How does a smartphone differ from a touch phone? What is a smartphone? Main differences from a mobile phone. The difference between a phone and a smartphone is hardware
And what is the difference between . Today we’ll talk about the differences between a phone and a smartphone.
First you need to give definitions for each of the terms.
- Mobile (cellular) phone is a phone that is designed to work on cellular networks.
- Smartphone is a mobile phone that is supplemented with the functionality of a mobile computer.
Do you feel the difference? Now let's dive into the comparison.
What is the difference between a telephone and a smartphone?
- The first major difference is the dimensions. If the telephone is usually small device, which easily fits in your hand, a smartphone is often twice as large. But this has its own advantage - a large screen diagonal. So, if a phone is content with a display with a diagonal of 1.5-2 inches, then a smartphone can have a display with a diagonal of 3.5 inches to 7 inches! Of course, on such a screen you can watch movies, play games, read e-books, etc. In the case of a phone, doing this is at least inconvenient.
- Smartphones have virtually no physical buttons on their bodies. If on a phone we dial a number using physical buttons, then on a smartphone we do this by touching the touch screen with our fingers. The number of physical buttons on a smartphone rarely exceeds 2-3.
- Smartphones are built on an operating system. The most popular system is Android, on which most smartphones are based. Another popular OS is iOS, which is used in Apple technology. The operating system supports many various functions, so a smartphone can safely be called a real computer—only a compact one.
- Operating systems support an incredible number of applications - their number amounts to tens and hundreds of millions. The applications are very different: for work, for reading, for watching videos, for having a good time... In general, the choice is huge. A pleasant plus is the fact that many applications are free.
- The smartphone can be used as a full-fledged navigator. To do this, you need to get an application with maps and turn on GPS or. The location accuracy of the device is very high, so the maps are used for movement, including by car.
- Many smartphones have long replaced cameras. So, if you are going somewhere on vacation and do not plan to take professional shots, a smartphone will be enough. Moreover, now devices have begun to appear on sale that shoot no worse than semi-professional cameras. The same applies to video recordings. Of course, phones also have cameras, but often the quality of photos is very mediocre.
- It is very convenient to use the Internet on a smartphone - not surprising with a screen of such a diagonal. All actions are performed by tapping the screen. And some sites have a mobile or adaptive version that adapts to the size of the smartphone screen - using such a site is very convenient even with one hand. All this cannot be said about the phone.
- But as for operation, it’s easier to drop a smartphone due to its size. In addition, if you fall, the likelihood of breaking the screen is much higher than with a phone with a small display.
- The cost of smartphones, of course, is higher. But if earlier the difference was huge, today it is the most inexpensive smartphone can be bought for about 2 thousand rubles. In some countries, smartphones are offered whose prices do not even reach a thousand rubles. These are simple devices, but for 10 thousand rubles you can buy a mid-budget device. The flagships are much more expensive and whether it is worth overpaying for them is up to the buyer to decide. Phones cost from about 500 rubles.
What to choose: smartphone or phone?
If you only need the device for calls, buy a cell phone. If needed mobile computer, with which you will use social networks, watch videos, play games, etc., the choice should be in favor of a smartphone.
Mobile phones were the first to appear on the market. At first they had very impressive sizes, but as microelectronic technology improved, they became more and more compact and convenient. Nevertheless, their main functions remained virtually unchanged - the main purpose cell phones and now is the implementation telephone conversations, sending and receiving SMS and MMS.
But technology development does not stand still, so phone manufacturers began to endow them with new properties. In particular, they made it possible to use cell phones for games and access to the Internet. This set functions can now be considered basic; it is present in almost all mobile phone models.
Further improvement of phones confronted manufacturers with a serious problem: the more user programs appeared, the more difficult it was to adapt them to a specific “hardware” - that is, the hardware of the phone. An operating system was needed that would remove such restrictions and allow applications to run on different models phones.
The harbinger of mobile operating systems became Java, but it had significant drawbacks. In particular, it was impossible to run more than one application at the same time. The result of the developers' efforts was the appearance mobile devices with a fully functional operating system, such phones began to be called smartphones, which translated from English - from smartphone - means “smart phone”.
How does a smartphone differ from a communicator? A smartphone is a cell phone that has an operating system and is equipped with big amount various functions. A communicator is, first of all, a pocket computer in which the communication function is additional, but not the main one. In general, we can say that as technology develops, the boundary between smartphones and communicators is gradually blurring.
Speaking of smartphones, one cannot fail to mention the famous iPhones released by Apple. Thanks to its exceptional high quality and their great capabilities, iPhones have become the flagship of the smartphone market. The name – iPhone – indicates that the device uses the iOS operating system developed by Apple specialists. Other manufacturers typically use operating Android systems And Windows Mobile.
What capabilities do smartphones have? First of all, they are focused on working with the Internet. Their owners can browse websites, communicate on social networks, watch movies and listen to music, play a variety of games, and use thousands of mobile applications.
The large number of mobile devices on the market allows everyone to choose a device that will best suit their needs. However, diversity also has a negative feature: it is sometimes very difficult for an unprepared buyer, little familiar with the world of high technology, to choose the optimal solution.
For example, today's popular smartphones used to be classified as flagships and mid-range devices, while now even a budget device can be a smartphone.
What is the difference between a smartphone and a regular one? mobile phone? Let's try to figure it out in this article.
Smartphone is translated from English as “smart phone”. The “smartness” of the device lies in the fact that such devices operate under a common operating system, being, in fact, pocket computers. In addition to standard applications, the user can install software from third-party developers, which significantly expands the capabilities of the device. The most popular operating systems nowadays are Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry OS. Previously, Symbian and Windows Mobile systems were also common, but today smartphones running them are no longer produced.
Traditional mobile phones lack such functions and the most a user can count on is the installation of simple games and programs written in Java.
Thus, the presence of an OS is the main criterion for distinguishing a smartphone from a telephone.
Touch samsung phone Corby. Runs on a proprietary shell Samsung TouchWiz 1.0 The phone does not have the ability to install third-party applications, it does not have a full-fledged operating system, but it does have a touch screen. You can't call it a smartphone.
Smartphone Nokia 6630. Does not have a touch screen, but runs on the Symbian 8.0a operating system, which is no longer relevant these days. Still, because of this OS and the ability to install applications, this device can be called a smartphone.
Form factor
The first smartphones looked no different from ordinary mobile phones. They had a traditional “tube” appearance with a hardware numeric keypad with 12 buttons. This state of affairs could be observed until about 2012, already in the heyday of the touchscreen era.
A modern smartphone usually has big screen(more than 4 inches diagonally) with high resolution and almost (or completely) devoid of hardware keys. In some cases, a sliding QWERTY keyboard can be used as an addition.
At the same time, a mobile phone can be in the form factor of a traditional dialer, or with touch screen. However, the display resolution of such devices is usually lower and the diagonal is smaller.
The touch screen with full input support is the second important difference.
Hardware platform
Smartphones are usually based on high-performance chipsets that include multi-core processors with a frequency above 1 GHz, gigabytes of RAM and special graphics accelerators - analogues of computer video cards.
Mobile phones cannot boast of such potential; in their “hearts,” as a rule, single-core processors with a frequency of several hundred megahertz and a couple of tens of megabytes of RAM are installed.
The third difference is the powerful hardware platform.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, we can highlight the main differences between a smartphone and a mobile phone:
- availability of a full-fledged operating system;
- the ability to install third-party programs;
- large high-resolution touch screen;
- powerful hardware.
If in terms of traditional telephone communication Smartphones cannot boast of anything special, but in terms of additional features, even the most powerful “dialer” can barely compare in capabilities with budget smartphone. The only thing in which phones are confidently in the lead is time battery life. If a smartphone can work in standby mode for a maximum of a few days, then many inexpensive mobile phones can hold a charge for more than 10 days.
Modern mobile phones and smartphones provide voice communication via cellular network, receiving and transmitting text messages, perform a number of other, structurally provided functions: notifications of calls and messages, alarm clock, calendar with notes, simple games, MMS, FM radio, Internet browser. It has become difficult for citizens to understand the difference between a smartphone and a telephone. Meanwhile, these devices, consonant in name and similar in function, are completely different. The main criteria by which it is customary to distinguish these mobile devices are as follows:
- presence/absence of an operating system;
- opportunity self-installation applications;
- design features of the hardware;
- Internet opportunities.
Control of smartphone functions is based on a special software, called the operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS). This fact allows us to consider a smartphone How laptop . A smart mobile device can work with various applications, allow you to create and edit documents and images, as well as connect with people via e-mail and through social media. The above functionality is not available to the simple Java firmware of a cell phone. Therefore, for dummies, an important criterion for choosing a mobile device is the presence/absence of an operating system in the device description.
Important! The absence of an OS name in the characteristics of a mobile communication device is a fundamental difference between a phone and a smartphone.
There are several operating software options for smartphones, and the most popular of them are this is IOS, Android, Windows Phone. Depending on the OS used on board the smartphone, smart devices are divided into iPhones, Windows Phones, Android smartphones and devices running other less common OS (BlackBerry OS, Tizen).
operating room Windows system Phone
Android operating system
Operating system IOS
The capabilities of smart gadgets thanks to operating software
The presence of an operating system significantly expands the functionality of a mobile device, and this is the main difference between a “smart” device and a cell phone. Mobile OS, like the operating “brain” of a computer, supports the operation of various programs: Internet browsers, instant messengers, programs for reading, listening to music, viewing photos and videos, various text and graphic editors, applied applications.
As a rule, manufacturers provide smartphones with a number of proprietary applications that provide the following functions:
- Internet access to search for any necessary information;
- playing audio and video recordings;
- creating playlists;
- correspondence by email;
- communication on social networks;
- photo and video shooting;
- creating notes, memos, contact books;
- creating and editing texts, graphs, tables, presentations and other office information;
- GPS navigation, working with maps, fitness capabilities;
- search and installation third party applications(app store);
- programs for reading books in electronic format;
- games and other entertainment;
- payment functions.
Important! The set of standard functions of a smartphone depends on the level of equipment of the hardware platform and the version of the operating system.
In addition to the programs provided by the manufacturer, the owner of a smartphone can install and use applications from third-party developers necessary to solve certain problems, search and It is recommended to install them through the application store.
The difference between a phone and a smartphone is hardware
The firmware of a regular phone ensures the interconnection of the device's components. This is a cellular communication module, display, keypad, speaker, microphone, battery, other additional modules.
A smartphone, unlike a mobile phone, is much more complex. Like a computer, it is built on the basis central processor , which together with RAM and a graphics controller forms the productive basis that generates commands for built-in modules. In addition to the basic architecture, including the chipset, RAM and ROM, the main modules modern smartphones are:
- touchscreen;
- module cellular connection with 2G/3G/LTE modem;
- internal and external speakers and microphones, voice recorder;
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth adapters;
- GPS navigation module and a set of sensors;
- main and front cameras;
- battery.
Depending on the status of the model and manufacturer, mobile smart devices can be equipped with the following functional elements:
- photo flash;
- NFC - chip;
- FM - radio receiver;
- fingerprint sensor;
- iris scanner.
The task of the operating system is management of potential smartphone functions, the provision of which is entrusted to the command-generating computing unit and built-in modules. Control is carried out using 2-3 physical buttons (power/lock, volume control, for example), touch buttons, virtual keyboard and voice commands.
Access to the World Wide Web
Operators mobile communications provide users with a variety of tariff plans, most of them provide Internet traffic packages in networks of different generations (EDGE, 2G, 3G or 4G). All smartphones and most models of regular cell phones are equipped with support for networks of one level or another.
Advice! You can determine whether a device supports access to the World Wide Web by the presence of an installed browser.
After purchasing a SIM card with an optimal tariff, the user will not be required to make any special device settings upon first launch. Providers provide semi-automatic installation of cellular network parameters with minimal subscriber participation.
What is better to choose
What is better to choose, a telephone or a smartphone with Internet access? Much depends on the owner himself, his preferences and skills in using mobile devices. Both devices have their advantages and disadvantages.
Smartphones are multifunctional and productive, can replace a whole range of devices: from the means voice communication or Wi-Fi source to an audio and video player, camera or payment device (terminal). And this is the undoubted advantage of smart devices.
Vulnerability to malware and viruses, the energy consumption of smartphones on the one hand, as well as the ability of users to master a wide range of functionality and considerable monthly tariff payments, on the other hand, make one think about the advisability of purchasing a smart device.
Advice! For older people and younger schoolchildren, a simple mobile phone is quite suitable, without unnecessary functionality that you still need to know how to use.
Articles and Lifehacks
Today, few people ask the question of how a smartphone differs from a telephone, but not so long ago it was more than relevant.
How it all started
The very concept of “smartphone” appeared quite a long time ago. In 2000, she decided that to highlight the advantages of her R380s model, something more was needed than the banal name “phone.”The gadget was small, light, but at the same time had a touch screen. Unfortunately, from a modern point of view, it had a significant drawback - closed.
This meant that it was impossible to install applications on it other than those provided by the manufacturer. Subsequently, this flaw was corrected, and the new models received the first open operating system, Symbian 6.0.
In those days, there were two more classes of gadgets: pocket personal computers(PDAs), which played the role of an electronic organizer, which were already giving way to communicators, which were essentially the same thing, but with the ability to make calls and access the Internet.
When they were “crossed” with a touch phone, the concept of what we understand today as a smartphone appeared.
So what's the difference
The main differences between a smartphone and a telephone can be considered the presence of the functionality of a pocket computer and a touchscreen. However, modern phones are also very “smart”, although they are much inferior in capabilities to their older brothers.
In addition, although they have access to the Internet, it is limited to GPRS/EDGE technology, in which the cost of a megabyte of transferred data is prohibitively high.
Smartphones are required to have 3G, and many have a 4G module that makes Mobile Internet quite affordable in price and acceptable in speed.
It should also be borne in mind that this type of device is characterized by one of the powerful operating systems:
- Google Android.
- Apple iOS.
- Windows Mobile.
As for operating systems push-button phones, it would never even occur to anyone to compare it with a netbook.
If both classes of mobile devices still exist, it means that each of them has some advantages.
Pros of smartphones:
- the functionality of a pocket computer, allowing you to use it for a wide variety of tasks;
- touch display for convenient control of the gadget;
- high-speed Internet access;
- Availability additional features, such as GPS navigation, TV tuner, built-in audio system, etc.;
- a huge amount of built-in memory compared to a phone, allowing you to store a lot of different information;
- status of top smartphone models.
- very low cost of the gadget;
- small dimensions compared to most smartphone models;
- a design and control method familiar to older people.
If a person needs absolutely nothing other than the ability to make calls, then there is no point in buying even an ultra-cheap ultra-budget smartphone.
Not to mention the fact that such tempting offers of “exact copies of an iPhone for only 2,000 rubles” usually end in wasted money, while push-button models for the same price usually do not have such problems.
On the other hand, for most of us today life is unthinkable without at least periodic access to the Internet. " The World Wide Web“It is increasingly drawing earthlings into its digital networks.
In this regard, push-button handsets are unable to offer the user virtually nothing, which sharply narrows the audience for such devices.
It is impossible not to mention a variety of entertainment content: in this regard, smartphones are again at an unattainable height: books, films, more than high-quality - except that in terms of music, “tubes” are at least somehow able to compete with their sensory counterparts, and even then only with using headphones.
Thus, the smartphone today is the main means of communication used by the vast majority of people, and the telephone is an ultra-cheap surrogate intended only for making calls, the popularity of which is falling from year to year.