The History of Smartphone
A smartphone is a portable device that combines the functions of a mobile phone and a computer. It has a touchscreen interface, internet access, an operating system that can run downloaded apps, and various sensors and wireless communication protocols². Smartphones have become an essential part of our lives, allowing us to communicate, work, play, learn, and access information anytime and anywhere. But how did smartphones evolve from simple brick phones to sophisticated pocket computers? Here is a brief overview of the history of smartphone.

The First Smartphone

The first device that technically qualifies as a smartphone was the **IBM Simon Personal Communicator**, which was designed by IBM and sold by BellSouth in 1993¹². It had a monochrome LCD touchscreen that could be used with a stylus or finger, and it could make and receive phone calls, send and receive faxes and emails, and run some built-in applications such as a calendar, an address book, a calculator, a world clock, and a notepad¹. It also had a PCMCIA slot that could accept additional memory cards or modem cards¹. However, it was bulky, expensive, and had a short battery life. It only sold about 50,000 units before it was discontinued in 1995¹.

 The Early Marriage of PDAs and Cell Phones

The initial failure of the IBM Simon did not deter other companies from trying to introduce devices that combined the features of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones. PDAs were handheld devices that could store personal information and run various applications, but they lacked cellular connectivity. In 1996, Nokia launched the **Nokia 9000 Communicator**, which was a clamshell device that had a phone on one side and a PDA on the other². It had a full QWERTY keyboard, a monochrome LCD screen, and ran on the GEOS operating system. It could send and receive emails and faxes, browse the web, and run some third-party applications². It was popular among business users and sold over half a million units².

In 1997, Ericsson introduced the **Ericsson GS88**, which was the first device to be officially called a smartphone². It had a flip cover that revealed a touchscreen and ran on the EPOC operating system (later renamed Symbian). It could also send and receive emails and faxes, browse the web, and run some third-party applications². However, it was never commercially released due to technical problems².

In 1999, Qualcomm released the **pdQ Smartphone**, which was another clamshell device that had a phone on one side and a Palm OS PDA on the other². It had a touchscreen, a stylus, and a full QWERTY keyboard. It could sync with desktop computers, send and receive emails, browse the web, and run Palm OS applications². It was one of the first devices to use CDMA technology for faster data transmission².

The Rise of BlackBerry

In 2002, Research In Motion (RIM) launched the **BlackBerry 5810**, which was the first BlackBerry device to incorporate phone functionality². It had a monochrome display, a full QWERTY keyboard, and ran on the BlackBerry OS. It was mainly designed for email communication and supported push email service that delivered messages instantly to the device². It also had some basic applications such as a calendar, an address book, a calculator, and a memo pad. It required a headset for making phone calls as it lacked an integrated speaker and microphone².

The BlackBerry devices soon became popular among business users who valued their security, reliability, and efficiency. RIM continued to improve its devices by adding color displays, cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS navigation, media players,
and web browsers. In 2007, RIM released the **BlackBerry Curve 8300**, which was one of its best-selling devices with over 10 million units sold worldwide².

The iPhone Revolution

In 2007, Apple introduced the **iPhone**, which changed the smartphone industry forever. The iPhone was a sleek device that had a large capacitive touchscreen that supported multi-touch gestures such as pinching and swiping. It ran on the iOS operating system (originally called iPhone OS) that offered an intuitive user interface with icons and animations. It also had an integrated camera,
a media player,
a web browser,
and an app store that allowed users to download thousands of applications from various categories such as games,
social networking,
productivity,
and education. The iPhone also supported Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth,
and EDGE data networks (later upgraded to 3G
and 4G). The iPhone was widely praised for its innovation
and design
and became an instant hit among consumers.

Apple continued to release new versions of the iPhone with improved features such as faster processors,
higher-resolution screens,
better cameras,
fingerprint scanners,
face recognition,
wireless charging,
and water resistance. In 2020,
Apple released the **iPhone 12** series,
which included four models with different sizes
and specifications. The iPhone 12 series also supported 5G
networks
and introduced MagSafe accessories that attached magnetically to the back of the device.

The Android Challenge

In 2008,
Google launched its own smartphone platform called **Android**,
which was based on Linux
and open source software. Android was designed to be flexible
and customizable
and allowed manufacturers
and developers
to create their own versions of the operating system
and applications. Android also offered integration with Google's services such as Gmail,
Maps,
Search,
YouTube,
and Play Store.

The first commercially available Android device was the **HTC Dream** (also known as T-Mobile G1),
which had a touchscreen
and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It ran on Android 1.0
and had some basic features such as email,
web browsing,
camera,
media player,
and Google apps.

Since then,
Android has evolved rapidly
and become the most widely used smartphone operating system in the world. Android has released several versions with different names based on desserts such as Cupcake,
Donut,
Eclair,
Froyo,
Gingerbread,
Honeycomb,
Ice Cream Sandwich,
Jelly Bean,
KitKat,
Lollipop,
Marshmallow,
Nougat,
Oreo,
Pie,
and Q (later renamed Android 10). In 2020,
Google released **Android 11**,
which added new features such as chat bubbles,
screen recording,
dark mode scheduling,
smart device controls,
privacy enhancements,
and more.

Many smartphone manufacturers have adopted Android as their operating system
and created their own brands
and models with different designs
and specifications. Some of the most popular Android smartphone brands include Samsung ,
Huawei ,
Xiaomi ,
Oppo ,
Vivo ,
OnePlus ,
Motorola ,
LG ,
Sony ,
Nokia ,
and Google itself.

 The Future of Smartphone

Smartphones have come a long way since their inception
and have become more than just communication devices.
They have become personal assistants ,
entertainment centers ,
learning tools ,
health monitors ,
gaming consoles ,
wallets ,
cameras ,
and more.

The future of smartphones is likely to see more innovations
and advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence ,
augmented reality ,
virtual reality ,
biometrics ,
blockchain ,
cloud computing ,
edge computing ,
nanotechnology ,
quantum computing ,
and more.

Some of the possible features that future smartphones may have include:

- Foldable or rollable screens that can expand or contract according to user preference.
- Transparent or holographic displays that can project images or videos in mid-air.
- Self-healing materials that can repair scratches or cracks automatically.
- Solar-powered batteries that can recharge using sunlight or ambient light.
- Neural interfaces that can connect directly to the brain or nervous system.
- Molecular sensors that can detect substances or diseases in the environment or body.
- Haptic feedback that can simulate touch sensations or vibrations.
- Modular design that can allow users to swap or upgrade components easily.

Smartphones have changed our lives in many ways
and will continue to do so in the future.
They are not only devices but extensions of ourselves.