There are many smartphones on the market and new ones coming out every month. In April 2012, Choice Australia did a review on 59 smartphones from 9 providers: Apple, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Huawei from 14 aspects. This review is more complete and thorough for personal use. This blog will focus on key features that you need to look out for when selecting a smartphone for MazeCard.
1. Operating system
Currently MazeCard only supports iOS (iPhone) and Android. These are the two most popular smartphone operating systems in Australia.
2. Screen size
The bigger the screen size, the easier to key in inputs. Currently, iPhones (3 & 4) have smaller screen size compared Samsung smartphones'.
3. Camera function
Most smartphones come with a camera with auto-focus. With higher the resolution, the higher ability scanning in low light conditions. An iPhone 3 with 3 megapixels can quickly scan a QR code on a plastic card or on another phone. The Samsung Galaxy SII seems to be slower in adjusting to different lighting condition, i.e. scanning a QR code on another phone with bright screen is slower than iPhone.
4. Performance
The higher performance chipset, the more responsive the phone will be. The most powerful phones are Quad Core powered Android phones while iPhone 4S has only a Dual Core A5 chip. HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3 are two quad-core powered phones.
5. Battery
If you intend to use the phone plugged-in on its own stand all the time, battery life might not be a significant factor. However, if you want to use the phone throughout the business day without charging, you might want to select the phone with longer battery life.
6. Price
A newer, better smartphone often comes with a higher price. For the purpose of scanning MazeCard's QR code, you don't have to pay top dollar for a smartphone. There are brand-new smartphones on the market for over $100.
7. Usability
The User Interface of MazeStore on the iPhone looks sleeker than on the Samsung Galaxy S2. The auto-complete feature of the Samsung is annoying when entering the customer's name and email address. Merchants with Android phones might want to turn off the auto-complete function.
Overall, the iPhone 3 GS is a great phone for the MazeStore app. However, the main drawback with Apple is that apps might take from several days to over a week to be reviewed and approved on the App Store. With the Android market (or Google Play), apps can be available in a few hours.
![[RSS]](/xwiki/resources/icons/silk/bullet_feed.png){kind=icon}
