Should I Upgrade to a Smartphone?

Recently I was asked by a reader whether they should upgrade their old, regular phone to a smartphone. Good question. Let's look at the pros and cons of living smart.

First: What's a smartphone, anyway? There's no universal definition for what distinguishes a smartphone from a regular cell phone, but basically it comes down to data features. Any cell phone can make calls, but smartphones include PDA features like those found in Palm devices. Most smartphones can also browse the web, rendering pages to look just about the same way they look on your computer. Many people define a smartphone as a phone that you can use to check your email.

Regardless of the definition you prefer, a smartphone will always do more than make calls. How much more it does depends on the model of the phone.

So let's consider why you would want to upgrade:

PROS OF SMARTPHONES

• Do more, anywhere, anytime. You won't need to go back to your PC as much to check email, and you might be able to get away without taking a laptop with you on short trips.
• Portable web is extremely convenient. Want to check a movie showtime? You can do it the way you would at home by checking your favorite website (Yahoo! Movies, right?). Non-smart cell phones often have primitive features like this, but their text-only data displays are often hard to understand and navigate.
• Want speed? You got it. More smartphones are 3G-ready than their cell phone counterparts. That means your data requests will go far faster than you might be used to. With a good connection, 3G service can be almost as zippy as your home internet service.
• Keyboard! Nearly every smartphone includes a full QWERTY keyboard for typing on. Anyone who's had to text more than about 10 characters using a numeric keypad knows the pain I'm talking about.

Sounds good so far, but what's the bad news?

CONS OF SMARTPHONES

• Price. Many smartphones, like the Motorola Q, aren't much more expensive than a regular phone, but many are. Treos are ghastly expensive, and the Sidekick 3 isn't cheap, either. But you also will need to upgrade your cellular plan to include data service, which can run anywhere from $30 to $80 per month, depending on the carrier and the speed of the service. That's not cheap.
• Size. With the exception of the tiny Motorola Q, smartphones are considerably larger than the little handsets you might be used to. You'll want to hold one in your hands before you decide to purchase it to get a sense of the size and weight of the phone. At the same time, many users have trouble using the little keys to type on smartphones. Admittedly, thumb-typing takes a bit of practice to master.
• Complexity. Even making voice calls on a smartphone can be trickier than on a regular phone. If you aren't planning to use the "smart" features regularly, you may waste a lot of time trying to find your way around some frequently confusing menus, a huge problem with Windows Mobile devices like the Treo 700w.
• Obsession. You know how people call the BlackBerry the CrackBerry? That's because some users just can't put the things down, ever. Ready to hear a chime ring in your pocket every few minutes as new emails arrive? Will you be able to ignore this after hours? Do you want to ignore it? If you aren't obsessed with being connected 24/7, a smartphone in your pocket will soon make you so.

So you've got the facts, and alas it's not an easy decision. Weigh what's critical to you carefully, but more importantly, make sure you get some hands-on time with the phone of your choice before you pull the trigger. Those two-year contracts can be brutal.