Comments on: They’re Not Phones Anymore

By: sfmitch

sfmitch — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:58:59 +0000

I vote for keeping smartphone. As long as I keep paying a monthly fee for having a phone number and making phone calls then they are (smart)phones.

The ability to make voice calls is the defining feature of this type of device. You can still pay a phone company to use a device but you don’t call it a phone if it doesn’t make voice calls (on their network) e.g. iPad, computers with built in 3G modems.

As soon as you remove the voice component, it changes name (iPod Touch vs iPhone).

I don’t see people having trouble with the term.

By: Lance Sanders

Lance Sanders — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:12:57 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more: the iPhone and G1, for example are, quite simply, microcomputers. Thus: “micros”.

By: i1patrick

i1patrick — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:54:33 +0000

Some form of the term “Phone” is and will continue to be the dominant word used to describe these devices for one reason: it’s the main reason we carry the device. My iPhone certainly has many, many other available functions, but first and foremost, the reason I carry it around with me is the phone functionality. Ask yourself this, if your “smart phone” did everything it does EXCEPT calling, would you still carry it around?

By: Tim Conneally

Tim Conneally — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:15:29 +0000

As much as I adore words, it’s kind of a silly idea. After all, “computer” comes from Latin “computare” which means “to add/count,” and the term was originally used to refer to adding machines. Yeah, all computers do work mathematically, but I’d say a mechanical adding machine and a modern notebook computer are about as similar as a rocket booster and a campfire.

phone!

By: Marc

Marc — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:58:50 +0000

Here in the UK, the biggest “cellphone” retailer is called “The Carphone Warehouse” – is they can still call them car phones, then we can still call them phones!

By: Marc

Marc — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:58:28 +0000

Here in the UK, the biggest “cellphone” retailer is called “The Carphone Warehouse – is they can still call them car phones, then we can still call them phones!

By: Paul Judd

Paul Judd — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:49:34 +0000

Peter,
I really don;t think RIM wants to have to defend it’s name like Xerox and Kleenex (both registered brand names) in the legal arena. They don;t defend their trademark and they can loose it. The name “blackberry” is too valuable.

I am of the opinion that the word “Smart Phone” works if it has vice service that is tied to a telecom company. If it uses AT&T and the like for voice, its a phone by definition since that is a separate distinct service from data. While other functions are more predominant, using cellular phone service in the same way (and the same protocols) as dumb phones makes them phones first.

By: Matt Sharpe

Matt Sharpe — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:01:20 +0000

The fact that “phone” insufficiently describes todays devices is as irrelevant as the distinction between “PC” and Mac. Both are Personal Computers, but nobody is upset about that.

By: kingoftowns

kingoftowns — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:46:34 +0000

i could go for a “Handy” right now. as far as phones go, why change it? its so easy and ubiquitous. if anyone ever tries to, will the masses ever adopt anything else?

remember when Sprint tried to demand that they were not selling cell phones but PCS phones? that didnt last.

in America i think it will always be a phone.

By: Andrew Edsor

Andrew Edsor — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:28:30 +0000

The Germans call a mobile phone/portable/cellphone a “handy”. Do we need to look any further?