A Milestone in phone technology?
For the average person, the question of the last few years has been, Do I need a smartphone? After all, ten years ago, cellphones were just beginning to penetrate the market. I remember a friend of mine bought one and the first thing I said to her was "Why? Why not save the expense and just use a payphone?" Nowadays, of course, cellphones have become so ubiquitous that payphones have begun disappearing from sidewalks for lack of use. Will smartphones become the new cellphones?
I’ve recently been taking the Motorola Milestone, newly released in Canada on the Telus network, for a testdrive. At first, it was like a fun new toy. I immediately downloaded apps for various newspapers and began searching for my favourite podcasts.
Those first few days, I awkwardly stumbled around, but within a week I was able to get the hang of basic functions. The screen is beautiful – bright and crisp – something essential for reading on a small screen. One thing I continue to find frustrating is the sensitivity of the touchscreen. At times, I have to jab the screen to activate a link, and at other times, it reacts to my palm holding the side of the screen.
Attempting to go one better than the iPhone, the Milestone features a slideout keyboard. A great idea for those who have trouble with the touchscreen keyboard (which also pops up on the Milestone), but unfortunately, the keys are so small that I found it incredibly frustrating to type out even short sentences. Hopefully this will be improved in future versions.
So, after a few weeks of using the phone for web searching, reading The New York Times and enjoying easy access to old and newly found podcasts, I began to search for more. After all, I spend all day on a computer, so I don’t really need to be connected to the Internet in my free time, and, to be honest, I still prefer to read on good old fashioned paper. The easily accessible podcasts were nice, but it just saved me the step of downloading from my computer to my mp3 player, not something worth investing in a smartphone for.
Soon, I began to see how smartphones could easily become a necessity. While passing through Wilberforce, ON, during a weekend away, I noticed signs proclaiming it “The Geocaching Capital of Canada.” I had heard about geocaching once or twice before and always thought it sounded like fun. Geocaching involves using a GPS device to locate hidden containers, which typically contain a logbook and a take-away treasure (often a small token such as a button or pencil). With my loaner Motorola smartphone, I finally had a chance to try it out for myself.
About a week later, on a trip to the Toronto Zoo, my partner and I downloaded the Geobeagle application and tried to find our first geocache. Unfortunately, we hadn’t really studied up on how to do it properly and ended up getting a bit lost, but we’re convinced it will be a lot of fun once we figure out how to use the GPS locator properly.
Another feature I found incredibly useful on the Milestone is Yelp and other similar recommendation applications. Many times, I found myself out in the city and trying to find the best restaurant or coffee shop or event in the area. I loved how easy it was to whip out my phone and quickly find the perfect place.
So, while I’m not entirely sold on the necessity of owning my own smartphone, the Motorola Milestone is a good starter smartphone for someone looking for technology that can enhance their life on the go. One thing to be noted, though, is that you should always keep the charger close at hand. A full charge lasts me, at most, one day, of course depending on how much I use it. Battery-life aside, the Motorola Milestone is a great choice for enhancing your day-to-day life.
Do you own a smartphone? If so, how do you find it enhances your life? If not, will you be investing in one?
-- Anna Miller, MSN Tech & Gadgets
Comments
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Posted by: Nathan | Mar 17, 2010 2:47:03 AM
While I haven't noticed as many BlackBerrys in younger kids hands, I have noticed quite a few of the smart phones made by Motorola, Samsung, Apple, etc in their hands. Smart phones will definitely phase out regular cell phones.
Posted by: Barry Small | Dec 16, 2010 6:40:26 PM
I personaly would not like to see standard cell phones phased out. I have a very serious health problem that badly affects my memory. Having, or even trying to learn how to use a smart can be a major problem for me. Im also on a disabilaty pension, so the extra cost would make a hugh problem.