Today you can choose between several different Blackberry models, Nokia, HTC and Samsung to name a few.  Not forgetting the latest Apple iPhone 4.  But what does a Smartphone allow you to do over a plain old mobile phone, and what should you be looking out for when making your choice?

A Smartphone allows you to do much more than simply send and receive phone calls and text messages.  It is rather like having a mini computer in your pocket.  Whether you need a phone for business or personal use smartphones offer advanced functionality including internet services and can run software programs known as Apps.

For the busy business person who is always on call and available 24/7, the Smartphone has become an essential ever handy tool that gives you email on the move, to view files such as spreadsheets, presentations and PDF files; while for the personal user it allows you to stream films, store and play music files; and with the growth of free or cheap Apps business and personal users can find a use for Apps covering the London Underground Tube Map, train timetables and keeping up to date with the latest news from around the world.

There’s no doubt that the introduction of the Apple iPhone was as responsible for the growth in smartphones for personal use as the Blackberry was for business users.  But now, more so than before it seems there is less of a distinction between which market smartphones are aimed at, as companies  look to grow in a busy marketplace.  But one of the most important things to consider when choosing a Smartphone is which platform or operating system it uses.

There are six operating systems to choose from for UK mobile phones.  You need to consider not only how good is the platform and how efficient it runs, but how popular it is among software developers who will migrate to new operating systems if there is a market to do so.

Android OS
Android OS is Google’s Operating System, and not surprisingly comes with an excellent web browser as well as integrating online tools effectively.

The Android software is regularly updated and as it becomes more popular is becoming a serious alternative to the iPhone OS as far as software developers are concerned.  The Android OS is ‘open source’ which gives developers free range over application building, unlike the restrictive practises of Apple Apps.  The Android platform can handle a vast array of different programs, including some comprehensive media bundles.

Windows Phone OS
No prizes for guessing the Windows Phone Operating System is owned by Microsoft.  In the past it has been called Windows Mobile & WinMo.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is designed to mirror the desktop version of Windows in both design and functionality. As you’d expect, it is simple to sync your mobile Smartphone to your PC computer and share contacts and emails with the Exchange server.  Microsoft Office programs and the Windows Media player also come as part of the Windows Phone OS.

The Microsoft application store is aptly named Windows Marketplace where users can update and download an assortment of application software.  Microsoft has strict control over which Apps are available in the Windows Marketplace.

iPhone OS
The iPhone Operating System was developed by Apple for their own Smartphone.  The iPhone has taken the world by storm and as a late entry into the Smartphone arena, has been able to capitalise on incorporating the best of previous mobile phone technology. The iPhone range has regular software updates; and though Apple has a strict control over licensing Apps it is by far the most popular operating system for developers.  The result is the Apple App Store is currently blessed with the largest selection of Apps of all operating systems.

Blackberry OS
The BlackBerry Operating System has been developed by mobile phone manufacturer Research in Motion for its own BlackBerry Smartphones. The original bias of the Blackberry was towards business users with its stylish looks and excellent office applications, internet and email functionality.

The email management software allows you to simply sync your phone with your PC with the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software. Blackberry’s work well with business Apps such as Microsoft Office and the BlackBerry App World has a wide range of applications. Some models now come with a touch screen which has coincided with a growth in personal user popularity.

Symbian OS
The Symbian Operating System is Nokia’s own software, though it is used by other mobile phone manufacturers, too. The Symbian user interface is regularly updated and improved, making it a very easy system to navigate.

A number of different email servers are supported from Microsoft Exchange to BlackBerry Enterprise which makes using the Symbian operation system easy to use when syncing your mobile phone to your desktop email client.  Like Android, Symbian OS is open source making it easier for developers to create and share applications.  Nokia’s own App Store is called the Ovi Store but there are also other websites that offer Apps for the Symbian OS.

Bada OS
The Bada Operating System is owned by Samsung who are promoting their Smartphone range to all users.  Samsung are a relatively late-comer to the Smartphone party but appear to be gaining ground with their latest range of Smartphone models.  Applications and Apps for the Bada OS can be downloaded from the Samsung Apps store.

So, if you are looking for a Smartphone we recommend three steps:

1.    Make a prioritised list of the functionality you are looking for and whether it is for business, personal use or both
2.   Find out which operating system it uses
3.    Look online & in magazines at independent reviews

Do all three steps before you enter a shop or call a mobile phone company to find out about the best mobile phone deals.

They can certainly target the younger market in some confidence. The vast percentage of those who embrace new technology tend to come from the younger age range, but there is also a vast market of older users who may have different needs.

They may not be interested that the latest phone can download music, run an app to tell them how to bake a goat’s cheese and lemon terrine or that they can now access the Internet while they are pruning their hedges at the bottom of the garden.

Many of these users, as strange as it may seem to many of the younger folk, would just like a mobile phone that is simple, easy to understand and performs the seemingly forgotten art of actually calling someone to speak to them. Fortunately, this is where a website like www.phones4u.co.uk is so beneficial.

This autumn, many new students will be heading into colleges and universities across the UK. Parents can give them a head start by taking a look at the fantastic ‘student saviour’ deals on offer on the website at present. These are the best mobile phone contract/laptop package deals and the value to be had is truly astonishing.

Take the popular Samsung Tocco Lite, a fantastic little mobile phone using touch screen technology. For just £30 a month with 02, you receive this great little handset on a 24-month contract but for that you get unlimited texts over the two-year period (which will be invaluable when little Jonny forgets the power of speech while at University and decides to communicate only via SMS!), 600 talk time minutes a month (which will no doubt keep him from running up a huge phone bill ordering Chinese takeaway).

A great deal, but it gets even better when you learn that he will also get completely free a fantastic Dell Inspiron 11Z laptop on which to do his vital University work, or more likely, spend the day on YouTube watching videos of skateboarders fall clumsily to the ground.

If you are a techno-lover then you will no doubt want the latest technology and Phones4u once again delivers. They offer the full range of fantastic new smartphone packages, including the superb new Samsung Wave S8500 and the astonishing Samsung Galaxy S.

They also offer a comprehensive range of Blackberry handsets, the stylish new offerings from the likes of HTC, Nokia, LG, Sony Ericsson and of course Apple.

Yes, fans of the iPhone 4 will be understandably feverish with the news that Phones4u have some of the best deals available on this latest Steve Jobs creation.

For instance, the stylish Apple iPhone 4 16GB is available under contract from Vodafone for 24 months. For that you receive 1GB a month mobile Internet browsing and 900 free minutes and 3000 texts messages a month.

All for just £40 a month and a one off initial payment of just £89. Alternatively, if you are going to be using your brand new iPhone 4 online a great deal, you could opt for Orange’s similar deal, which is exactly the same price, £89 initially and £40 a month, with the same number of texts and minutes free each month, but which comes with unlimited browsing and WiFi included!

If you aren’t an Apple fan, then don’t worry. There are still plenty of great contract phones on offer to you, at a vast range of prices and on a suitable tariff to match your budget. Many also come with a fantastic free gift to sweeten the deal further.

This gift is often delivered the same day as your phone, no needlessly sorting vouchers, having to send them off to some obscure address in the remote Orkneys and then waiting three months for delivery with Phones4u! If you order a phone with a free gift then, pending satisfactory credit checks, they should be with you the next day!

For instance, let’s imagine that a customer wants the stylish Blackberry Curve 8520. Once they have logged in, checked the specifications of the phone and read the all-important customer reviews of the phone on the site, they then decide that they want to order the phone.

The choices available to the customer are frankly astonishing. If he wants a cheaper monthly package, he can take the 18-month 02 woo contract, which offers a quality phone free of charge, for just £20 a month. Plus the customer would receive 100 call time minutes and 3000 texts free each month!

However, if the customer wants a little more then they will surely be delighted to find that they receive a lot more for their money! If they opt for the Blackberry Curve 8520 on the Vodafone Blackberry your plan Text £30 contract, for his £30 a month he would get 300 minutes of talk time and 3000 text messages. A great deal, but one made even better when you consider he would get delivered, free of charge usually within 24 hours, a brand new slimline 120GB Playstation 3!

A quick browse of the offers for your choice of phone will highlight the myriad of free gifts, from games consoles, televisions to laptops, cashback and iPods, all of which are offered alongside some of the best deals available anywhere in the UK.

Pay as you go customers are not left behind either. Whether you don’t want to be tied down to a monthly contract and want a stylish, modern feature-laden phone, such as the new Samsung Monte or Sony Ericsson W995, then they are available on fantastic, affordable pay as you go deals.

At the other end of the scale, if you just want an emergency back-up phone to keep in the car, or a phone so simple even your mildly eccentric granny could use it, then you can spend the princely sum of £2.95 to get a rather elegant Nokia 1661 – when you buy £10 airtime with Virgin to credit the account with.

With mobile broadband deals, laptop packages, special offers by the dozen, phone reviews and all the latest mobile technology news, the Phones4u website isn’t just about buying phones, but enhancing your life with them. Best of all, that applies if you are a techno-wizard who wants the most expensive gadget and gizmo money can buy, or whether you are of a more venerable age and want the simplest of phones to contact your family.

The name says Phones4u, but really they have phones, gifts, features and advice that is perfect for everybody.

HTC Tattoo

Phones4u are recognised as one of the most reliable, trusted, and successful mobile phone specialists in the UK.

They are an experienced team of experts in mobile phones, as well as in other product areas such as laptops, mobile broadband and accessories. That means that whatever type of mobile phone deal you’re after, Phones4u will find a deal tailored perfectly to suit you, and they’ll do it right.

They consistently bring customers the hottest new promotions, and the latest money saving deals, like the revolutionary N97 white, which boasts the world’s first 12 megapixel camera phone.

This month, Phones4u are offering customers a particularly excellent deal, which features the all new HTC Tattoo phone. It’s affordable, extremely stylish and fashionable, and above all else it is packed full of the latest features. Recently gaining the nickname ‘mini Hero’, the HTC Tattoo is a handset that has a lot to offer, and it’s perfect for the cosmopolitan professionals or the stylish students, that are always on the move.

Whether you’re wanting to check on what your friends are doing via Facebook, read your latest emails, or just catch up on the latest celebrity gossip, then the HTC Tattoo is hard to beat. Its array of features begin with a superb 3.15 megapixel camera – perfect clarity for those nights out and special moments that simply need capturing. As well as this, the phone comes equipped with a Qualcomm 528MHz processor meaning you won’t experience annoying crashes or slow loading times.

Furthermore, the phone offers Wi-Fi Technology, so you’ll be able to use the Internet at home or in public to check on whatever it is you want! A digital compass is a nice addition, perfect for navigating yourself around the big cities, and MP3 ringtones will set you apart from the crowd.

Super-fast upload speeds means you can put all your favourites images up onto your Facebook page within seconds, and video sharing is a breeze. And what’s more, if you want to customise your phone, perhaps add some cool new features and gadgets, then the Android Marketplace houses thousands of widgets and apps to keep you entertained!

However, the very best thing about the HTC Tattoo is that Phones4u are giving it away absolutely free! On the Orange Dolphin network, you’ll pay just £20 a month for 200 free minutes and a whopping 3000 free texts, every single month! So take advantage of this exclusive mobile phone deal today, it won’t be around for long!

Phones 4u have launched the new Nokia X6 16GB mobile phone

Phones 4u have launched the new Nokia X6 16GB phone, exclusively loaded with the b@TV app – a new social platform that connects the clubbing community all over the world; and what a gorgoeus looking slim phone brimming with excitement it is.

Music lovers can follow superstar DJ’s worldwide, re-live their favourite seminal clubbing moments or experience sell-out gigs on the other side of the world, all live and direct to their Nokia X6 handsets.  But this is only available to mobile phone users who buy the Nokia X6 from Phones 4u.

Users of the b@TV app can plug their Nokia X6 in to their television to soak up the festival atmosphere from their front room and with up to 20 new DJ sets added every week to b@TV, there is always something new. Boasting thousands of DJ sets, streaming 230 of the world’s top DJs and with artists live on demand including Deadmau5, Chase and Status, Calvin Harris and Anne Mac, there has never been a better choice of entertainment whether it is having a party in the living room with friends or on the go.

Share these moments with friends by making recommendations on Facebook, Twitter or email through the Nokia X6’s social media function and be part of the global b@TV community by sharing images of your night out, all taken via the X6’s 5 megapixel camera.

Phones 4u spokesperson Russell Braterman commented,

“We are delighted to be exclusively launching the Nokia X6 fully loaded with b@TV software to bring the best in clubbing direct to the pockets of our customers. Our customers care about hearing the best music first and in a way that is accessible to them. The new b@TV platform offers this exactly and we will to continue providing content that matters to a young, savvy, connected crowd”

Ray Smith, co-founder of b@TV commented:

“In less than a year we have built a brilliant community for those who love their music and love to party.  With b@TV, Nokia X6 owners can get the very best music, the best events and the best club nights onto the phone as well as keep in touch with their friends with an interactive HD experience on the go.”

As well as delivering the best in mobile-clubbing, the Nokia X6 16GB has enough memory to store your favourite tracks and allows users to download up to 25 free songs from the Nokia Music Store. Movie buffs are able to watch their favourite films on the go on the 3.2” touch-screen while keen gamers can take advantage of the in-built motion sensor to enhance the gaming experience while on the move. With free games provided in the box and more available at the Nokia Ovi Store, gaming enthusiasts have a world of interaction at their fingertips.

With integrated stereo surround sound speakers, a built in FM radio and access to the entire Nokia Music store, the Nokia X6 covers all your entertainment needs.

Key product features include:

• 3.2″ wide touch screen with scratch resistant glass

• Resolution: 640 x 360 pixels

• Finger-operated touch screen for text input

• 16 GB internal memory

• 35 h music playback time

• Bluetooth version 2.0

• SMS and MMS, Email and Web browsing

• 5.0 megapixel with autofocus, 4x digital zoom and dual LED flash

• Nokia Nseries digital music player (Playlists, 8-band graphical equaliser, Selection by artist, composers, album and genre, Album graphics display, Bass booster, stereo widening, loudness, Music playback file formats: mp3, SPMidi, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA)

• Stereo FM radio

• Integrated 3D sound effect stereo speakers (dedicated audio chip for crystal clear hi-fi sound quality)

If that’s not enough, you can make and receive phone calls too. Amazing innit!?

For more details, please visit the Phones 4u website.

Nokia X6

It has been announced that Nokia’s latest phone the Nokia X6, is to arrive in the UK this week and is the mobile to have if you’re a lover of music.

The phone pack has a standard 6GB of memory, 32GB internal, 4GB on a microSD card, fantastic for all of you who want more music on the move.

The mobile features a 3.2 inch reactive interface and 16:9 touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera with a dual flash and a Carl Zeiss lens and includes full access to the Ovi Application Store.

The phone can be pre-ordered at a price of around £449 SIM-free or it is to be available at Phones4U stores from Friday 27 November.  The handset will be free, costing around £25 a month or if you trade in an N-Series handset on the Orange Network, costing around £35 a month.