(1) A cellular telephone with built-in applications and Internet access. Smartphones provide digital voice service as well as any combination of text messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, still camera, video camera, MP3 player, video player, television and organizer. In addition to their built-in functions, smartphones have become application delivery platforms, turning the once single-minded cellphone into a mobile computer. See smartphone keyboard, PDA, Pocket PC, Symbian OS, Palm, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, iPhone and Android.
It Took More than a Decade
In 1994, IBM and BellSouth introduced a combination phone and PDA called the Simon Personal Communicator. Often touted as the first smartphone, the Simon was costly and heavy (see personal communicator). It took another decade before smartphones became small and powerful enough to be widely used, but since the advent of the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry Storm, smartphones are creating a revolution (see "Smartphones - Truly Personal" in hot topics and trends).
(2) (Smartphone) Microsoft branded the term with a capital "S" within its Windows Mobile Platform.
An Early Smartphone
In 2002, this Treo model from Palm was one of the first smartphones. It used the Palm OS to run Palm's venerable PDA application along with e-mail and Web browsing. (Image courtesy of Palm, Inc.)
Apple's iPhone
No cellphone caused as much buzz as the iPhone. Introduced in 2007, people camped out overnight to be first to own one. Its touch screen caused a paradigm shift in mobile user interfaces (see iPhone). (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.)
More Innovation Followed
Other innovative touch screens soon followed the iPhone. Introduced in 2008, these HTC Touch Diamond models integrate music player, GPS, camera and high-speed Internet access. (Image courtesy of HTC Corporation, www.htc.com)
It Took More than a Decade
In 1994, IBM and BellSouth introduced a combination phone and PDA called the Simon Personal Communicator. Often touted as the first smartphone, the Simon was costly and heavy (see personal communicator). It took another decade before smartphones became small and powerful enough to be widely used, but since the advent of the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry Storm, smartphones are creating a revolution (see "Smartphones - Truly Personal" in hot topics and trends).
(2) (Smartphone) Microsoft branded the term with a capital "S" within its Windows Mobile Platform.
An Early Smartphone
In 2002, this Treo model from Palm was one of the first smartphones. It used the Palm OS to run Palm's venerable PDA application along with e-mail and Web browsing. (Image courtesy of Palm, Inc.)
Apple's iPhone
No cellphone caused as much buzz as the iPhone. Introduced in 2007, people camped out overnight to be first to own one. Its touch screen caused a paradigm shift in mobile user interfaces (see iPhone). (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.)
More Innovation Followed
Other innovative touch screens soon followed the iPhone. Introduced in 2008, these HTC Touch Diamond models integrate music player, GPS, camera and high-speed Internet access. (Image courtesy of HTC Corporation, www.htc.com)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Verizon debuts Samsung Omnia II; Dec. 2 for $200
- Verizon on Monday announced that the Samsung Omnia II smartphone will be available on December 2 for $199.99. by Andrew Nusca
- Blog posts 2009-11-23
- Stupid DROID Tricks, Volume 1
- Android 2.0 on the Verizon DROID Smartphone is indeed sophisticated, but for a new user can also be daunting or even overwhelming. Here's my first installment in what I think will be a series of Tips and Tricks posts related to Android. by Jason Perlow
- Blog posts 2009-11-22
- Dell sells Motorola Droid for $119 with contract; $80 less than Verizon
- Dell is now offering Motorola's hot new Droid smartphone for $119 with two-year contract. by Andrew Nusca
- Blog posts 2009-11-20
- Hands-on with the T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Google Android smartphone
- I like a keyboard alsoIt seems like a very good Android phone, but I like a keyboard also and I'm a T-Mobile customer looking for a new phone. I have a BB Curve. I'm looking for a good deal of the next month. Yep - keyboard is, well,...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-20
- Will Microsoft's Silverlight dampen the appeal of Google's Chrome OS?
- MS is the past Google is the future so NopeGoogle is the old MS, MS is the old IBM. PC_DOS never made it, MS_DOS did. The driving factor was openness and innovation.Today and in the near future, Google has bothToday MS sees profit only and based on thatdrives...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-20
- iPhone - is it a good tool for traveling business people?
- yes- hmmmm....You're right Dan. Droid? Then you can have google navigation and we'll be able to find a better restaurant in NYC than the worlds busiest Korean :p Maybe those nice people @ 451 will buy you one ;)Thanks for the thoughtOne issue with the current Android V2 phones is...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-20
- Hands-on with the T-Mobile Samsung Behold II Google Android smartphone
- I took a look at the Samsung Behold last year and as you may recall this is a high end feature phone with a high resolution camera. When I initially heard that T-Mobile was going to launch the Behold II in the Fall I didn't think much about it since...
- Blog posts 2009-11-20
- CompanionLink Professional 2.0 for Pocket PC 2.0 (Mobile)
- Power in your Pocket! CompanionLink Professional is the most powerful synchronization tool for people who use Pocket PC devices with ACT!, GoldMine and Lotus Notes. CompanionLink's detailed synchronization features make the most of your PDA investment, increasing both your productivity and business contact capabilities. If you are using multiple databases,...
- Software downloads 2009-11-20
- CompanionLink Express 2.0 for Pocket PC 2.0 (Mobile)
- Power in your Pocket! CompanionLink Express quickly and easily synchronizes ACT!, GoldMine and Lotus Notes with any Windows Mobile-Pocket PC device. CompanionLink's detailed synchronization features make the most of your PDA investment, increasing both your productivity and business contact capabilities. CompanionLink offers more CRM features than any other synchronization tool...
- Software downloads 2009-11-20
- Messing around with the DROID camera
- As you may be aware, one of the earliest complaints from new DROID owners is that the camera under performed when compared with other smartphone cameras, such as the iPhone's or the BlackBerry Bold's, particularly as it related to sharpness and focus. Apparently, it has been discovered...
- Blog posts 2009-11-19
- Hands-on with the HTC HD2, most impressive Windows Mobile device to date
- I like what HTC is doingYou've got the Hero and the HD2. I'd like to see what the difference is in performance between the two, but the Hero has a slower processor. Personally, I like the Windows Mobile platform, and it is the best option for Windows-based IT...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Next-gen Flip mini camcorder to sport Wi-Fi; Cisco influence finally materializes
- Flip still behindWhen will we get some optical zoom??RE: Next-gen Flip mini camcorder to sport Wi-Fi; Cisco influence finally materializesnow it just needs a web browser, bigger screen, 3g, and calling capabilities and then you got a smartphone!Compete with SLR?People don't buy SLRs for the Wi-Fi.
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- AT&T loses bid to stop Verizon ads, responds with its own
- AT&T could use Apple's patentApple has patented a technique where a user is forced to watch an ad and then answer a quiz about that ad before they are allowed to use their Apple device. AT&T could use this to force all iPhone users to watch AT&T ads.AT&T has no...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Rumored HTC 'Dragon' Google phone to spar with iPhone, Droid
- The problem for competitors is that Google could throw a billion or more atmobile OS market including Android and ChromeOS. They just want a flood of cheap, very functional, very powerful mobile internet devices. They do not need ANY profits on the OS itself.Hardware manufactures like Palm, Blackberry, and Nokia...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- Rumored HTC 'Dragon' Google phone to spar with iPhone, Droid
- The HTC Dragon is waiting in the wings to spar with Motorola's Droid and Apple's iPhone for the smartphone crown. by Andrew Nusca
- Blog posts 2009-11-18
- eReader for Google Android now available
- OK . . .Now I'm gonna drive myself nuts waiting for my AT&T contract to expire so I can get a droid. This is the first phone I've seen that I'd be willing to leave my 13 year relationship with AT&T (and it's earlier incarnations, Cingular and Ameritech) for.eReader...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- Ray Ozzie's view from the clouds
- In a lengthy interview, Microsoft's Ray Ozzie talked about clouds, lessons Microsoft learned from the recent Sidekick outage as well as why people are wrong to count Microsoft out of the smartphone race. When Ray Ozzie penned his Internet Services Disruption memo back in 2005, he had a...
- News items 2009-11-18
- FineWS 2.3.5 (Mobile)
- FineWS 2.3.5 for Symbian OS, mobile web server for Symbian OS, makes it possible to provide web service from Mobile phone. Using FineWS 2.3.5, you are possible to build your own web site on your smartphone and provide web service on the Internet. First, you must register a User ID...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- Microsoft may have blown opportunities, but all hope is not lost
- Time to let it goThe erosion has started, it cannot be stopped and the longer you try to hold on to something that fleecing away the more you lose.Game over.Android wins.:)Blown OpportunitiesThis reminds me of MS failing to see the internet coming and allowing Netscape to dominate the market. They...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Microsoft may have blown opportunities, but all hope is not lost
- Two articles were posted today talking about Windows Mobile, one with no analysis and the other making some valid points about Microsoft's past mobile actions. The smartphone market is still quite small and there are many opportunities available for Microsoft and others to compete and succeed in the space. by...
- Blog posts 2009-11-17
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