What is a PDA Cell Phone?

A PDA cell phone is a hand-held mobile telecommunications device that shares the features of both a cell phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA). Such devices can also be referred to as smartphones, but there is no industry standard when it comes to the reference of these products. Because of this, any given PDA cell phone may carry a different number of features and functions that operate in a variety of ways.

Cell phones are quite ubiquitous today. They can be found anywhere and can truly be used by anyone at practically any age. The fundamental purpose of a cell phone is simply for communication between two or more people just about anywhere in the world.

While any PDA cell phone can be used as a cell phone, the PDA component can be a little more complicated when it comes to common functionality. There are many features common among personal digital assistants, but some of these may or may not be available on a specific model. For example, some PDAs have the ability to send out e-mail, while others have no connection to the Internet, though this is becoming more rare. Similarly, many new smartphones have built-in global positioning systems (GPS) for determining the user's location, but such additions are not necessarily standard with every PDA cell phone.

Other features found in many PDA cell phones are touch screens, keyboards, personal organizing software and cameras. Some varieties also have networking interfaces, Internet and e-mail capabilities. They are designed for people on the go who want to stay organized and have information at their fingertips—for business as well as personal use. This is especially true with advances in social networking and the desire to stay connected with many people. PDA cell phones carry a wide array of handy organizing tools, such as calendars, word processors and voice recorders, to make life more organized while staying connected to others.

While PDA cell phones are designed mainly for use on the go, they may also include features and interfaces that allow easy connection to electronic devices, such as home computers, music players and video devices. A major difference between various PDA cell phones today is their operating system, some of which run more like laptops and home computers. These systems can increase a phone's expandability by allowing even more features to be added after the phone has been purchased, rather that having a set bundle of features.