Operating Systems

Operating systems don't sound too exciting but if you don't have some idea of which phone has what OS, you shouldn't be shopping for a smartphone on your own.

The OS of a phone determines what apps a phone can offer you.

iPhone uses Apple's iOS and has more applications available via its Store than any other OS in the world- around 600,000.

The Android Operating System is used by top smartphones like HTC Hero and Samsung Vibrant. It was developed by Google and, while Android has far fewer apps than Apple, Android is close to catching up with around 500.000. Android is big for business as well as fun. The latest OS is Android 4 which incorporates the best of the Tablet OS, Honeycomb.

Blackberry OS has some of the best business apps available. It covers the bases on social networking and recreation too but don't exspect apps for things like carp fishing, snowboarding or casting love spells.

Windows Phones: Microsoft created a completely new OS for the Windows 7 mobile and when it was launched mid-2010. it caused a stir. Mango, (Windows 7.5), ironed out many irritating features and gave it some devoted fans. Windows 8, debuting in 2012, is set to deliver at least two great smartphones, the HTC Titan and Nokia Lumia 900. There are around 40,000 apps currently available.

Older Nokia phones use the Symbian OS. Nokia is the number one seller of phones world wide but lost its way in the US market several years ago. Symbian offers far fewer apps than its rivals but Nokia hardware is top quality and affordable. Symbian will soon be replaced by Windows OS on all Nokia Phones.