mobile, which is that the OS can be found on a number of devices. Different carriers have had very different results when it comes to implementing this platform, making it very hit and miss. The hardware and software of the other three devices above are controlled very tightly, ensuring a much more consistent end user experience. In my mind, if you like a Windows Mobile phone, you should get it. If not, there's no argument to be made for choosing this platform over the others, especially Blackberry and iPhone.
In the end, all of these devices have pros and cons to take into consideration, and all will work for basic email, contact and calendar syncronization. Which one you choose is really a matter of personal preference and the additional features, if any, you are looking for
