Hi Carol,
Cameras have certainly come a long way over the past 5 years haven't they? Old Guys like me still remember when the biggest new thing in cameras was 400 speed color film!!! Today, to change your ISO rating you just push a button or turn a dial and there it is. No film, just crisp, sharp photos. We've come a long way Carol, but we still have a long way to go before a Smartphone will give you the kind of quality you get in even the cheaper point and shoot cameras. Let's look at a few of the reasons why:
First, we have to think of OPTICS in the lens. High quality optics provide high quality images. I looked at a point and shoot made by Panasonic this week that had 8 elements in the lens, providing 16 x optical zoom and an added 4 x digital zoom. Until we can come up with a way to build affordable micro-optics for smartphones, they will never compare in terms of zoom flexibility or optical quality.
Our second issue with smartphone cameras is their limited application. They are fine for taking snapshots of close-up subjects in well lit areas. But even then the image quality will not stand up to any kind of enlargement for printing. But if you're just sharing pictures over a social network on the Web, the Smartphone may be just the ticket for you. What you can't expect is to be able to take pictures of fast moving objects, or to use the smartphone in low light scenarios. You can photoshop images to a degree, but poorly lit subjects will not come out well on your smartphone.
But don't be discouraged!!! The good news is that in the $100 - $200.00 range, point and shoot cameras these days are really a great bargain for the occasional photographer. They are ultra small, with very high resolution, built in flash (good for about 30 feet), and provide a multitude of zoom capabilities and image variables from indoor low light to high speed outdoor subjects. The battery life has vastly improved and the lens quality is remarkable for such small platforms. And they're small enough to fit in your pocketbook or ultra-small carrying case. Most double as Video Cameras and as you get closer to the $200.00 mark, the Video is in 1080P HD.
So if I were you Carol, I think my choice might be to either wait until they improve the quality and capabilities of the smartphone cameras, or just elect to buy one of the newer point and shoots.
Hope this helps.