I've been wondering about why people compare these 2 devices for awhile. In my mind,there 2 completly different devices. I keep on reading about the 2 devices being in competition with each other. I don't understand that logic. A smartphone's main feature is 2 obviously make calls and things of that nature and games are secondary. I don't think anyone get's a smartphone just 2 play free and cheap casual games on it. correct me if I'm wrong,but I don't want 2 play a game on my smartphone for hours on end,with nothing but touch screen controls. Plus,the games on a smartphone just don't appeal to me personally and the selection just feels limited. I'd personally rather have a handheld device that's dedicated to gaming,that doesn't just have terrible touch screen controls. So,what's the problem with these 2 devices co-existing. I mean these devices serve 2 completly different purposes in my mind and help me understand why there's all these smartphone and handheld comparisons.

Some people seem to want handhelds to go away. That is my take on the matter.

Because Nintendo dominates the handheld market, and Nintendo must be doomed. Therefore, handhelds are doomed.

The fuck? Rol got banned? Trolololol

EDIT: Let me make this on-topic.

I believe people compare the two out of ignorance. They're both portable and both play games. The analysts fail to realize the different markets these two types of gaming devices cater to. It'd be like assuming that handhelds will destroy console gaming. They're different devices for different games for different tastes.

i dont know if he was banned for that but IMHO it was kind of a paranoid comment to make and has no basis in fact.

OT, i dont get it either. My PSP/DS coexists quite well with my smartphone. Pants to have more than one pocket last I checked

its because smartphones are rapidly catching up to smartphones in terms of gaming experiences. Infinity blade 2 looks better than anything on the 3ds. Full games are starting to get released. Grand Theft Auto 3, Scribblenauts, Ghost Trick, a bunch of Final Fantasy ports and other square ports, Phenox Wright. All full games, and all on smartphones. Third party games will continue to get ported plus there is a suprising amount of quality titles exclusive to smartphones. 

Don't get me wrong, smartphones are still behind, but smartphones get upgraded every year, where as dedicated handhelds go through 5 year cycles. Soon enough smartphones vs handhelds will be similar to gaming pcs vs consoles. If you want absoultely the most advance gaming system you will be getting a very expensive top of the line smart phone. Handhelds will be for those who want a simpler and cheaper way to play. 

The only current problem with most smartphones, is that touch controls are currently awful. I firmly believe the smartphone industry will solve this issue one way or another as games are by far the biggest revenue generators in app stores and this limitation is a pretty big one that ruins the potential of plenty of genres.

Because those devices are in direct competition for your time.

If you are travelling let's say 1 hour each day - you can either spend this time doing nothing or waste it listening to the music, reading books/e-books, playing games etc.

If you can't find enough time for playing handhelds you won't be buying one.

lets give numbers to what each can do 1-10
cost, games, utilities/extras

a smart phone would be a 8, most don't cost more then 200 dollars apps cost like $5 or less
games it would be a 5, they aren't amazing but they are fun to play in decent times.
utilities 10, texting, internet, phone, apps that do other stuff.

lets look at handhelds, say the vita since it gets the attention recently
cost? 2, at $280 or so, plus $30 games, plus memory card things.

games i would say 8-9, they are good but console will always be better. but they are much better then smart phones

utilities? 4.. i thin the vita can get on the web, no texting, not a phone. don't think the 3ds can do either... can't they be alarm clocks? oh well.

Phones 23
hand helds 14-15.