With my recent trip to Los Angeles I've had the opportunity to test the notion that today's smartphones are attempting to be "A remote control for your life".

When I'm in an unfamiliar city:

I want to know where I am, and how to get to where I want to go.
  (GPS and maps Nokia Maps).

I want to know the whereabouts of services and options near me.
  (Icon overlays to the above).

I'd like weather forecasts and up to date currency conversions.
   (WorldMate, an optonal program for the N95).

I want to stay connected to the office and be able to reply to emails with my regular office email address.
   (RoadSync to connect to Microsoft exchange).

I want schedule and be notified about meetings.
   (calendar program that will sync with Microsoft exchange).

I want to be able to create or revise Word/Excel documents and email them.
   (Quickoffice, an extra for N95).

I want to be entertained during those inevitable delays that international travel involves.
   (MP3 player for the plane, and an FM radio on the ground).

Talking about air travel, I'd like up to the minute flight information
   (Air New Zealand Mobile).

 A reasonable quality camera so I can grab pictures and not have to carry a dedicated camera all the time.
  (5M pixels).
 
I want all this to be convenient and cheap!
 
How did I do?

I had a Nokia N95 8Gb; the phone Nokia has touted as "It's what computers have become".

It performed very very well except for the "convenient and cheap" bit. It's possible to use wifi where available, which is fast  and free, but wifi connection needs a manual "search and select" and is not automatic for access points the phone already knows. I could continue to use the mobile data plan I have at home, but Vodafone want to charge $30 per Mb! Come on Vodafone, New Zealand is regarded as expensive ($1 for 10Mb on Vodafone's casual rate), but the same 10Mb would cost $300 in the USA, a 300 times increase!

 

All in all an enjoyable experience? Yes, but next time I'll take a portable QWERTY keyboard!