Last week I picked up T-Mobile USA MyTouch 3G. I have wanted a Smartphone for awhile, and it took the release of the second Android phone in the US for me to take the plunge. I am extremely happy with my purchase, but what surprised me the most was how greatly my productivity has increased since I started using the phone.

When I got the phone, my girlfriend believed that she was going to become a Smartphone widow. The first few days after receiving the MyTouch, it seemed she was right. But after goofing around with it for a few days, I have gotten into a routine with the phone that has given me more free time and not less as some might have predicted.

Here are a few ways the phone has simplified my life:

No More E-Mail Breaks

Before buying the MyTouch, it would take 5 to 10 minutes to get my computer set up, turned on, and to check my e-mail. With the MyTouch, I am notified when I have e-mail and it takes just seconds to see if it is something important. I have even chosen a few times to ignore the beep of an incoming mail with the knowledge that it is there and I can check it at a moments notice.

My Lists are in Sync

With the program Astrid, I don’t have multiple to do lists strewn across a multitude of locations and computer systems. I have one master to do list that can remind me of what I need to get done when I need to get it done. Because I always have my phone close at hand, I can enter a task as it comes up and I am not writing it down on scraps of paper to transfer to my calendar or to do list later.

Social Media Simplified

As with e-mail, I have got my phone set up to notify me of replies on twitter and notifications on Facebook. I am not sneaking off to see what is going on, because I know what is happening on my Twitter and Facebook streams with a quick glance at my phone. When I want to post something, I can now use Pingdroid to post to multiple services using Ping.fm.

Effective Use of Downtime

This has been one of the greatest benefits of the myTouch. Whenever I am faced with a long wait or delay, I am able to use that downtime to catch up on feeds in Google Reader, check e-mail, or clean up my to do lists. Then when I am back in front of my computer, I am able to get down to work without wondering if I have an e-mail, reading feeds, or catching up on what people are saying on Twitter.

What are your experiences with Smartphones?

Have they made you more productive or less?

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

P.S. The comments are only open for 14 days. I have found that leaving them open any longer makes them a spam target. If you want to let me know what you thought of the article after 14 days, then contact me from my contact me page.

If you liked this post, then you should also check out:

1. What if I Told You that Everything You Have Been Told About Finding a Niche is Wrong?
2. You Don’t Want to Be Famous
3. How Not to Do Free Content