While some technological advances, including the telephone and electricity, took a couple of decades or more to catch on, others, such as Internet and cell phones, have caught on more quickly, becoming widespread throughout the U.S. in less than 10 years. Only a few technologies have caught on in less than five years. One such device is the smart phone, due in large part to the release of the Apple iPhone in 2007.
Although smart phones didn’t become mainstream until earlier this century, the first smart phone was released by IBM in 1993. The Simon personal communicator combined a cell phone, pager, PDA and fax machine into one fairly cumbersome and quite expensive device. At nearly $900, Simon was not successful at capturing a large share of the mobile market.
A few years after IBM’s Simon, U.S. Robotics introduced the Palm Pilot, the first personal digital assistant (PDA). Although this device did not have mobile phone capabilities, it paved the way for future smart phones by providing data capabilities and applications. Another early smart phone precursor, Nokia’s Communicator, was released in 1998 and featured a flip-out keyboard — the first of its kind.
The first true smart phone entered the scene in 2002 when Research in Motion released the BlackBerry 5810. This mobile phone/PDA had e-mail and Internet capabilities as well as a built-in calendar, address book and other applications. The main drawback to this early smart phone was that you had to connect a headset in to use it as a phone. The manufacturers added in full handset-free phone functionality on a later model, the 6210, which was released two years later.
Apple’s iPhone, released in 2007, marked the true beginning of the smart phone revolution. Although still a bit pricy for a mobile phone at $499, Apple’s large, full-color, touch-screen display and wide range of apps enticed technophiles to invest. The following year saw the release of the second generation iPhone, with much more affordable price tag, leading to even greater sales. Additionally, AT&T, the only provider at the time to sell the iPhone, began subsidizing part of the cost of the phone, making it an affordable option for more users.
While Apple’s iPhone runs on a proprietary Apple operating system, a rival platform was introduced in 2008. Backed by Google, the Android operating system is open-source, which means that any manufacturer is allowed to install and run Android on its phones. Although Apple’s iPhone was released first, sales of smart phones running Android have quickly surpassed iPhone sales. Today, Android-based phones account for nearly 47 percent of the cell phone market, while Apple’s iPhone accounts for just under 29 percent.
As technology progresses, so too do the features available on smart phones. Recent improvements include unbreakable screens, larger displays, front and rear facing cameras and a wealth of other features and capabilities. As the smart phone industry is still in its prime, expect more improvements in the months and years ahead.
