However, in this regard, smartphones have made a big leap. Since smartphones allows you to stay connected to the Internet, phonebook has been enhanced regarding sync, backup & restore and social integration. You can associate the different social networks profiles of your contacts on the phonebook: Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp… among others. From the phonebook you will be even able to share and post to them. What’s more, forget to copy one by one your phonebook when you change your mobile phone or import it from your SIM card. You will be able to backup your phonebook in different formats. What’s more, they will automatically sync with Google Contacts (Gmail).

And there comes an important issue: you need a Gmail account. You will need it to access the Android Market and other important features. Actually, that’s more than a need: it’s high recommendable and will make your life easier. If you don’t have a Gmail account, you can sign up from the phone. Gmail is one of the best rated Android apps: ease of use, fast, sync to check e-mails when offline… among lots of advantages. Just try it and you will see. Likewise, you will be able to sync another accounts from different e-mail server provider (Hotmail, Yahoo, etc)

Android Market: apps and games

Even more than the Internet connection, the keystone of the smartphones revolution are the apps (and games): they give new uses to our smartphones, beyond “calls” and “sms”. Since imagination has no limits, developers are working on new apps and games and hundreds of them are released everyday. Getting apps is as easy as launching the Android Market, searching the app you want and download it. It will be automatically installed in your device. You can also install apps from the .apk (the executable file of an Android app), by placing it on your device and launching it. From each Market app’s profile you will see app’s name, file size, rate, comments, developer description and other useful info. However, the info that provides the Android Market is quite limited so far. If you want to know more about the apps and games before downloading them you can visit Androidzoom: read reviews, watch videoreviews, check badges, sort apps by popularity, price, on sale,… among many other features.
You will find some paid apps as well. The Android Market payment system is totally secure, don’t hesitate on giving it a go: so you just need to choose your payment system preference and input your data. It will remember it for next payments. If you don’t want to get any paid app (although lots of them are worth), no worries: most of them have both paid and free version (look also for “Lite”, “Demo” versions).

Settings

I recommend you to spend a while toying the settings to get an idea of the amount of features you can set to your own. In the beginning it’s a bit complicate to get the hang of it, to know exactly where to change one or another feature. However, the “settings” menu is the “heart” of your Android device. Thus, the sooner you get used to it, the faster you will become an expert. From settings you will be able to change language, add new accounts, manage apps, set ringtones, enable WiFi, 3G or GPS, set display configuration, privacy options… among hundreds of features. You better try it yourself. What’s really good is that all Android devices share the same “settings” menu. There aren’t important changes even between Android OS versions.

The Daily use

Although you will probably try hundreds of apps and games, in the end you will use a limited amount of “daily” apps. The most used apps for most of the people I know are related to this categories:

• Communication: Basically e-mail and instant messenger. Regarding e-mail, as I told you, Gmail is the most used app and, from my point of view, the best: ease of use, sync and integration with other tools. For instant messenger (well, actually phone-based pushed messenger) I’m using Whatsapp, but if you don’t like it there are tenths of alternatives: PingChat! (Touch), Kakaotalk, Kik Messenger… Although there are heaps of them, you will finally used the one that the most of your friends are using because there’s no integration among them. Try one of this app and you will realized why SMS have died.

• Social Networks: Well, this depends on which SN you’re already using. There are Android apps for almost all of them (at least for all the most used): Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, G+,… What’s more, there are other client apps that allows you to manage multi-account: Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, Seesmic, Tweetcaster,…

• News: You can keep updated about what’s happening out there thanks to your Android in three ways: checking Newspapers websites and magazines from the browser, downloading the official newspaper apps or with RSS feeds reader apps. This last is probably the fastest option and the one that I prefer but, you know, that’s a matter of taste.

• Geo-location and mapping: Believe me, you’re going to use it more often than you think. And we got a winner in this regard: Google Maps. From it you can check maps (some even in 3D), places, local business, GPS, share your location, check-in… Google Maps is updated every week and new features are added.

• Camera: There’s no need to download any app, there’s a default camera app and some devices even include effects and editing options. However, there are lots of camera apps that offer added-value: for editing, sharing (photo social networks) and even for playing.

• Music: You can listen to your playlists on your device through apps of streaming services like Spotify, Grooveshark, Google Music,… from local music in your device or from radio apps.

• Games: There are thousands of games on the market. Some of them are really worth and will end up with the boredom while waiting the metro. I’ll make you a list of the ones I liked most. Or better, follow Androidzoom blog as well as its Facebook, Twitter and G+ pages to get reviews and videoreviews of apps and games.

These are  just the basic tips you must know to start using your Android. From now, the way you manage your battery, the apps and games you download, the personalization and the daily use is up to you.

Anyway, if you have any question, you can always send a Whatsapp to that friend of yours who has achieved the upper level of Androidism.