Smart phones promise to replace the mobile phone and wireless PIM with a single device boasting enough processing power to run third-party applications and provide access to corporate databases. But handhelds aren't merely becoming more common, they're also becoming more powerful. Already, smart phones deliver wireless Internet access and include built-in address books, calendars, and notepads.
Smart phones are much more sophisticated.
Smart phones will also boast greater processing power and larger displays than merely Web-enabled phones, and they will be capable of running local applications and storing their own data. Nevertheless, smart phones typically will be no larger than today's mobile phones. Technological advances and demands from mobile workers for lighter and more capable mobile devices will drive the industry toward a more softwarecentric model in the coming years. Platforms based on open standards will allow users to select their own applications and services and download them directly from the Internet. But first we'll see smart phones that attempt to put the functionality of a PDA directly into a wireless phone.