Mobile meltdown: mobile devices with multimedia features, calling, texting grow in popularity

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The war of smartphones shows no sign of abating.

Bryan Beadle, manager of Sprint’s Mount Pleasant retail store, said smartphones —  devices capable of connecting to the Internet, browsing the Web and receiving e-mails in addition to traditional phone capabilities — are increasingly popular amongst college students.

“The technology that’s coming out and the rate at which it’s coming out is unbelievable,” Beadle said. “Smartphones have kind of taken over as far as being a one-stop device for everything.”

But many wonder in the ever-changing world of smartphones, with touchscreens, video conferencing and faster wireless, what is the device for them?

HTC EVO 4G

The HTC EVO 4G is the wold’s first 4G capable phone running on Google’s Android operating system. The Sprint network phone’s biggest selling point are its relatively large 4.3-inch touch screen and its 8-megapixel rear camera.

Macomb senior Jake Barnett has owned one since June.

“The best thing I like about the EVO is it does everything,” he said. “It has calenders for my appointments, alarm clocks that you can customize for anything and it’s great for taking notes in class.”

Barnett is very impressed with the Android operating system.

“It’s very intuitive,” he said. “I wish I could say that about other operating systems I’ve used. I recommend it 110 percent.”

Beadle said the Android operating system backs up all of a device’s information to a user’s Google account, including contacts, eliminating the need for wired backup.

Droid X

The Droid X gives Verizon Wireless users a chance to use the Android operating system with the Motoblur 2 touchscreen interface and similar screen and camera to the EVO. Clio freshman Mitchell Gunther has owned the Droid X for one month, which lacks the physical keyboard of its Droid predecessor.

“The screen is huge, it runs fast enough to do whatever I want it to do,” he said.

Gunther said he likes to use his phone to play games, check Facebook and listen to music. His only issue with the Droid X is the device’s limited battery life.

“The battery is not that good at all,” he said. “Whenever I’m at home I have to make sure it’s plugged in.”

iPhone 4

Apple’s latest iteration in the iPhone series offers additional features when compared to its predecessors, including a front-facing camera that allows for the video conferencing.

Available on the AT&T wireless network, the iPhone 4 offers a smaller 3.5-inch screen when compared to its competitors, but has high pixel density with its “Retina Display.”

It also includes a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash.

Niles sophomore Eric Steiner has owned an iPhone 3G since January. Steiner said the series is a good choice for anyone looking for a simple, easy-to-use design.

He said the main draw of the iPhone 4 is Apple’s “app store,” which offers more than 225,000 apps in comparison to the 65,000 apps available on the Android Market.

“I have two screens of apps,” he said. “Most of the apps they have are a waste of time and waste of space for me, but the way it’s set up is cool.”

BlackBerry Bold 9650

Research In Motion’s BlackBerry, a long-time contender in the smartphone market, sticks to its roots with the BlackBerry Bold 9650.

The device includes an optical trackpad, integrated Wi-Fi, and a 3.2-megapixel camera that supports video capture.

Dan Wiley, a Port Huron sophomore, has owned a BlackBery Tour for nearly two years, which is comparable to the Bold 9650 in terms of design and style.

Wiley said BlackBerry devices tend to have smaller, less media-friendly screens than their competitors, and its app options are somewhat limited.

Though they aren’t as cutting edge as most smartphones in terms of software or interface, they are very resilient.

“As far as the BlackBerrys go, they tend to be a lot more durable than other phones,” he said. “I’ve had friends that have dropped their iPhones once and that’s the end of their iPhone.”