What is a Smartphone?
Been a lot of talk these days about smart phones from the major communications carriers, but some people may be confused as to what exactly a smart phone is. The simple answer is that a smart phone is the logical evolution of the PCS or personal communications system. A smart phone is a telling indications the vice which allows the user to not only make and receive phone calls, text messages, and voice messages, but also a wide variety of other communications forms as well as the ability to run productivity and convenience applications and enjoy multimedia. A smart phone is able to do a wide variety of functions since it is at its core a simplified handheld computer device. This is of course, a very simple and basic explanation of what a smartphone is in reality a smart phone is a lot more than this. A smart phone can allow a user to increase their overall productivity, make your life more convenient, stay in touch with friends and family, or form a wide variety of functions that previously were complicated or time-consuming.
Smart phones first started hitting the market around 15 years ago. At that time they were very simple devices which allow the user to run a small number of convenience applications, easily send text messages, access and send e-mail, and have access to personal information manager data. The first smart phones were produced by the Blackberry Company and were designed for use by researchers, educators, and business professionals. They were very expensive, slightly complex to use, and had limited functionality. Truth be told, most of the smart phones of that time were only "smart" in regard to their event functions in limited locations around major cities. When outside of these "smart" zones where specialized smartphone feature plans for accessible these phones worked exactly like traditional PCS devices.
The Blackberry smartphonestayed ahead of the curve and introduced subsequent versions of smart phone technology to the public. They were, however soon joined in the smart phone market by companies such as Motorola, Sony, and Nokia. Sony was in fact the first company other than Blackberry to produce a device similar to what we know of as a smart phone today. They did so in conjunction with the PALM Corporation who had previously been known for making handheld computers and personal digital assistant devices for PDAs. The Palm Treo device combined features of PCS phones with Palm software and a typewriter like keyboard. This allowed users of the device to have access to their personal information manager data as well as make and receive phone calls and perform very basic Internet functions all from one relatively easy-to-use device.
Today smart phones have permeated almost every aspect of modern culture. In the early 2000s Apple Computer Corp. in conjunction with Sony electronics developed the first device in the most advanced generation of smart phone technology yet, the iPhone. With the advent of the iPhone, smart phones technology rose to a whole new level of functionality, ease of use, and accessibility to the general masses. Since its inception the iPhone has spawned countless clones, competitors, and challengers. Features originated by Apple and implemented by Sony in the device has since become commonplace in our daily lives. Today smart phones are hip-side assistants in everything that a person does from day to day. Smart phones provide entertainment in the form of music and video. They allow a person to access the entire Internet so that they can stay abreast of the latest news, sports, weather, and more. Smartphones allow a person to send and receive all types of communications back and forth while on the go, and allow a person to keep track of all of the information and data that one encounters in their daily lives.
The easy answer to what is a smart phone is that it is a computerized communications device small enough to be held in the palm of the hand and which provides a wide variety of features to the user. In reality, the answer to this question is a smart phone is an essential part of modern living, which allows people to stay connected and organized and thus get more out of daily living than was ever thought possible. So next time the conversation turns to the question of what a smart phone is, the simple answer would be, in today's world what it is a smart phone can't do.
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- Costs of a Smartphone
- Can You Use a Smart Phone on any Type of Cell Phone Plan?
- A Smartphone can be Bothersome from Time to Time