Staff writer - Keisha Gaspard
Which smart phone do you own? I’ve heard and taken part in a number of debates pertaining to which smart phone is the smartest choice for T&T (Trinidad and Tobago), where networks aren’t the most reliable or affordable for data plans. I believe I can safely say that Blackberry handsets are winning as the most popular “smart” phone in Trinidad and Tobago. Why are Blackberrys so popular? Is BBM (Blackberry Messenger) the driving factor? Doubtful. Due to the plethora of free instant messengers that are platform independent such as PingChat or Gtalk, BBM is not much of a feature attraction any longer, at least not from where I am standing. As a Blackberry owner I strongly believe that this smart phone is the most cost-effective in terms of data plans and not to mention the handset, however as a software developer and technologist, the Blackberry operating system is most unimpressive. RIM (Research in Motion) market share is in danger and the central system in which BBM is architectured renders the service inoperable as we may recall. That said, let us step outside my personal experience and biases and take a look at the T&T smart phone market and see if we can conclude which is the smartest choice when buying a smart phone.
The argument of Android OS (Operating system) verses iPhone OS 
notwithstanding, these two operating systems are deemed savvy to the techies in society, myself included, and the demand is high for each. Bmobile offers iPhone payment plans to make the iPhone handset affordable to ‘all’. For a package that is not basic, the customer would receive an unlimited WiMax 4G hot spot (http://www.bmobile.co.tt/plans/iphone-plans/). Not only is this pricey, but it requires the user to walk around with a phone and a mobile hot spot! The packages are also strictly for postpaid customers. The Android plans from Bmobile are quite similar to that of the iPhone (http://www.bmobile.co.tt/plans/android-plans/). In my opinion, this makes the Blackberry plan the most flexible as you don’t need to walk around with a WiMax device in your pocket in addition to your actual mobile phone (http://www.bmobile.co.tt/plans/blackberry-plans/). Additionally, the Blackberry handsets do not require the use of 3G and 4G networks, but uses EDGE which is available nationwide. Digicel accommodates only Blackberry plans (http://www.digiceltt.com/en/services/blackberry_services), both postpaid and prepaid.
Outside of our two primary phone providers, the majority have purchased their smart phones via Amazon, E-bay or independent dealers. Many are seemingly content with the use of iPhone and Android phones without access to a 3G or 4G network simply for the applications installed on the phone. The question remains: Are users satisfied with not being able to use the full worth of a handset that is worth more than the average phone? Do factors such as the iPhone 4s boasting an excellent camera be a motivating factor to make it most suitable for our island? Perhaps it cannot be summed up based on price, availability or convenience, but that each purchases the smart phone based on individual needs? Why did you buy your smart phone?
