One of the best-running platforms on a smartphone and several featuresphones is Java. If you have a multimedia-capable handset that’s not Android or iOS-based, all the apps you have are probably Java-based.
New touchscreen smartphones these days are really cheap and in some instances well under 50 bucks new. Okay, you’ve got a smartphone but it’s not Android or iOS-based, so… where do you get apps for the thing? And where do you get them for free?
The answer is UMnet – but before you go there, a disclaimer: You may see stuff there that’s not family-friendly from time to time. UMnet is so huge that it contains just about every type of phone app imaginable, including the not-safe-for-kids stuff.
Some of you may see the above link and think, "UMnet? I’ve known about that place forever!" True enough. But many people haven’t and this is their first time hearing about it.
Things to know to get the apps you want
1. Your phone’s screen resolution
If you don’t know what this is, break out the user manual. If you don’t have that, look up the information for any one of the stock wallpaper images you have (usually any image on your phone has a feature to see details that includes dimensions); these are made to exactly fit your screen. Whatever the properties of the image are, that’s your phone’s screen resolution.
You need to pick apps that fit your screen. If you don’t, they won’t look right when you run them.
2. If the app looks sketchy, trust your instinct and don’t download it
Not all apps are spyware/malware-free no matter the mobile platform you have. And yes you can get malware/spyware on your phone. If your instincts tell you that a certain app looks a bit fishy, trust them and don’t download it, because you probably don’t have a virus scanner on your phone.
3. Some apps aren’t the fastest things in the world
Unless you have a super-ritzy brand new Android phone or iPhone, what you have is on the slow side, so don’t expect app launching to be quick.
4. If you don’t have a microSD card for your phone, you should really, really get one
Just about any smartphone these days comes with optional microSD card storage, and the bay for it is usually under the battery. Once you start getting apps, especially free ones, you will get all app-happy and download a whole bunch of stuff. Without additional storage, you’ll run out of space real quick, so get a microSD card.
"I don’t know what kind of microSD card I should get."
Safe territory is a 4GB microSD of the class 4 variety. If you want to know if you can fit more, search for "8GB [your phone model here]" on the internet, because your manual probably won’t state how much extra storage your phone can handle.
All lower-end recent (as in the last 3 years or so) smartphones can handle 4GB easily. For 8GB and above, the smart thing to do is search as instructed above. If it can handle 8GB, go for it. If it can handle more, stuff as much storage into your phone as you can. Better to have too much than too little.
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