History of Smartphone in Timeline

A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing features, distinguishing it from feature phones through its enhanced hardware and operating systems. It offers a touchscreen interface for accessing applications and services like web browsing, email, social media, and multimedia. Key functionalities include built-in cameras, GPS, voice calls, text messaging, and internet-based communication. Smartphones facilitate business applications, mobile payments, and diverse multimedia experiences, encompassing music, video, gaming, radio, and television.

1992: IBM Engineer Frank Canova develops "Angler" prototype

In 1992, IBM engineer Frank Canova developed the "Angler" prototype, the first commercially available device that could be referred to as a "smartphone".

1992: First Distracted Driving Law Passed

In 1992, the first law restricting the use of mobile devices while driving was passed in the United States.

1994: BellSouth markets Simon Personal Communicator

In 1994, BellSouth marketed a refined version of the "Angler" prototype, called the Simon Personal Communicator, to consumers. It was equipped with a touchscreen and could send/receive faxes and emails.

1995: Coining of the term "smart phone"

In 1995, the term "smart phone" (in two words) was first used to describe AT&T's PhoneWriter Communicator.

March 1996: Hewlett-Packard released the OmniGo 700LX

In March 1996, Hewlett-Packard released the OmniGo 700LX, a modified HP 200LX palmtop PC with a Nokia 2110 mobile phone piggybacked onto it. It had a 640 × 200 resolution CGA compatible four-shade gray-scale LCD screen and could be used to place and receive calls, and to create and receive text messages, emails and faxes. It was also 100% DOS 5.0 compatible.

August 1996: Nokia released the Nokia 9000 Communicator

In August 1996, Nokia released the Nokia 9000 Communicator, a digital cellular PDA based on the Nokia 2110 with an integrated system based on the PEN/GEOS 3.0 operating system from Geoworks. The two components were attached by a hinge in what became known as a clamshell design.

1997: Ericsson first used the term "smartphone"

In 1997, Ericsson first used the term "smartphone" (as one word) to describe their new device concept, the GS88.

May 1999: Release of the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210

In May 1999, the first commercial camera phone, the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, was released in Japan. It was called a "mobile videophone" at the time, and had a 110,000-pixel front-facing camera.

June 1999: Qualcomm released the "pdQ Smartphone"

In June 1999, Qualcomm released the "pdQ Smartphone", a CDMA digital PCS smartphone with an integrated Palm PDA and Internet connectivity.

1999: NTT DoCoMo launched i-mode

In 1999, NTT DoCoMo launched i-mode, a mobile internet platform that provided data transmission speeds up to 9.6 kilobits per second, and access web services available through the platform such as online shopping.

November 2000: Release of the Sharp J-Phone J-SH04

In November 2000, the first mass-market camera phone, the Sharp J-Phone model J-SH04, was sold in Japan. It could instantly transmit pictures via cell phone telecommunication.

2001: NTT DoCoMo accumulated 40 million subscribers

By the end of 2001, NTT DoCoMo had accumulated an estimated 40 million subscribers due to the rise of i-mode and ranked first in market capitalization in Japan and second globally.

2002: Nokia produced consumer-focused smartphones

From 2002 onwards, Nokia started producing consumer-focused smartphones, popularized by the entertainment-focused Nseries.

2002: Introduction of the Danger Hiptop

In 2002, the Danger Hiptop (T-Mobile Sidekick) saw moderate success among U.S. consumers, making effective use of data connectivity.

December 2006: LG announced the LG Prada

In December 2006, LG announced the LG Prada, a fashionable feature phone created in collaboration with Italian luxury designer Prada with a 3" 240 x 400 pixel screen, a 2-Megapixel digital camera with 144p video recording ability, an LED flash, and a miniature mirror for self portraits.

2006: American users popularized the term "CrackBerry"

In 2006, American users popularized the term "CrackBerry" due to the addictive nature of BlackBerry smartphones.

January 2007: Apple Computer introduced the iPhone

In January 2007, Apple Computer introduced the iPhone, a device notable for abandoning the stylus, keyboard, or keypad typical of contemporary smartphones, instead using a large touchscreen for direct finger input as its main means of interaction.

February 2007: Increased penalties for handheld phone use while driving in the UK

In the United Kingdom, starting February 27, 2007, motorists caught using a handheld phone while driving faced increased penalties, including three points on their license and a £60 fine.

September 2008: Release of the HTC Dream

In September 2008, the first Android device, the horizontal-sliding HTC Dream, was released.

November 2009: Handheld phone use banned in New Zealand

New Zealand banned handheld phone use while driving starting November 1, 2009.

2009: Patent wars begin between smartphone companies

In 2009, initial suits, countersuits, rulings, license agreements, and other major events began as the smartphone market started to grow more rapidly.

2009: Palm unveiled a new platform known as webOS for its Palm Pre

In late-2009, Palm unveiled a new platform known as webOS for its Palm Pre to replace Palm OS. The new platform featured a focus on a task-based "card" metaphor and seamless synchronization and integration between various online services.

July 2010: 30 US states ban texting while driving

As of July 2010, 30 states in the US had banned texting while driving, with Kentucky being the most recent addition on July 15, 2010.

December 1, 2010: Public Health Law Research maintains list of distracted driving laws

As of December 1, 2010, Public Health Law Research maintained a list of distracted driving laws in the United States, encompassing all 50 states and the District of Columbia since the first law was passed in 1992.

2010: HP acquired Palm

In 2010, HP acquired Palm and released several other webOS devices, including the Pre 3 and HP TouchPad tablet.

2010: Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone

In 2010, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone, a replacement for Windows Mobile featuring a new touchscreen-centric user interface, a home screen with "live tiles" containing feeds of updates from apps, as well as integrated Microsoft Office apps.

2010: Research in Motion introduced the BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry OS 6

In 2010, Research in Motion introduced the vertical-sliding BlackBerry Torch and BlackBerry OS 6, which featured a redesigned user interface, support for gestures such as pinch-to-zoom, and a new web browser based on the same WebKit rendering engine used by the iPhone.

2010: Study on phone use while cycling

In 2010, a study reviewed the incidence of phone use while cycling and its effects on behavior and safety.

2010: Symbian was the world's most widely used smartphone operating system

Until 2010, Symbian was the world's most widely used smartphone operating system.

February 2011: Nokia partnered with Microsoft

In February 2011, Nokia entered into a major partnership with Microsoft, agreeing to exclusively use Windows Phone on its future smartphones. They would also integrate Microsoft's Bing search engine and Bing Maps into all future devices.

August 2011: HP ended development of future webOS devices

In August 2011, HP abruptly ended development of future webOS devices as part of a proposed divestment of its consumer business.

2011: Study on texting while driving

In 2011, a study reported that over 90% of college students surveyed admitted to texting while driving, which researchers at the University of Utah found to cause a sixfold increase in distraction-related accidents.

2011: 1080p Full HD achieved in mobile phones

In 2011, mobile phones achieved 1080p Full HD filming.

June 2012: Meizu released Flyme OS

In mid-June 2012, Meizu released its mobile operating system, Flyme OS.

2012: Increased lawsuits in the smartphone market

By 2012, the number of lawsuits, counter-suits, and trade complaints based on patents and designs in the market for smartphones, and devices based on smartphone OSes such as Android and iOS, had increased significantly.

2012: Asus started experimenting with a convertible docking system named PadFone

In 2012, Asus started experimenting with a convertible docking system named PadFone, where the standalone handset can when necessary be inserted into a tablet-sized screen unit with integrated supportive battery and used as such.

2012: Mobile phone theft in the United States

In 2012, one out of three robberies in the United States involved the theft of a mobile phone.

September 2013: Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Nokia's mobile device business

In September 2013, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Nokia's mobile device business for $7.1 billion.

2013: HP sold the rights to webOS to LG Electronics

In 2013, HP sold the rights to webOS to LG Electronics, for use as a smart TV platform.

2013: Windows Phone gained niche popularity

In 2013, Nokia's low-end Lumia 520 saw strong demand and helped Windows Phone gain niche popularity in some markets, overtaking BlackBerry in global market share.

2013: RIM replaced the legacy BlackBerry OS with BlackBerry 10

In 2013, RIM replaced the legacy BlackBerry OS with a revamped, QNX-based platform known as BlackBerry 10, with the all-touch BlackBerry Z10 and keyboard-equipped Q10 as launch devices.

2013: Samsung experimented with the Galaxy S4 Zoom

In 2013, Samsung experimented with the hybrid combination of compact camera and smartphone, releasing the Galaxy S4 Zoom, equipped with integrated 10× optical zoom lens and manual parameter settings.

2013: Survey on internet access while driving

In 2013, a national survey in the US reported that nearly one in four drivers admitted to using their phones to access the Internet while driving.

2013: 4K barrier breached in mobile phones

In 2013, mobile phones breached the barrier to 2160p 4K filming.

2013: Vault 7 Leaks

Leaked documents from 2013 to 2016, codenamed Vault 7, revealed the CIA's capabilities for electronic surveillance and cyber warfare, including compromising smartphone operating systems like iOS and Android.

2014: Theft protection features introduced

In 2014, Apple's "Find my iPhone" and Google's "Android Device Manager" introduced features to locate, disable, and wipe data from lost or stolen phones.

2014: Samsung experimented with the K Zoom

In 2014, Samsung experimented with the hybrid combination of compact camera and smartphone, releasing the K Zoom, equipped with integrated 10× optical zoom lens and manual parameter settings.

2014: Over a billion smartphones sold globally

In 2014, global smartphone sales exceeded one billion units, marking a significant milestone in the industry's growth.

July 2015: Microsoft took a write-off on the Nokia assets

In July 2015, after Satya Nadella succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO of Microsoft, Microsoft took a $7.6 billion write-off on the Nokia assets.

2015: BlackBerry began to pivot away from its in-house mobile platforms

In 2015, BlackBerry began to pivot away from its in-house mobile platforms in favor of producing Android devices, focusing on a security-enhanced distribution of the software.

2015: Serial number locking

In 2015, serial number locking was first documented on the iPhone 6, which would become inoperable from a detected replacement of the "home" button.

May 2016: Microsoft laid off nearly the entire Microsoft Mobile unit

In May 2016, Microsoft laid off nearly the entire Microsoft Mobile unit.

2016: Vault 7 Leaks

2019: 1.54 billion smartphone units shipped worldwide

In 2019, approximately 1.54 billion smartphone units were shipped worldwide, highlighting the continued strong demand for these devices.

2020: 75.05 percent of the world population were smartphone users

As of 2020, 75.05% of the world population used smartphones, illustrating their widespread adoption and integration into daily life.

2021: Discovery of Pegasus spyware

In 2021, the discovery of Pegasus spyware was reported, a tool developed and distributed by a private company, capable of infecting iOS and Android smartphones to exfiltrate data and track users.