The History of the Smartphone in 6 Minutes

Today’s generation may not remember, but there was once a time before the smartphone. It was a simpler time, back when cellphones were not universal gadgets, but basic communication devices. Then in 2007, the iPhone came along, and phones were never the same since. So join us as we take a trip down the last decade. Here is the history of the smartphone in 6 minutes.

1992: The Touchscreen

The first step to the development of the smartphone came to light in 1992 with the IBM Simon, by Mistubishi. This unit featured the world’s first LCD touch screen, and functioned as a PDA/cellphone hybrid. By the year 2000, Motorola had taken this another step with handwriting recognition technology in the Accompli A6188.

1998: The Color Display

  The first phone with a colored LCD was the Siemens S10. It featured  only four colors; red green, blue, and white. However, it sparked the fire which would lead to a wave of colored screens in the following years. By the early 2000s, more and more manufacturers were switching from monochrome to 12-bit displays.

1999: The Camera

The first camera phone was released in 1999 by the Kyocera Corporation. It was called the VP-210, with “VP” standing for Visual Phone. It featured a camera lens capable of recording at 2 FPS, and a maximum storage space of 20 photos. Indeed, it could also transfer these files via e-mail, making the VP-210 one of the first true smartphones. The VP-210 was intended primarily for video chat; thus the position of its front camera. A year later, Sharp Corporation released the first camera phone with full mechanical and software integration: the J-SH04

2001: Bluetooth, and MP3

Siemens released the SL45 in 2001, thus spearheading the integration of music players into mobile phones. The enormous success of the SL45/45i directly contributed to advancements in mobile phone technology. Manufacturers would eventually aim to integrate music, video, ebook, and email functions into every successful line of phones in existence. As iconic as Siemens’s SL45 was, Ericsson had its own successful contribution to share. In Quarter 2 of the same year, Sony Ericsson released the R520M, thus establishing themselves as the first manufacturers to integrate Bluetooth technology into their devices.

2007: iPhone

Despite being one of the most advanced handheld products of its day, the original iPhone was not a true “smartphone” upon release. This is because a smartphone by definition has the capacity to have software installed. Apple later opened the App Store, and then, no one could contest it. The iPhone may not be the original smartphone, but it set the standard for future smartphones to beat.

2008: HTC Dream

The HTC Dream was the first mobile phone powered by the Android OS. Consumers praised it for its integration of most Google services. The Dream — also known as the T-Mobile G1 — contrasted the design and functions of the iPhone. It sported a robust, sci-fi look against the iPhone’s simplicity of form. The Dream also shunned the strict handling of software that the iPhone boasted. And thus, the rivalry was born.

2009-Present: The Internet of Things

Since the Android v iOS rivalry, mobile phone technology has seen a steady climb. So much so, that truly revolutionary advances are difficult to come by. Perhaps the biggest development in mobile phone technology however, is the Internet of Things. We live in a day of not just smartphones, but smart homes, cars, and businesses. Almost all user electronics seem geared toward some kind of network connectivity. Today, the phone is no longer just a communication tool, but a universal one. What happens next is anyone’s guess.