What are Smartphones?

A mobile phone that is able to perform many of the functions of a computer, typically having a relatively large screen and an operating system capable of running general-purpose applications.

  History of the Smartphone

Alexander Graham Bell is the inventor of the telephone. In 1878 he made the first phone call. Telephones have not only come a long way, but may one day be completely obsolete.

Motorola introduced some of the first cellphones to the public during the 1980s. These cellphones were completely unlike the cell phones of today since they were not at all compact nor by any means cost effective. Some of these cellphones cost as much as $4,000, and weighed over 2 pounds!

The first smartphone was developed by IBM and BellSouth, which came out to the public in 1993. Althought basic compared to today’s standards “Simon” had a touch screen that was capable of accessing email and sending faxes. 

Smartphones are major extensions on normal cellphones. Cellphones can make phone calls and even some have video recording capabilities but they do not have GPS capabilities along with a whole array of other applications. Text messaging is one of the biggest forms of communication today, especially among the younger folks.

Smartphones capability does not end at the Internet access, or at document editing. Smartphones also have the ability to interpret and decipher information like that from a quick response code that may be on a product’s packaging. Smartphone users can download QR code scanners as well as other applications so they have the ability to read the information embedded in the QR code that may take them to a website, a coupon, or even a social media site.

To most observers the birth of the modern smart phone industry occurred in 2007 when 

• Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone
• Soon after Google announced its Android operating system 
• More recently Microsoft challenged with its Windows Phone 7 operating system 

Certainly the emergence of these 3 platforms has ignited spectacular growth in the adoption of smart phones, both in business (enterprise) and non-business (consumer) circles.