It looks as if my next smartphone will be an iPhone. It is much more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy 3 over 2 years and may not be as powerful but syncing contacts with Outlook is making me consider the iPhone. iTunes does it easily and well but Samsung Kies is poor. With my Galaxy 1 I cannot get it to even read my contacts at the moment. Looking at the web I find that I am not alone. Kies is always requiring updating and that is a bit hit and miss. I have come to the conclusion that until Samsung gets Kies sorted I shall avoid their phones. I have looked at Windows 8 Phones and they seem attractive until I find that apparently if I want to sync contacts etc I need a hotmail/outlook com account. Many phone review do not seem to take into account the associated software and ease of syncing.

I'm happy for the moment with Android as it's ability to self sync with any other device or computer logged on anywhere. I'll look at Windows mobile when I'm ready but the devil you know will be a big part of the choice. If I have a W8 tablet at that time, that may well be the new devil to tempt me.

Is that what is used for "texting" then?

My main use for a smartphone is as a personal organiser.

I've used one since before the days of the Psion Series 3, long before my employer gave me a mobile phone.

When I retired and lost the phone it seemed sensible to combine the two.

However, there are many functions I have never used, like texting or the camera! There is also something which seems quite versatile called SMS, which the gas board and BT have sent me messages on, which I might make an effort with sometime. I think it has something to do with messaging, like texting, but no doubt somebody more knowledgeable will correct me!

My main criteria are size of screen, and ease of synch.

So far I have managed to avoid the 'smartphone'. I just want a mobile, preferably now with big numbers and a big screen, that I can use to phone people. I don't text either, if I do need to text someone for some reason, I do it online. My mobile, like all others now, has a built-in camera, I do make use of that from time to time when out fishing, but that's my limit.

Hedy's face came to mind the minute you mentioned her FE. I missed her appearance in the nude though, but then I was only a bit of a lad I suppose, so wouldn't have been allowed in. I managed to smuggle myself in to see Jane Russell in "The Outlaw" though. After all the build up it was a bit of a let down. Trailers haven't changed much in their capacity to show the best bits and then, when you go to see the film you have already seen the best bits that matter.

I had a cellular phone when they were in their infancy, but I'm afraid the technology has now passed me by and I'm not at state pension age yet.

I've never so much as sent a text message, let alone used a smart phone!

£10 credit on my PAYG lasts at least 12 months.. (I make a missed call to family members with inclusive minutes and get them to call me back).

She was (is) a beautiful woman and talented actress,i knew of her discovery which gave impetus to future developments,though the intricacies pass me by.

the first actress to appear in the nude

where have you been????

Talking of phone technologies.....

A lot of people will have heard of Hedy Lamarr - the very beautiful actress , said by many to be one of the most beautiful ever to appear on screen, who starred in several major Hollywood films between 1930s and 1950s. Hedy died 12 years ago, and of course she'll be remembered for being the first actress to appear on film in the nude.

What Hedy might not be so well remembered for is the fact that she helped to develop and patent the frequency hopping technology which is the basis for the spread spectrum system behind today's mobile phone communications networks.

Bing.alau

From Wikipedia:

The word "Bluetooth" is an anglicised version of the Scandinavian Blåtand/Blåtann, the epithet of the tenth-century king Harald I of Denmark and parts of Norway who united dissonant Danish tribes into a single kingdom.

I think the idea is that Bluetooth units devices from different manufacturers

Much too early to tell.

My Galaxy Nite is less than six months old, By the time I am ready to replace 9it the market will have changed radically.

Bing.alau

I'm sure you're not the only one who is baffled, and the bad news is that there's really no official definition for the word 'Smartphone'.

The term is commonly applied to those phones that have more advanced features than plain mobile calling and texting phones - Smartphones will have things like touch-screens, Internet connectivity, wireless capabilities, computing capabilities etc.

Your phone sounds pretty smart, but perhaps not as smart as some of these

I've a few choices for my next phone, all but one are Android phones. I've no tie to the OS, but the best phones seem to be running it at the moment

Wish there was a not sure box. W8 phones haven't been round long enough. Contracts for iphones tend to be more expensive. I may not get a free upgrade with the phone I want and the contract may be too much. I will choose on what I can afford and what is available which I like. It will not be a Blackberry but I'm open to Windows, Apple or Android.