History of the Smartphone
June 29th marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the iPhone. Since then, the smartphone has become the normal cell phone used by people, replacing the flip phone that was popular before 2007. Apple and their top competitors like Samsung have been working tirelessly since then to improve their products to make them as competitive as possible.
Since the release of the first iPhone, the smartphone has seen several remarkable developments. They have gotten more and more memory for storage purposes, faster processors to help them run more programs, and bigger and better screens. They also have high-quality cameras capable of professional-looking photos and videos.
The History of the Smartphone
Before the iPhone: The Simon Personal Communicator
The Simon Personal Communicator was released in 1994 by BellSouth. It’s considered the first commercially available phone with a touchscreen, though it was insanely heavy and cost around $1,000. A great article by TIME shows the SPC next to an iPhone 4S. Although it was a big, bulky device, it did have a touchscreen and apps, and it helped pave the way for the smartphones on the market today. Unfortunately, due to its bulkiness and hefty price tag, it lasted only 6 months on the market.
The Nikon 9000 Communicator
The Nikon 9000 was released in 1996. It is another version of an early smartphone. The phone could flip open and would then resemble an old Blackberry. It’s advantage over the older phones was that it could render monochrome graphics as opposed to just text web browsing. Like the other early smartphones, the 9000 was expensive, costing around $800 in the United States.
The Qualcomm pdQ
Qualcomm released its pdQ smartphone way back in 1999. That device would resemble a Palm Pilot more than the smartphones seen on the market today. CNN noted that the phone was “very handy for business or personal use.”
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The First Generation
Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone in January of 2007 at the Macworld Convention. The announcement created quite a buzz in the tech world, and was followed by the release of the first modern smartphone on June 29th of the same year. The first generation of the iPhone had only 4GB and 8GB storage choices.
iPhone 3G
The 3G was released the next year, and saw several improvements to the smartphone from Apple. The 3G capabilities gave the phone faster data speed. It still had only a 2MP camera, and storage choices of 4, 8, and 16GB.
The iPhone 5 and 5S
Jump ahead to the iPhone 5, released in 2012. It had a selfie camera on the front of 2MP, as well as an 8MP camera on the back. Storage was significantly improved, up to a 64GB option. Siri, everyone’s favorite AI personality, was released with the 5S model, making it another big seller for Apple.
The Next Generation
The release of the iPhone 6 Plus saw a bigger iPhone than ever before. The 2015 release of the 6S had a drastically better camera, as well. Then 2016 saw the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, smartphones with 64, 128, and 256GB. They were without a headphone jack but more water-resistant like some of the competitor’s smartphones had become. 2017 will see the release of the iPhone 8, a smartphone that is sure to shake up the market even more.
Android Smartphones
The Galaxy SII
This is the smartphone that brought Samsung to the U.S. market in a real way. Released in 2011, it was the “anti-iPhone,” available by the same name by every major carrier. Apple seemed to have a monopoly on the U.S. market thanks to its mainstream appeal, and Samsung began to strike back with their Galaxy smartphones.
The Galaxy S8
The S8 is one of the best smartphones released so far in 2017. It has an “infinity” screen, stretching across the entire front of the phone. The S8+ has a 6.2” display, and the S8 has a 5.8: display. Its camera boasts the ability to take great lowlight photos, and even the front-facing camera has 8MP.
The S8 also features Bixby, which assists the user in everything from language translation to QR code detection. The S8 is Samsung’s flagship smartphone and is going to compete with the iPhone that is released in 2017.
Other Android Devices
There are many other notable smartphones, from manufacturers like Google, LG, and Lenovo. Apple may have been the one that sparked a revolution for a new style of phone, but today there are many smartphones that run the Android operating system. Android smartphones actually have a greater market share, in the U.S. and around the world, than Apple does. Although Apple leads any other manufacturer.
The smartphone has progressed significantly in the past ten years. 2017 will see the release of the iPhone 8, which will bring even more changes to the ever-popular smartphone from Apple. Whether you prefer an Apple device or are using Android, smartphones tend to break eventually. For iPhone repairs in Lafayette, LA and the surrounding areas, give iPhone Repair 4 Less a call today at 337-255-2898!
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