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Smartphone Purchasing Guide for LSPs:Recommendations for First Quarter, FY 2009Specifications effective January 20, 2009From Gartner: Unlike other mobile phones, a smartphone has an identifiable operating system, like Microsoft Windows Mobile or Symbian, that can run third-party applications. Smartphones are devices that integrate phone functions with a digital organizer and can accept multiple forms of user input – handwriting recognition and/or (attached/unattached) keyboard. These devices are intended to integrate and replace the functionality of carrying several different devices: a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, and – increasingly – even laptops. Two form factors are becoming most prevalent: devices with purely touchscreen capability (like the iPhone or LG Incite), and devices with discrete QWERTY keyboards either under the screen or that slide out (such as the Motorola Q or the HTC Touch Pro). Depending on the device and carrier subsidies available, these smartphones can be significantly more expensive than a traditional phone. This review does not cover BlackBerry devices as they are in a class of devices by themselves. Please see the BlackBerry Purchasing Guide for more information. ISC Support Statement:On July 9, 2007, ISC Networking and Telecommuncation began offering email accounts on Microsoft Exchange 2007. As there are many options for synchronizing various handhelds to this server, smartphones meeting or exceeding any of the following criteria are considered supported devices by ISC:
NOTE: There are many versions of Windows Mobile available on smartphones.
The main differences between the two minor versions are that Windows Mobile 5 for Smartphone, and Windows Mobile 6 Standard lack touchscreen support -- They are intended for physically smaller devices that may lack the range of input devices availible for larger units. Future Support Considerations:Support for Windows Mobile 5 and Palm OS is being phased out by the University, as both operating systems lack compatibility with certain University applications and have vendor support diminishing. Windows Mobile 6.5, likely to be available the second half of 2009, and Palm's webOS, due out by summer, will likely be supported shortly after release. Google's Android software is under review and will become supported if and when the Android OS becomes more enterprise-focused.Cellular Influence:Different cellular providers carry different devices, so be sure to check with your preferred carrier before making a commitment to one device over another. ISC Networking & Telecommunications has partnered with AT&T and Verizon Wireless to provide discounted cellular phone service for Penn affiliates. Where available, we recommend purchasing insurance on these devices, as replacing them outside of the warranty period is expensive.Whenever deciding on which smartphone to purchase, keep in mind how it will be used. For example, if end users intend to travel internationally, it's best to choose a service that will be compatible with the overseas cellular networks of their destination. Please see the Provider Notes article on cellular standards for more information on the various cellular network protocols. 3G network (third generation high speed cellular network) availability is growing in the US, particularly in metropolitan areas. If your users are getting newer smartphones, keep in mind that not all of them are 3G capable. At this point, it does not make sense to purchase a smartphone that is not 3G-capable if a suitable 3G unit is available. Receiving data on non-3G devices is like continuing to use dial-up when broadband access is just as cheap. Recommended Devices:The phones below are not the only models that meet the recommended specifications. These are examples of phones that have been tested and work well with Penn's central infrastructure. CaveatSmartphones running the Symbian OS (such as the Nokia N95 ) are not included in the recommendations below. While we feel that there are many capable devices worldwide that are running this OS, the choices in the US are limited at this time, and none of them have been centrally tested against the University's desktop or networked environments. Windows Mobile:We are only recommending Windows Mobile 6 devices in our list below. There are still a few Windows Mobile 5 devices available, but the operating system is dated and provides limited functionality with several University systems.
AppleThere is only one model of iPhone available (the iPhone 3G), and it is only available on AT&T
Palm OS:Devices running the Palm OS have been very de-emphasized by Palm since the announcement of their new webOS. ISC is phasing out Palm OS as a supported platform. For the time being, however, the Centro is still available from Verizon and AT&T and includes the Exchange Active Sync (EAS) connector to synchronize with Microsoft's Exchange Server.
Page maintained by Robert L. DeSilets, Jr.
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