What is a Smartphone?
Brad McCarty of TheNextWeb gives a good working definition of the smartphone. "For the sake of argument, let’s say that a smartphone would need to have not only keyboard function (be that physical or on-screen), but also some basic “digital assistant” features, too."
Pre-iPhone
IMB had big plans for the Simon, but they never really panned out. The phone, however, was likely just too advanced for its day. It included a touchscreen, operated by stylus, that would let you send and receive fax messages. But it also of course had a notepad, an email client and a calendar. Without a doubt, the Simon was the first smartphone, but it would retire before gaining fame.
Ericsson was the first brand to actually coin the phrase “smartphone”, with the release of its GS88 in 1997. By all accounts, though, Nokia actually beat Ericcson to the finish line a year earlier with what many consider to be the quintessential smartphone, the Nokia 9000 Communicator...It was the first of the Nokia smartphones to carry a color screen, setting it apart in the race.
Fast forward to 2001 and we see Palm OS, BlackBerry OS and Windows CE coming onto the scene. Palm had a respectable position in the market during this time, after releasing the Kyocera 6035, the basic form factor by which the rest of Palm’s line until the advent of WebOS would continue.
The design was so popular, in fact, that mobile manufacturer Handspring copied the idea for the release of its PalmOS-based Treo, a brand which would eventually become synonymous with Palm through the greater part of its life.
Thus also began the era of choosing a phone depending upon the requirements of where you worked. Some IT departments refused to work with anything other than BlackBerry, setting up RIM to take a formidable hold over the corporate world for years to come. Still others, however, were fans of the Windows CE format, which interfaced exceptionally well with desktop Windows installations, though the glory would be short-lived.
Ericsson was the first brand to actually coin the phrase “smartphone”, with the release of its GS88 in 1997. By all accounts, though, Nokia actually beat Ericcson to the finish line a year earlier with what many consider to be the quintessential smartphone, the Nokia 9000 Communicator...It was the first of the Nokia smartphones to carry a color screen, setting it apart in the race.
Fast forward to 2001 and we see Palm OS, BlackBerry OS and Windows CE coming onto the scene. Palm had a respectable position in the market during this time, after releasing the Kyocera 6035, the basic form factor by which the rest of Palm’s line until the advent of WebOS would continue.
The design was so popular, in fact, that mobile manufacturer Handspring copied the idea for the release of its PalmOS-based Treo, a brand which would eventually become synonymous with Palm through the greater part of its life.
Thus also began the era of choosing a phone depending upon the requirements of where you worked. Some IT departments refused to work with anything other than BlackBerry, setting up RIM to take a formidable hold over the corporate world for years to come. Still others, however, were fans of the Windows CE format, which interfaced exceptionally well with desktop Windows installations, though the glory would be short-lived.
iPhone and Beyond
Smartphones had always been seen more along the lines of something that business people used, but in June 2007 Apple released the original iPhone, a smartphone that regular consumers would be interested in owning. And, given that between June 2007 and June 2012 the iPhone family of models has generated US $150 billion of cumulative revenues worldwide for Apple, it would seem like consumers did and continue to take to smart phones.”
Apple might have ignited the smartphone revolution, but they were not alone for long. In 2008, HTC signed up to be the first manufacturer to make Android phones after the backing of the project by Google. Soon after, the OS got considerable attention from other manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, Motorola and many more.
In addition, there is the Windows Phone, the most recent of mobile operating systems. Taking a completely different approach to its interface, it has managed to avoid the ire of Apple and Google, finding success on its own worth rather than copycatting others.
Apple might have ignited the smartphone revolution, but they were not alone for long. In 2008, HTC signed up to be the first manufacturer to make Android phones after the backing of the project by Google. Soon after, the OS got considerable attention from other manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, Motorola and many more.
In addition, there is the Windows Phone, the most recent of mobile operating systems. Taking a completely different approach to its interface, it has managed to avoid the ire of Apple and Google, finding success on its own worth rather than copycatting others.