Many newer smartphones, with the exception of older Blackberries, can sync with Exchange server and Outlook.com accounts using Exchange Active Sync (EAS). Set the account up on the phone using either Microsoft Exchange account type or Hotmail (or Outlook.com) when available.
See Sync calendar and contacts using Outlook.com for instructions to sync your appointments and contacts to a smartphone when you use a POP3 or IMAP email account.