Can’t decide which mobile device is right for you?  iPhone 3G/4, HTC EVO/Incredible, Blackberry Tour/Curve?  There are just a whole bunch of new super capable mobile devices that are on the market now; so which one is right for you?  Here are some things to think about when deciding:

What are you going to use it for?  Traditionally, a mobile device was called a cell phone and was used only for making voice calls.  The majority of people still use their mobile device primarily for voice calls, so do they need all the other bells and whistles?  If you are primarily looking for a phone like this, you should look for one with the best reception, long battery life and of course good voice quality.  These phones are not getting a lot of press but don’t waste your money on an iPhone if all you want it for is voice.


The second most used function for a mobile device now days is for text messaging.  The younger generation uses text messaging almost exclusively instead of using voice calls.  If texting is what you use your mobile device for, a device with a real tactile keyboard (not a virtual keyboard) is preferred.  Texting does not use as much battery power nor does the user have to be concerned with voice quality.


The third most used function on a mobile device is e-mail, calendar and contacts.  This is the primary used by people for business purposes.  Tying into e-mail, calendar and contact servers is important and should be as seamless as possible.  In the past, the Blackberry mobile devices and servers were the king of this domain.  However, other systems using Microsoft’s Active Sync and Google Apps have gained substantial market share.  If you receive and send many e-mails, then a tactile keyboard is again preferred.  If you are only reading e-mails remotely, then a virtual keyboard may be sufficient.


The fourth most used function and probably the one that has received the most attention is the applications (apps) feature.  The leader is the Apple Apps Store with over a 100,000 apps to choose from.  Following in Apples’ footsteps, Blackberry and Android are playing catch up.  Android claims to have about 30,000 apps while Blackberry (Blackberry App World) trails with less the 10,000 apps.  All have paid and free apps with the most popular apps being available on all platforms.
             
So is there a clear winner?  At this point, if you are looking for a mobile device that does all of the above, the iPhone is probably the most capable of all mobile devices.  It’s easy to learn and use, has the most apps and support.  The iPhone downside, in my humble opinion is there is only one manufacturer and one network that it runs on. So it's the most expensive.   Blackberry can be used on a number of carriers but they are only manufactured by one company (RIM).  Android mobile devices are made by multiple manufacturers and are available from all carriers.  I don’t think there is a clear long term winner at this point because the battle will continue for a least a few more years.  I believe that the Android mobile devices have the most potential but Apple is not going roll over without a big fight.

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