Smartphone

A smartphone, or smart phone, is a mobile phone with more advanced computing capability and connectivity than basic feature phones.

Early smartphones typically combined the features of a mobile phone with those of another popular consumer device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a digital camera, and/or a GPS navigation unit. Modern smartphones include all of those features plus the features of a touchscreen computer, including web browsing, Wi-Fi, and 3rd-party apps and accessories.

The most popular smartphones today are powered by Google's Android and Apple's iOS mobile operating systems.

Early years
Devices that combined telephony and computing were first conceptualized in 1973, and were offered for sale beginning in 1993. The term "smartphone" first appeared in 1997, when Ericsson described its GS 88 "Penelope" concept as a Smart Phone.

Forerunners


The first mobile phone to incorporate PDA features was an IBM prototype developed in 1992 and demonstrated that year at the COMDEX computer industry trade show. A refined version of the product was marketed to consumers in 1994 by BellSouth under the name Simon Personal Communicator. The Simon was the first device that can be properly referred to as a "smartphone", even though that term was not yet coined. In addition to its ability to make and receive cellular phone calls, Simon was also able to send and receive faxes and e-mails through its touch screen display.

PDAs
In the late 1990s, many mobile phone users carried a separate dedicated PDA device, running early versions of operating systems such as Palm OS, BlackBerry OS or Windows CE/Pocket PC. These operating systems would later evolve into mobile operating systems.

In 1996, Nokia released the Nokia 9000 which became their best-selling phone of that time. It was a palmtop computer-style phone combined with a PDA from HP. In early prototypes, the two devices were fixed together via a hinge in what became known as a clamshell design. When opened, the display was on the inside top surface and with a physical QWERTY keyboard on the bottom. Email and text-based web browsing was provided by the GEOS V3.0 operating system.

In early 2000, the Ericsson R380 was released by Ericsson Mobile Communications, and was the first device marketed as a "smartphone". It combined the functions of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA), supported limited web browsing with a resistive touchscreen utilizing a stylus.

In early 2001, Palm, Inc. introduced the Kyocera 6035, which combined a PDA with a mobile phone and operated on Verizon. It also supported limited web browsing.

Smartphones before Android, iOS, and Blackberry, typically ran on Symbian, which was originally developed by Psion. It was the world's most widely used smartphone operating system until Q4 2010.

Mass adoption
In 1999, the Japanese firm NTT Docomo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country. These phones ran on i-mode, which provided data transmission speeds up to 9.6 kbit/s. Unlike future generations of wireless services, NTT Docomo's i-mode used cHTML, a language which restricted some aspects of traditional HTML in favor of increasing data speed for the devices. Limited functionality, small screens and limited bandwidth allowed for phones to maximize the slower data speeds available.

The rise of i-mode helped NTT Docomo accumulate an estimated 40 million subscribers by the end of 2001. It was also ranked first in market capitalization in Japan and second globally. This power would wain in the face of the rise of 3G and new phones with advanced wireless network capabilities.

Outside of Japan, the next smartphone to achieve mass adoption was the BlackBerry, which in 2006 popularized the term CrackBerry due to its addictive nature. The company first released it's GSM BlackBerry 6210, BlackBerry 6220, & BlackBerry 6230 devices in 2003. Also released was the Blackberry 7730 which featured a color screen.

These new waves of phones allowed users to email, fax and make traditional calls, making this a must have tool for the executive on the go. As the Blackberry gained traction, its use spread to the novice user who were attracted by the multitude of communication options the phone offered.

iOS and Android
In 2007, Apple Inc. introduced the iPhone, one of the first mobile phones to use a multi-touch interface. The iPhone was notable for its use of a large touchscreen for direct finger input as its main means of interaction, instead of a stylus, keyboard, and/or keypad typical for smartphones at the time. 2008 saw the release of the first phone to use Android called the HTC Dream. Android is an open-source platform founded by Andy Rubin and backed by Google  The most popular smartphones today are now powered by these two mobile operating systems.

The future
In 2013, the Fairphone company launched its first "socially ethical" smartphone at the London Design Festival to address concerns regarding the sourcing of materials in the manufacturing. In late 2013, QSAlpha commenced production of a smartphone designed entirely around security, encryption and identity protection. In December 2013, the world's first curved-OLED technology smartphones were introduced to the retail market with the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Round and LG G Flex models.

Foldable OLED smartphones could be as much as a decade away because of the cost of producing them. There is a relatively high failure rate when producing these screens. As little as a speck of dust can ruin a screen during production. Creating a battery that can be folded is another hurdle. Samsung fully foldable phones are expected to debut in the 2016-2017 timeframe.

A clear thin layer of crystal glass can be added to small screens like watches and smartphones that make them solar powered. Smartphones could gain 15% more battery life during a typical day. This first smartphones using this technology should arrive in 2015. This screen can also work to receive Li-Fi signals and so can the smartphone camera. The cost of these screens per smartphone is between $2 and $3, much cheaper than most new technology.

Near future smartphones might not have a traditional battery as their sole source of power. Instead, they may pull energy from radio, television, cellular or Wi-Fi signals.

In early 2014, smartphones are beginning to use Quad HD (4K) 2560x1440 on 6" screens with up to 490 ppi which is a significant improvement over Apple's retina display. Quad HD is used in advanced televisions and computer monitors, but with 110 ppi or less on such larger displays.

Android


Android is an open-source platform founded in October 2003 by Andy Rubin and backed by Google, along with major hardware and software developers (such as Intel, HTC, ARM, Motorola and Samsung) that form the Open Handset Alliance. In October 2008, HTC released the HTC Dream, the first phone to use Android. The software suite included on the phone consists of integration with Google's proprietary applications, such as Maps, Calendar, and Gmail, and a full HTML web browser. Android supports the execution of native applications and third-party apps which are available via Google Play, which launched in October 2008 as Android Market. By Q4 2010, Android became the best-selling smartphone platform.

Bada
The Bada operating system for smartphones was announced by Samsung in November 2009. The first Bada-based phone was the Samsung Wave S8500, released in June 2010. Samsung shipped 4.5 million phones running Bada in Q2 of 2011. In 2013, Bada merged with a similar platform called Tizen.

BlackBerry
In 1999, RIM released its first BlackBerry devices, providing secure real-time push-email communications on wireless devices. Services such as BlackBerry Messenger provide the integration of all communications into a single inbox. There are 80 million active BlackBerry service subscribers and the 200 millionth BlackBerry smartphone was shipped in September 2012. Most recently, RIM has undergone a platform transition, changing its name to BlackBerry and making new devices on a new platform named "BlackBerry 10."

iOS


In 2007, Apple Inc. introduced the iPhone, one of the first mobile phones to use a multi-touch interface. The iPhone was notable for its use of a large touchscreen for direct finger input as its main means of interaction, instead of a stylus, keyboard, and/or keypad as typical for smartphones at the time. In July 2008, Apple introduced its second generation iPhone with a much lower list price and 3G support. Simultaneously, they introduced the App Store, which allowed any iPhone to install third-party native applications. Featuring over 500 applications at launch, the App Store eventually achieved 1 billion downloads in the first year, and 15 billion by 2011.

Sailfish OS
The Sailfish OS is based on the Linux kernel and Mer. Additionally Sailfish OS includes a partially or completely proprietary multi-tasking user interface programmed by Jolla. This user interface differentiate Jolla smartphones from others. Sailfish OS is intended to be a system made by many of the MeeGo team, which left Nokia to form Jolla, utilizing funding from Nokia's "Bridge" program which helps establish and support start-up companies formed by ex-Nokia employees.

Windows Phone
In February 2010, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 with a User Interface inspired by Microsoft's "Metro Design Language". Windows Phone 7 integrates with Microsoft services such as Microsoft SkyDrive, Office, Xbox and Bing, as well as non-Microsoft services such as Facebook, Twitter and Google accounts. This software platform runs on most Nokia smartphones, it has received some positive reception from the technology press and been praised for its uniqueness.

Firefox OS
Firefox OS (originally called the boot to gecko project) was demonstrated by Mozilla in February 2012. It was designed to have a complete community based alternative system for mobile devices, using open standards and HTML5 applications. The first commercially available Firefox OS phones were ZTE Open and Alcatel One Touch Fire. As of 2014 more companies have partnered with Mozilla including Panasonic (which is making a smart TV with Firefox OS) and Sony.

Application stores
The introduction of Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch in July 2008 popularized manufacturer-hosted online distribution for third-party applications (software, computer programs) focused on a single platform. Up until that point, smartphone application distribution depended on third-party sources providing applications for multiple platforms, such as GetJar, Handango, Handmark, and PocketGear.

Following the success of the App Store, other smartphone manufacturers launched application stores, such as Google's Android Market in October 2008 and RIM's BlackBerry App World in April 2009.

Smartphone usage
In the third quarter of 2012, one billion smartphones were in use worldwide. Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for features phones in early 2013. As of 2013, 65 percent U.S. mobile consumers own smartphones. The European mobile device market as of 2013 is 860 million. In China, smartphones represented more than half of all handset shipments in the second quarter of 2012.

As of November 2011, 27% of all photographs were taken with camera-equipped smartphones. A study conducted in September 2012 concluded that 4 out of 5 smartphone owners use the device to shop.

Worldwide shipments of smartphones topped 1 billion units in 2013 (up 38% from 2012's 725 million) while compromising a 55% share of the mobile phone market in 2013 (up from 42% in 2012).

By manufacturer
In 2013, Samsung set at 31.3 percent Shipment Market Share, a slight increase from 30.3 percent in 2012, while Apple set at 15.3 percent in 2013 and decrease from 18.7 percent in 2012. Huawei, LG and Lenovo set at about 5 percent each and significant better than 2012 figures, while Others set at about 40 percent or same with last year figure. Only Apple loss its market share, although the shipment volume in one year still increase by (small) 12.9 percent, but the rest increase significant in shipment volume by 36 to 92 percent.

By operating system
As of the end of Q3 2013, Android was the most popular operating system, with a 81.9% market share, followed by iOS with 12.1%, Windows Phone with 3.6% and BlackBerry with 1.8%.

Environmental
Obtaining the resources required to create smartphones involves the mining of minerals such as coltan, which are toxic to humans and wildlife. Other raw materials, such as oils, copper, plastics, and solvents, have the potential to contaminate both the soil and groundwater. Smartphones also contain toxic chemicals such as lead, bromine, chlorine, mercury, and cadmium.

The improper recycling of used smartphones damages the environment. Mobile phones can contain dangerous chemicals such as antimony, cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic, nickel and zinc, which can run off into surrounding water bodies or seep into soil contaminating wildlife and drinking water.

Worker conditions
The capacitors in electronics use minerals mined in pre-industrial societies, which causes concern in Western cultures. e.g., Mines in Africa have been associated with so-called "human rights violations" such as Rwanda. Men, women, and children have been worked at gunpoint to mine for these minerals.

The electronics soldering in smartphones require tin, 30% of which comes from the Indonesian islands of Bangka and Belitung. The tin extraction process has been identified as environmentally destructive and, as of September 2013, children are employed in hazardous conditions to extract tin. Modern Westerners typically disapprove routine employment of people under 16 or so, imagining they have better options.

Social
A University of Southern California study found that the unprotected adolescent sexual activity was more common amongst owners of smartphones. A study conducted by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) Lighting Research Center (LRC) concluded that smartphones, or any backlit devices, can seriously affect sleep cycles.

Legal
A "patent war" between Samsung and Apple started when the latter claimed that the original Galaxy S Android phone copied the interface—and possibly the hardware—of Apple's iOS for the iPhone 3GS.

Security
Smartphone malware is more easily distributed through application stores that have minimal or no security mechanisms. Often malware is hidden in pirated versions of legitimate apps, which are then distributed through 3rd party app stores. Malware risk also comes from what's known as an "update attack", where a legitimate application is later changed to include a malware component, which users then install when they are notified that the app has been updated.

One out of three robberies involve the theft of a mobile phone. An online petition urging that smartphone makers to install kill switches in their devices is underway.

In order to minimize the chances of being a victim of theft of mobile devices, there have been several apps created to help those out that may be in a dangerous situation. There are now apps that may aid in personal security by providing immediate assistance. Although, some personal security apps may be seen as just for women, they were originally developed to decrease the risk of sexual assaults and thefts aimed towards students on school campuses.

Other Terms
"phablet", a portmanteau of the words phone and tablet describes smartphones with larger screens.

"superphone" is also used by some companies to market phones with unusually large screens and other expensive features.