The great selling point of an Android tablet and phone is its practically endless customization options as compared to the likes of the iPhone, iPad and Blackberries. When there’s something that you don’t like about an app, a feature or function then feel comfortable knowing that there’s a large numbers of alternatives available.

Starting with the basic personalization options the initial thing you might like to do is change the normal wallpaper to something that resonates better along with your persona. To change the wallpaper you have to touch the ‚menu‘ button and select ‚Wallpaper‘ from the list of options. Then you’re able to choose any image on the phone and select it as the wallpaper. You can even touch and drag to highlight a distinct part of a graphic for the wallpaper. Don’t forget with all the connectivity options you can even copy images from your computer to your smartphone. If you still can’t find the right wallpaper there is a free application on the market called Backgrounds will give you access to a huge number of wallpaper images.

The next essential customization option is select a ringtone to something a tad more ‚You‘ than the default ringtone. To change the ringtone hit the ‚menu‘ button, touch ‚Settings‘ and then go to the ‚Sound and display‘ option. If you haven’t already done so, you could copy an MP3 to your phone and use it as your ringtone. To do this you need to create a folder on your memory card called ‚ringtones‘. Copy the track you would like to use and Android is going to do the rest. When you need even more control of the ringtone you could download a free app called RingDroid. This app will enable you to edit an MP3 and save just that awesome chorus as your ringtone.

If your Android phone comes with a color LED you have probably noticed that it flashes if you have a missed call or message. It is possible to control the color of the LED to show a particular color for particular events. For example you could set it to blink red in the event you missed a call from your manager and blue if you missed a call from your friend. To pimp out the LED color, download a free app named Missed Call.

Once the essential customization is finished, you can begin diving a bit deeper and personalize your Android phone to your exact needs. One complaint some folk have is that the default messaging system. It is somewhat awkward and clunky. Nevertheless, various developers have developed alternative messaging apps which are more user-friendly and incorporate more features. Handcent has established itself as the number 1 substitute for the default messaging system. Folks who use it, swear they’d never go back.

Yet another bit of customization you may want to look at is swapping the default virtual keyboard. While it is relatively functional it’s lacking a certain finesse, which is where the BetterKeyboard application enters the picture. You can include and remove custom buttons, change the look and use a number pad if you wish. For anyone who is sending a considerable amount of emails or texts then BetterKeyboard is a recommended customization for the Android phone.

Lastly you can change the home screen to display the data you truly want. The LauncherPro app does a great job of this enabling you to have as many as 7 screens. This is extremely useful should you use your phone to manage business and personal work.

Before purchasing a device take a look at the many Android tablet reviews online. Make sure you are purchasing a device that is perfect for you. Android tablet and device reviews will expose the good and bad of any device.