Technically, a smartphone is a cellphone, but a cellphone is not always smart.
We compared smartphones and cellphones to help you decide which unit best suits your phone needs.
Overall Findings
Make calls, send texts, take photos, and jump into the internet.
Cheaper alternative to a smartphone.
Straightforward, simple interface.
May include a digital assistant like Siri or Google Assistant.
Sophisticated operating system with customization options.
Think of a smartphone as a miniature computer that can place and receive calls.
Some phones provide a built-in virtual assistant, such asApple iPhone’s Siri, that responds to verbal instructions.
Cellphones place and receive voice calls and send text messages.
Smartphones do those things and more.
How much more depends on the smartphone’s operating system.
Mobile Operating Systems: Smartphones Provide More Options
Simple and basic.
Support for apps, reminders, and more functionality.
Both cellphones and smartphones havemobile operating systems, which is the software that runs their interfaces.
Smartphone operating systems are more sophisticated.
Smartphones are easy to customize and include accessibility features so that people with physical limitations can use the phone.
Availability: Smartphones Dominate the Market
Cost less than smartphones.
Almost every phone on the market is a smartphone.
More design and form options.
Cellphones are still available from a variety of providers.
They are, however, harder to find.
Some carriers may not support non-smart phones.
That’s not to say it’s impossible to find a non-smartphone.
But some companies' basic devices are still smartphones.
You may also see other types, but flip phones are the most common form factor.
Smartphones are available in more sizes and shapes.
Although most use the same basic design: a large screen in a rectangular case.
Plans: Cellphones May Trap You
Models are usually carrier-specific.
Usually available via prepaid plans.
Same models are available from a variety of carriers.
Once you decide on a phone, the offered service and plan options vary.
Another consideration related to availability is the companies it’s possible for you to use with your equipment.
After you find a machine you like, you may have to work with a company you don’t.
If you want to access a store to play games and use other apps, choose a smartphone.
You’ll have an easier time finding a smartphone than a basic cellphone, but it’s still possible.
