What Is the Difference Between an iPhone and a Smartphone?
Smartphones combine cellphones and PDAs into a single device that offers much of the same functionality as a basic computer. An iPhone is a type of smartphone. The iPhone offers many of the advanced features found on competing devices, but it also differs from other smartphones on the market. Operating System The iPhone runs the iOS operating system, or OS. Other smartphone operating systems include Android, Blackberry, Symbian and Windows. The iOS runs solely on the iPhone, while other operating systems, such as Android, are available on multiple brands of cellphones. The iOS includes multitasking, folders and tethering that allows other devices to share the phone’s Internet connection, but similar features are available with other mobile operating systems as well. One difference is that although iOS can be “hacked,” it doesn’t allow the same level of customization and programming as the systems that run other smartphones. Compatibility The first four versions of the iPhone ...