| Just a few years ago we were carrying around those | | | | marketed as a 'computer in the palm of your hand. |
| big, heavy lumps of plastic. If you walked down any | | | | The Nokia 9210 was the first true smartphone, with a |
| sidewalk in any city, all you would see was the | | | | full color screen and independent operating system, |
| antennae sticking up as people valiantly tried to talk as | | | | although Nokia continued to call it a communicator, |
| they walked. Thankfully, it wasn`t long before cell | | | | which made it sound like it had less capabilities than it |
| phones became smaller, neater and with a much | | | | actually did. The 9500 then came out, with an |
| improved signal. Then came sms messaging, picture | | | | integrated camera and Wi-Fi facility. |
| messaging, then video calling and now we have a | | | | In 2002, the world of smartphones changed forever |
| range of cell phones that act as a mobile office, these | | | | with the arrival of the first blackberry. This phone had |
| are smartphones. | | | | absolutely everything you could want to run your |
| These are exactly what their name suggests; they are | | | | business on the move. It was the first phone to |
| very smart. You still have all your normal cell phone | | | | optimize wireless email. Within 5 years it has an |
| functions, but you also have full internet access, email, | | | | estimated 8 million users, 3/4 of which were in North |
| a QWERTY keypad, fax facility and the Microsoft | | | | America. |
| office suite. These new generation phones are an | | | | The latest inception into this growing market is the |
| essential item for today`s businessmen, but are | | | | I-phone. This phone can download smartphone |
| becoming more and more popular with techno geeks | | | | applications directly from the Apple App store. This |
| who want to get their hands on the latest bit of kit. | | | | gives you the luxury of picking and choosing exactly |
| The first ever smartphone was unveiled by IBM in | | | | what you want on your phone. This is great for users |
| 1992, and shown as a concept product at COMDEX, a | | | | who don`t want a phone clogged up with loads of |
| trade how in Nevada. It was called `Simon` and | | | | applications that they won`t use. |
| released to the general public a year later by BellSouth. | | | | The seven main operating systems found on |
| Its main features were a world clock, a calendar, an | | | | smartphones are Symbian OS, Blackberry, Windows |
| address book and notepad, email and the ability to | | | | mobile, I-phone OS, Palm webOS, Linux and Android. |
| send and received fax. It was also the first phone with | | | | By far, the phones with the Symbian system led the |
| a touch screen. Compared to today`s phones, Simon | | | | way with over 50% of the global market. |
| was a fairly low end product, but at the time its | | | | As technology is continuously improving, who knows |
| technology was outstanding. | | | | what the next generation of smartphones will give us. |
| The other manufacturers were keen to get in on the | | | | It`s hard to imagine what else there could possibly be |
| act, and it wasn`t long before they started to produce | | | | to add to a phone, but these technology giants will no |
| their own smartphones. The Nokia 900 range brought | | | | doubt think of something. |
| out the Nokia communicator in 1996. This was | | | | |