• State of the Market
• What should I buy?
• iPhone & iPodTouch
• Windows Mobile Devices
• Blackberries
• Android
• Palm Smartphones
• Other things to consider *** HIPAA
• Memory Cards
  

The State of the PDA/Mobile Device Market ( last updated February 2012)

A few years ago the major consideration was whether to buy a Palm or a PocketPC. After settling on an operating system, the choice was then between a standalone PDA and a combination PDA/mobile phone. The landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years:

• Standalone PDAs - Long dominated by Palm, they have largely disappeared from the market. Nearly every device is a mobile phone with Internet and other features. The biggest selling non-phone device is now Apple's iPodTouch.
• iPhones have sold extremely well since their introduction in June 2007 and is clearly the standard by which all other smartphones are measured. The iPhone and its cousin iPodTouch now boast the largest number of installable medical applications.
• Android phones, the newest OS option, began picking up speed in late 2009/early 2010. The number of medical applications available on the Android platform is growing though apps still lag significantly behind the Apple devices.
• The most recent variant of the Windows Mobile OS has lost ground to the iPhone and Android.
• Blackberry, long the leading smartphone platform, has lost significant market share to the iPhone and Android OS devices. While the number of medical applications on this platform has grown over the last few years, installable applications still lag way behind other smartphone operating systems.
• Carrier Exclusivity - Although there is still some carrier exclusivity in devices, this is less an issue than before. The iPhone is available on both the AT&T, Sprint and Verizon networks. Android devices, previously limited to a few carriers, are now available from all U.S. providers.
• Broadband Internet and WiFi are common on most devices. Cellular carriers typically require you to purchase some type of data plan along with your phone service. Carriers are increasingly limiting monthly downloads as data speeds increase and devices allow easier access to web-based resources.

"So what should I buy?"

There are many things to consider including your mobile service carrier, whether you often travel internationally and what specific applications you want to run. These recommendations are generally for devices that will maximize your access to medical resources available; specifically those that allow you to use resources available through the Medical Library.

• What devices are approved for storage and transmission of Protected Health Information?
• HIPAA policies cover the use of smartphones to access ePHI. Any Smartphone used by Yale faculty, staff or students that access ePHI must comply with the Yale University HIPAA Security Policy & Guidelines for Smartphones. Note that not all models of smartphones are acceptable devices for accessing or storing ePHI. At this point, Android phones are not compliant. Blackberry devices must be bound to the Yale Blackberry Enterprise Server to be compliant. Consult the ITS pages or contact ITS staff for further information on ePHI acceptable devices.

The iPhone & iPodTouch

The iPhone is one of the top rated and best-selling smartphones ever. It has one of the best, if not the best, Web browser of any handheld mobile device. It has by far the largest number of applications, including medical applications. WiFi connectivity is excellent and with native support for both WPA/WPA2 encrypted networks and support for the Yale VPN. The iPodTouch is a good option for those who don't want the monthly cost of 3G service but like the look, feel and performance of installable apps and WiFi-accessible resources on Apple's popular mobile devices. The iPhone and its cousin iPodTouch have quickly become the preferred handheld mobile device for medical students and clinicians.

Apple's iPad

The rapid expansion of the iPhone has been matched by the tremendous growth of the iPad since its introduction in April 2010. While not "handheld", the form factor has the advantage of making it possible to browse many websites and web-based applications in ways not possible on the small screen of the iPhone or iPodTouch. 3G versions on both AT&T and Verizon allow users full Internet access in many locations not served by WiFi. Although programs written for the iPhone run on the iPad, many applications have been rewritten to take advantage of the larger screen size of the iPad. The iPad has invigorated the previously humble tablet market. Despite recent competition from Android and the newest generation of Ebook readers, the iPad still controls more than half of the tablet market.

Android

The Android operating system is an open source mobile platform based on the Linux operating system. Google assembled a consortium of companies under the Open Handset Alliance to develop the software and devices. With Google's impending acquisition of Motorola, they will become a major manufacturer of Android handsets. Initially more popular in Europe, the Android began expanding in the U.S. market in late 2009 and it is now the best selling mobile platform, accounting for nearly 50% of all smartphone sales. The number of medical applications lags somewhat behind iOS devices but Android offerings continue to increase.

Unlike the iPhone, which is only manufactured by Apple, there are a number of manufacturers of Android devices. While all devices are based on some version of the standard Android OS, some manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung add additional functionality with additional features. These variations inject some complexity and incompatibilities into Android performance.

Android Apps are available through the official Android Market but there are also "non-Market" apps.

Android Tablets - Beginning in 2011, Android tablets have made some inroads into iPad dominance. The full-featured models like the Samsung Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom share this up and coming with ebook readers the KindleFire, which runs a heavily customized version of the Android OS.

The Yale VPN is not compatible with most Android devices. The newest Android tablets support the Cisco AnyConnect Mobility client and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) promises to finally add VPN capability to Android smartphones.

Windows Mobile Devices

Windows Mobile devices continue to continue to lose ground relative to the other smartphone platforms. HP, Samsung, LG and HTC all manufacture Windows Mobile devices. Market share is less than 6% of all active smartphones. As with most smartphones, customers in North America purchase one through their mobile phone service provider or an authorized reseller.

Blackberry

Blackberries are traditionally been valued for their connections to corporate scheduling and email systems but have not had the penetration in the healthcare field they have enjoyed in business, finance and law. Androids and iPhones now provide excellent connectivity to corporate email systems and this, along with inferior Web and multi-media features, has negatively impacted Blackberry sales. Blackberries do not offer any where near the number of medical Apps available iOS and Android devices The small screen size, lack of WiFi and touchscreen interface on most models, makes the device less desirable a platform for these applications and Web browsing in general. A limitation for many Blackberry users is the lack of VPN or proxy service that would allow access to the Medical Library's restricted Web-based resources such as UpToDate. Yale Faculty whose Blackberry is attached to the Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) may access IP-restricted resources.

The free EpocratesRx database is available for the Blackberry as is a paid premium version, EpocratesRx Pro. Content from UCentral, the Medical Library's primary platform for mobile device resources, can be installed on a Blackberry with an SD memory card.

It is essential to have an unlimited data plan to make use of medical applications on a Blackberry. Many programs such as UCentral and Epocrates require that installation be done through the Blackberry's data connection.

Palm Smartphones

Palm, a pioneer in the field of personal digital assistants and smartphones, has all but disappeared from the marketplace. The purchase of Palm by Hewlett-Packard failed to reinvorgorate the flagging company.

There are still a large number of applications written for the old Palm OS that can be run under. the"Classic" Emulator software. This $30 application will allow you to install many medical applications including the premium Epocrates Essentials and UCentral if you still aren't ready to part with your old Palm PDA or smartphone.

Some other things to consider when choosing a Mobile Device

• Any Smartphone used by Yale faculty, staff or students that access ePHI must comply with the Yale University HIPAA Security Policy & Guidelines for Smartphones. Note that not all models of smartphones are acceptable devices for accessing or storing ePHI.
• Consider purchasing an UNLOCKED GSM phone if you travel internationally. That will limit your choices and may cost your more money. Of the two U.S.-based GSM carriers - TMobile and AT&T - TMobile is generally much more willing to unlock your phone so that it can be used with SIM cards from carriers in other countries..
• Ask your mobile service provider for a discount on your monthly voice and data charges. They may say no at first (especially for students) but be persistent. Discounts range from 6% to more than 20%
• Choose the right data plan. A LIMITED data plan (e.g. $10 or 20MB) is almost never a good idea. That said, many users don't need the highest plans offered. Check your device or your bill to see how much data you are using and get the plan that is right for you.
• Be aware of what's around the corner. New models may present an opportunity for a good price on an older device but if your priority is to get the latest and greatest then you may choose to wait for the new model to come out.

Memory Cards

These are a must for devices that use external memory. iPhone and iPodTouch do not use a memory card but these devices have between 8 and 32 GB of space for programs and data. WindowsMobile, Android and many Blackberry devices use some variant of the SD memory card. The optional memory card is still useful even in devices like the HTC Incredible which has 8GB of internal memory as extra application storage or an easily removable storage device. Be sure to purchase the right card (size and capacity) for your device