This course is designed for mobile professionals, small business owners, and executives who are looking for a feature-rich phone that's easy enough for the average user to understand yet powerful enough to enable users to get work done anywhere, any time.

By the time you complete this lesson, you will:

• Understand the advantages a smartphone offers over other mobile devices
• See real-world examples of how smartphones help get business done better
• Learn what you can do with your smartphone and how it can increase your productivity both in and out of the office

Once you've learned the necessary basics on smartphones in general, you'll take a closer look at how easy it is to get up and running with the email, contacts, and calendar applications on the iPAQ 510. You'll also learn about more advanced features, then take a look at some bundled hardware that can further enhance your productivity.

What is a smartphone?

A smartphone is a converged device -- a combination cell phone, contact manager, and email manager that also enables users to view and edit many types of attachments – and comes complete with Microsoft's latest powerful mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.

Some smartphones have full QWERTY keyboards; others, like the HP iPAQ 510, feature 12-key keypads. The 12-key solution is familiar to traditional cell phone users and often is the keyboard of choice if you prefer a smaller device that can fit easily into your pocket. Two basic data input options are available with most 12-key solutions:

• With triple tap, you'll tap a single key once, twice, or three times to input a letter. For example, you'll tap the #2 key to input the letter "a," "b," or "c."
• T9 predictive typing suggests words early in the typing which can reduce the number of keystrokes required.

You may consider purchasing a third-party software such as Adaptxt that enhances the T9 predictive typing experience by reducing the number of keystrokes up to 50 percent by recognizing most commonly used words. Adaptxt's software also enables users to add, for example, industry-specific words to the dictionary by scanning text of your choice.

Often, heavy data users -- those who spend a lot of time using their mobile devices for work -- prefer the full QWERTY keyboard with a larger screen. Personal choice will dictate your purchase decision.

If you prefer a small device size but would occasionally like to use the device for more time-consuming work, such as revising documents and composing longer emails, consider a foldable Bluetooth keyboard to give you the advantage of typing with all 10 fingers.

Most business professionals need a smartphone that will integrate seamlessly with the office software they already know and use regularly. A smartphone running the Windows Mobile OS ensures that Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets, email, and other information can be transferred from computer to phone and back again with no compatibility issues.

Who can benefit from using a smartphone?

A smartphone is a smart choice for on-the-go business professionals who need to stay connected with the office even when they're out and about. A smartphone can help you if you've ever wished you could:

• Carry a single device that is a phone and also offers easy and real-time access to all your updated contacts, schedules, and tasks to keep you up-to-date with access to critical time-sensitive information
• Manage your email easily from your phone, and even reply to email with a voice (.wav) file when you're driving from meeting to meeting
• Open a Word document, make a few quick edits, then send a final version to your client while you're waiting for your plane to be cleared for takeoff
• Review the newest slides your development manager just added to your PowerPoint presentation while you're in the cab on the way to a meeting
• Drop the very latest numbers into your Excel spreadsheet to get a new final budget number just before you meet with your financial team
• Access the internet quickly on your single and handy small device

Important work can't always wait until you're back in the office. With a smartphone, you have access to data in real time via push technology, so you can manage your work on your own terms -- according to your priorities -- no matter where you are.

Next up

Find out how to use your smartphone in real-world situations.