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At the same time, I'll do my best to cut out the techno babble and keep things in plain, simple English. Because until I got my Smartphone and became familiar with it, I didn't understand what anyone was talking about either!
What do you want it for?
Until I was advised to get one for my work, I had no real interest in a Smartphone - beyond being able to send and receive emails on the go and have access to Google Maps. But after getting lost in major cities and urgently needing internet access on the move on so many occasions, I knew it was time to get one. However, I've discovered that a Smartphone can offer so much more.
So before you splash out on a top of the range phone, it's important to choose one which has the features you need. What do you think you might use your Smartphone for, aside from calls and texts?
Would you like something portable to watch HD movies on or play games while travelling?
Would you like to do some browse the new and check your email on the go?
Do you want a device that can take great photos, shoot video and upload it straight to your Drop Box account on the internet instead of carrying a bulky digital camera around?
Or do you want to be kept up to date with a variety of Apps that deliver all the latest special offers and discounts for shops, restaurants and day outs direct to your handset?
Obviously, some phones will have better cameras, others will have faster internet browsing. Some just give you access to emails in addition to your regular call and texts. So these are all things worth considering.
How do you want it to work?
Touch screen or buttons? It's a simple enough choice and everyone has their preference. Personally, I can't stand the tiny buttons on Blackberries, but maybe that's because I've got fat fingers. Even so, I know people who can type at the speed of light with those tiny keyboards, although the fact that the keyboard now learn how you type, anticipating which words you're going to type and correct your spelling mistakes. The same goes for the touch screens on Smartphones, which do the exact same thing.
Meanwhile, if you like the idea of touch screen, bigger is definitely better for everything from texting to browsing. So it's always worth getting a larger screen if you can.
How much do you want to pay?
If you've got your heart set on the latest iPhone, then expect to pay top dollar. The same goes for leading Samsung products, while HTC is often the more affordable brand for many people.
Fortunately, you can spread the cost of your phone over a mobile network contract so you don't have to pay up front if you don't want to.
Alternatively, you can buy a SIM free phone and get a Pay As You Go SIM card, which gives you flexibility to manage your monthly costs, provided you're comfortable paying for the full value of a Smartphone up front.
So it's worth exploring all the options to find the best deal for what you want to pay and how you intend to use your phone.
What other devices do you have?
In the modern 'Smart Home' various devices are designed to synchronise together, so you can manage files and functions from your TV, mobile or tablet.
If, for example, you already have an iPod, Apple Mac or even a Hi Fi with a universal iDock, you may find that it makes sense to purchase an iPhone so that all your technology works perfectly together.
So, if you had a movie stored on your iPhone, you could "send" it to your TV via your Apple TV. And if you already have a huge iTunes library for an old iPod, you could listen to it all on an iPhone very easily.
How do you choose your first Smartphone?
The best way is to speak to a geek, not a sales person. A geek will tell you what works, how and why. A sale person will try to flog you their deal of the week to earn commission. And a good geek will put aside their loyalty to a brand or a particular operating system and help you find the right technology to suit you as an individual, rather than steer you towards what's trendy.
So there's no need to have a fear of shop staff when looking for a Smartphone, it's just knowing to speak to the right type of person who can help you.
But if you know what you want it for, how you want it to work, how much you want to pay and what other devices you have at home are, it'll make it much easier to pick up the right Smartphone to suit your needs.
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