Is it necessary to install anti-virus on a smart phone?

[Type 100]

It's my first smartphone (Lenovo P700i) after several years using a Nokia E52....I installed several apps already but not an antivirus...is it necessary? would I experience lag issues if I install one? What is the best among the free antiviru for smartphoness? I know that PCs need AV, but what about the smartphones....TIA

The boldface in the remarks is mine. The reason I emphasized that was because smartphones are essentially miniature PCs nowadays - especially the Android kind, where the app ecosystem is open. Underestimating IT security can have serious consequences - this can lead to identity theft and social engineering, and smartphones are definitely part of the IT security umbrella.

I don't use Avast on my PCs, but I do use it on my phone (I use a Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro/SK17i). So far so good. It's got a few anti-theft measures too. Even if I don't root the phone or use custom ROMs, I think some form of antivirus is a necessity.

[pop3corn]

The boldface in the remarks is mine. The reason I emphasized that was because smartphones are essentially miniature PCs nowadays - especially the Android kind, where the app ecosystem is open. Underestimating IT security can have serious consequences - this can lead to identity theft and social engineering, and smartphones are definitely part of the IT security umbrella.

I don't use Avast on my PCs, but I do use it on my phone (I use a Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro/SK17i). So far so good. It's got a few anti-theft measures too. Even if I don't root the phone or use custom ROMs, I think some form of antivirus is a necessity.

And that is why apple doesn't allow downloading files from the net or reading/copying files from an external device.

The cloud solves those file sharing problems, pero kung mahilig ka talaga sa nakaw na mp3, video, docs, well android it is bdc. It is somehow all in one, all-in-one nga pati virus, trojan, malwares.

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