智慧型手機
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智能手機是一種在手機內安裝了相應開放式操作系統的手機，至2008年底約有4.5億部。通常使用的操作系統有：Symbian、Windows Mobile、Linux和Palm。另外,也有較少人使用的Android和BlackBerry。他們之間的應用軟件互不兼容。因為可以安裝第三方軟件，所以智能手機有豐富的功能。
定義
在軟件上由於Symbian操作系統的手機在整個中國智能手機市場份額所占最多，因此基於Symbian操作系統的軟件也非常豐富。Windows Mobile的應用也很豐富，近些年隨着Windows Mobile的市場份額的上升，基於Windows Mobile應用也在迅速增加。Palm上也有非常豐富的應用軟件。Linux上的第三方軟件目前還比較少。
採用Symbian操作系統的手機多為諾基亞和索尼愛立信生產。採用Windows Mobile操作系統的手機包括HTC （Dopod，Qtek） 等，以及Mio生產的帶有GPS功能的手機。採用Palm操作系統的手機包括HandSpring（與Palm合併）的Treo系列，以及香港生產商GSL的Xplore系列。採用Linux操作系統的手機有MOTO的E680，海爾的N60，飛利浦的968等。
智能手機可以是傳統的手機增加智慧型功能，比如Symbian操作系統的S60系列、Windows Mobile操作系統的Windows Mobile Smartphone系列; 也可以是傳統PDA加上手機通信功能，比如Windows Mobile操作系統的Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone系列、Palm操作系統的Treo系列; 也可是其它獨立類型，比如Symbian操作系統的S80、UIQ，以及一些Linux操作系統的智能手機。然而，就新近的發展來看，這些智能手機的類型有相融合的趨勢。
智能手機有別普通帶有觸控式螢幕的手機。一般普通帶有觸控式螢幕的手機都使用的是生產廠商自行開發的封閉式操作系統，所能實現的功能非常有限。
「智能手機（Smart Phone）」這個說法主要是針對「功能手機（Feature phone）」而來的，本身並不意味着這個手機有多「智能（Smart）」；從另一個角度來講，所謂的「智能手機（Smart Phone）」就是一台可以隨意安裝和卸載應用軟件的手機（就像電腦那樣）。（「功能手機（Feature phone）」是不能隨意安裝卸載軟件的，JAVA的出現使後來的「功能手機（Feature phone）」具備了安裝JAVA應用程序的功能，但是JAVA程序的操作友好性，運行效率及對系統資源的操作都比「智能手機（Smart Phone）」差很多。）[1]
智能手機操作系統
智能手機上可以找到的操作系統包括Symbian OS，RIM的BlackBerry ， Windows Mobile，Linux， Palm OS，和iPhone OS。Android是谷歌和T-Mobile公司最新推出的智能系統 。
Symbian OS
iPhone OS
The iPhone and iPod Touch use an operating system called iPhone OS, which is derived from Mac OS X. Third party applications were not officially supported until the release of iPhone OS 2.0 on July 11th 2008. Before this,"jailbreaking" allowed third party applications to be installed, and this method is still available.
黑莓(BlackBerry)
此操作系統將重點放在操作簡便及為商務使用而設計。目前因為第三方軟體的激增，而增進了多媒體的功能。
Windows Mobile
The Windows CE operating system and Windows Mobile middleware are widely spread in Asia. The two improved variants of this operating system, Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for touch screen devices) and Windows Mobile 6 Standard, were unveiled in February 2007. Windows Mobile is enjoying great popularity because of the low barrier to entry for third-party developers to write new applications for the platform.
Linux
Linux is strongest in China where it is used by Motorola, and in Japan, used by DoCoMo. Rather than being a platform in its own right, Linux is used as a basis for a number of different platforms developed by several vendors, including Motorola and TrollTech, which are mostly incompatible. PalmSource (now Access) is moving towards an interface running on Linux.[ Another platform based on Linux is being developed by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic, Samsung, and Vodafone.
Palm OS
PalmSource traditionally used its own platform developed by Palm Inc. Access Linux Platform (ALP) is an improvement that was planned to be launched in the first half of 2007. It will use technical specifications from the Linux Phone Standards Forum. The Access Linux Platform will include an emulation layer to support applications developed for Palm-based devices.
Android
Android, which was developed by Google, has yet to own even a small part of the smartphone market because of its recent release date. The OS is currently only on the HTC Dream (G1), running on T-Mobile USA's network. Android was developed as a platform that could be run on many devices. Although the Android operating system may be built to run on many devices, it is run exclusively on T-Mobile's G1 at the moment. Sprint also plans to sell an Android powered phone sometime in February or March of 2009.