What Is a Smartphone?
The term smartphone refers to a handheld electronic device that provides a connection to a cellular network. Smartphones were introduced to the world in 1994 by IBM but have since expanded to include companies like Apple and Samsung.1
World Economic Forum. “IBM Created the World’s First Smartphone 25 Years Ago.”
Although they were originally meant to allow individuals to communicate via phone and email, smartphones now allow people to access the internet, play games, and send text messages in addition to making phone calls and sending emails.
Understanding the Smartphone
The world’s first smartphone was created by IBM in 1994. Nicknamed Simon, the smartphone included revolutionary features including a touchscreen, email, and built-in apps including a calculator and a sketch pad. Cellular phone functionality has continued to improve since then, especially in the years after 2000. By 2007, Apple (AAPL) released its groundbreaking iPhone.2 When iPhone 3G was released in 2008,3 there were more than 3.6 billion mobile connections around the world.4
GSMA Intelligence. “Quarterly World Review: Q2 2008.”
Before the inclusion of internet browsing on mobile phones, network operators relied on the fee structure that they relied on for decades—calling another line cost a certain flat rate and sending a text message cost another flat rate. The introduction of smartphones dramatically altered the telecommunications sector. While cell phones were considered the death knell of land-based phones, smartphones were considered the death knell of the prototypi
It’s estimated that more than 5 billion people have mobile devices, which represents approximately 94% of the population of advanced economies and 83% of emerging economies, according to Pew Research Center