Smart phones are mobile phones with advanced features, generally combining standard communications capabilities with rich data applications and enhanced connectivity. As such, smart phones have as much in common with computers as they do with mobile phones. Smart phones often have fully enhanced applications that allow them to perform tasks that are above and beyond the functions of a regular mobile phone that us supplemented only by sandboxed applications. For the manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, Sony-Ericcson, Blackberry, Motorola, BenQ, LG and Apple, they are a question of design and software.

The IBM Simon was the first smart phone made commercially available in 1993. It was designed by IBM in collaboration with Bellsouth, introducing it first as a concept product in a computer trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, circa 1992. Simon combined the features of a mobile phone, a pager, a PDA and a fax machine, with the following specific applications: calendar, address book, world clock, calculator, notepad, e-mail, a sending and receiving fax, and games. Users could navigate through these applications by an on-screen "predictive" QWERTY keyboard.

By today's technological advance of smart phones, the Simon would be fairly along the lower end of the spectrum. Smart phones presently have a general versatility to substitute a plethora of devices, handheld or otherwise. Any present-day smart phone may be a datebook or planner, a Web browser, an MP3 player, a video and/or still camera, an FM radio tuner, an audio recorder, or a GPS navigator, among others. Additionally, modern smart phones have enhanced connectivity with the use of Bluetooth and Infrared technology, and even wireless Internet capability for high-end models. These technologies help smart phones connect to other devices such as other phones or computers.

For the end-users, smart phones are all about functionality. The looks of the phone help as recent models are sleeker and more appealing to the eye, however for smart phone connoisseurs, the main selling point is still the number of things it can do.

Smart phones have become a necessity for a great many individuals, particularly those who spend a great deal of time away from their homes and/or offices. The main target market for smart phones are professionals who need constant and regular access to e-mails, pertinent files as well appointment books and contact details. Executives are often inseparable from their smart phones as it contains a great deal of their work life. With recent developments in onboard multimedia features, smart phones have also become media players for those constantly on the road as well as tools for people in the creative field who need regular access to media playing and media capturing devices.

Prospective buyers should consider that purchasing a smart phone is not just about the latest model, the sleekest look or the price of the model. The smart phone should fit the demands of that buyers? life, enabling them to maximize the use of the phone and complementing their everyday demands.

Certain smart phone models may not have all the latest applications or the most modern operating system, but its capabilities may fit the needs and requirements of a professional photographer or a yuppy. A certain model may not have sufficient memory to hold a large number of documents but its versatility and speed in performing other tasks may make it a necessary tool in someone's life.

Whatever the case may be, smart phones are only as good as their owners. Once a user decides to pick up one type of smart phone and that smart phone fits the user's needs perfectly then that makes it a very useful phone.