Smartphone
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A smartphone is a mobile phone with an advanced mobile operating system which combines features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use.<ref name="phonescoop-smartphone">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="phonescoop-featurephone">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They typically combine the features of a cell phone with those of other popular mobile devices, such as personal digital assistant (PDA), media player and GPS navigation unit. Most smartphones can access the Internet, have a touchscreen user interface, with either an LCD, OLED, AMOLED, LED or similar screen, can run third-party apps, music players and are camera phones. Most smartphones produced from 2012 onwards also have high-speed mobile broadband 4G LTE internet, motion sensors, and mobile payment.
History
Early years
Devices that combined telephony and computing were first conceptualized by Nikola Tesla in 1909 and Theodore Paraskevakos in 1971 and patented in 1974, and were offered for sale beginning in 1993. Paraskevakos was the first to introduce the concepts of intelligence, data processing and visual display screens into telephones. In 1971, while he was working with Boeing in Huntsville, Alabama, Paraskevakos demonstrated a transmitter and receiver that provided additional ways to communicate with remote equipment, however it did not yet have general purpose PDA applications in a wireless device typical of smartphones. They were installed at Peoples' Telephone Company in Leesburg, Alabama and were demonstrated to several telephone companies. The original and historic working models are still in the possession of Paraskevakos.<ref name=paraskevakos>U.S. Patent #3,812,296/5-21-1974 (Apparatus for Generating and Transmitting Digital Information), U.S. Patent #3,727,003/4-10-1973 (Decoding and Display Apparatus for Groups of Pulse Trains), U.S. Patent #3,842,208/10-15-1974 (Sensor Monitoring Device)</ref>
Forerunner
The first mobile phone to incorporate PDA features was an IBM prototype developed in 1992 and demonstrated that year at the COMDEX computer industry trade show. The prototype demonstrated PDA features as well as other visionary apps like maps, stocks and news incorporated with a cellular phone. A refined version of the product was marketed to consumers in 1994 by BellSouth under the name Simon Personal Communicator. The Simon was the first cellular device that can be properly referred to as a "smartphone", although it was not called that in 1994.<ref name=bus_week_2012>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=schneidawind>*****o</ref><ref name="BBC News">Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to its ability to make and receive cellular phone calls, Simon was able to send and receive faxes and emails and included several other apps like address book, calendar, appointment scheduler, calculator, world time clock, and note pad through its touch screen display. Simon is the first smartphone to be incorporated with the features of a PDA.<ref>History of first touchscreen smartphone Spinfold.com</ref>
The term "smart phone" first appeared in print in 1995, for describing AT&T's "PhoneWriter Communicator" as a "smart phone".<ref name="ACM Interactions article">Template:Cite web</ref>
PDAs
In the late 1990s, many mobile phone users carried a separate dedicated PDA device, running early versions of operating systems such as Palm OS, BlackBerry OS or Windows CE/Pocket PC.<ref name="phonescoop-smartphone"/> These operating systems would later evolve into mobile operating systems.
In March 1996, Hewlett-Packard released the OmniGo 700LX, which was a modified 200LX PDA that supported a Nokia 2110-compatible phone and had integrated software built in ROM to support it. The device featured a 640x200 resolution CGA compatible 4-shade gray-scale LCD screen and could be used to make and receive calls, text messages, emails and faxes. It was also 100% DOS 5.0 compatible, allowing it to run thousands of existing software titles including early versions of Windows.
In August 1996, Nokia released the Nokia 9000 Communicator which combined a PDA based on the GEOS V3.0 operating system from Geoworks with a digital cellular phone based on the Nokia 2110. The two devices were fixed together via a hinge in what became known as a clamshell design. When opened, the display was on the inside top surface and with a physical QWERTY keyboard on the bottom. The personal organizer provided e-mail, calendar, address book, calculator and notebook with text-based web browsing, and the ability to send and receive faxes. When the personal organizer was closed, it could be used as a digital cellular phone.
In June 1999, Qualcomm released a "CDMA Digital PCS Smartphone" with integrated Palm PDA and Internet connectivity, known as the "pdQ Smartphone".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In early 2000, the Ericsson R380 was released by Ericsson Mobile Communications,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was the first device marketed as a "smartphone".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It combined the functions of a mobile phone and a PDA, supported limited web browsing with a resistive touchscreen utilizing a stylus.<ref>*****o</ref>
In early 2001, Palm, Inc. introduced the Kyocera 6035, which combined a PDA with a mobile phone and operated on Verizon. It also supported limited web browsing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>*****o</ref>
In 2002, Handspring released the Treo 180, the first smartphone to combine Palm OS and a GSM phone, with telephony, SMS messaging and Internet access fully integrated into Palm OS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Smartphones before Android, iOS and BlackBerry, typically ran on Symbian, which was originally developed by Psion. It was the world's most widely used smartphone operating system until the last quarter of 2010.Template:Citation needed
Mass adoption
In 1999, the Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country. These phones ran on i-mode, which provided data transmission speeds up to 9.6 kbit/s.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Unlike future generations of wireless services, NTT DoCoMo's i-mode used cHTML, a language which restricted some aspects of traditional HTML in favor of increasing data speed for the devices. Limited functionality, small screens and limited bandwidth allowed for phones to use the slower data speeds available.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The rise of i-mode helped NTT DoCoMo accumulate an estimated 40 million subscribers by the end of 2001. It was also ranked first in market capitalization in Japan and second globally. This power would wane in the face of the rise of 3G and new phones with advanced wireless network capabilities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Outside Japan smartphones were still rare until the introduction of the Danger Hiptop in 2002, which saw moderate success in the US as the T-Mobile Sidekick. Later, in the mid-2000s, devices based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile started to gain popularity among business users in the U.S. The BlackBerry later gained mass adoption in the U.S., and American users popularized the term "CrackBerry" in 2006 due to its addictive nature.<ref>*****o</ref> The company first released its GSM BlackBerry 6210, BlackBerry 6220, and BlackBerry 6230 devices in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Symbian was the most popular smartphone OS in Europe during the middle to late 2000s. Initially, Nokia's Symbian devices were focused on business, similar to Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices at the time. From 2006 onwards, Nokia started producing entertainment-focused smartphones, popularized by the Nseries. In Asia, with the exception of Japan, the trend was similar to that of Europe.Template:Citation needed
iOS, Android and Windows Phone
In 2007, Apple Inc. introduced the iPhone, one of the first smartphones to use a multi-touch interface. The iPhone was notable for its use of a large touchscreen for direct finger input as its main means of interaction, instead of a stylus, keyboard, or keypad typical for smartphones at the time.<ref name="iPhone-is-not">Template:Cite web</ref>
2009 saw the release of the first phone to use Android called the HTC Dream (also known as the T-Mobile G1).<ref name="UK release of T-Mobile G1">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="T-Mobile G1 Event Round-up">Template:Cite press release</ref> Android is an open-source platform founded by Andy Rubin and now owned by Google.<ref name="open-alliance">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="android-atlas">The Android Atlas Cnet.com. Retrieved August 21, 2013.</ref> Although Android's adoption was relatively slow at first, it started to gain widespread popularity in 2010, and now dominates the market.
These new platforms led to the decline of earlier ones. Microsoft, for instance, started a new OS from scratch, called Windows Phone. Nokia abandoned Symbian and partnered with MS to use Windows Phone on its smartphones. Windows Phone then became the third-most-popular OS. Palm's webOS was bought by Hewlett-Packard and later sold to LG Electronics for use on LG smart TVs. BlackBerry Limited, formerly known as Research In Motion, also made a new platform based on QNX, BlackBerry 10.
The capacitive touchscreen also had a knock-on effect on smartphone form factors. Before 2007, it was common for devices to have a physical numeric keypad or physical QWERTY keyboard in either a candybar or sliding form factor. However, by 2010, there were no top-selling smartphones with physical keypads.
Recent technological developments
- In 2013, the Fairphone company launched its first "socially ethical" smartphone at the London Design Festival to address concerns regarding the sourcing of materials in the manufacturing.<ref name="Fair">*****o</ref>
- In late 2013, QSAlpha commenced production of a smartphone designed entirely around security, encryption and identity protection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- In December 2013, the world's first curved OLED technology smartphones were introduced to the retail market with the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Round and LG G Flex models.<ref>*****o</ref> Samsung phones with more bends and folds in the screens were expected in 2014.<ref>Samsung Phone With Bended Display May Come This Year, LAPTOP, February 11, 2014, Lisa Eadicicco</ref>
- In early 2014, smartphones were beginning to use Quad HD (2K) 2560x1440 on 5.5" screens with up to 534 PPI on devices such as the LG G3 which is a significant improvement over Apple's Retina Display. Quad HD is used in advanced televisions and computer monitors, but with 110 ppi or less on such larger displays.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- As of 2014, Wi-Fi networks were much used for smartphones. As Wi-Fi becomes more prevalent and easier to connect to, Wi-Fi phone services will start to take off.<ref>[1], Wired, January 8, 2014, Alan Berrey</ref><ref>[2], LightReading, December 30, 2013, Sarah Reddy</ref><ref>[3], PC Mag, October 16, 2013, Stephanie Mlot</ref>
- Smartphones are increasingly integrated with everyday uses. For instance, credit cards and mobile payments are integrated into smartphones where users can send cash payments through smartphone applications and SaaS platforms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Recently, Apple Pay has picked up 34 new banks to the roster supporting their mobile payment platform, where merchants are rapidly adopting it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, recent technological innovations are causing keys to be fused into the smartphones, where the smartphone can act as a digital key and access badge for its users.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Since 2013, water and dustproofing have made their way into mainstream high end smartphones instead of specialty models with the Sony Xperia Z continuing through the Sony Xperia Z3 and with the Samsung Galaxy S5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- LG introduced lasers on the LG G3 to help camera focus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Some smartphones can be categorized as high-end point-and-shoot cameras with large sensors up to 1" with 20 megapixels and 4K video. Some can store their pictures in proprietary raw image format, but the Android (operating system) 5.0 Lollipop serves open source RAW images.<ref>*****o</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- In October 2015, Microsoft announced Windows Continuum, a feature that allows users to connect their devices to an external monitor via Microsoft Continuum Display Dock.<ref name="windows.microsoft.com"/> HP adds a layer to the Continuum with their HP Workplace which enables user to run a Win32 app by a virtualized server.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Future possible developments
- Foldable OLED smartphones could be as much as a decade away because of the cost of producing them. There is a relatively high failure rate when producing these screens. As little as a speck of dust can ruin a screen during production. Creating a battery that can be folded is another hurdle.<ref>Bendable smartphones aren't coming anytime soon, The Sydney Morning Herald, Ian King, December 16, 2013</ref>
- Modular smartphones are projected, in which users can remove and replace parts.
- Near future smartphones might not have a traditional battery as their sole source of power. Instead, they may pull energy from radio, television, cellular or Wi-Fi signals.<ref>Building a Better Battery, NY Times, February 2, 2014, BRIAN X. CHEN and NICK BILTON</ref>
Mobile operating systems
Android
Android is an open-source platform founded in October 2003 by Andy Rubin and backed by Google, along with major hardware and software developers (such as Intel, HTC, ARM, Motorola, LG, and Samsung) that form the Open Handset Alliance.<ref name="open-alliance" /><ref name="android-atlas"/> In October 2008, HTC released the HTC Dream, the execution of native applications and third-party apps which are available via Google Play, which launched in October 2008 as Android Market. By Q4 2010, Android became the best-selling smartphone platform.<ref>*****o</ref>
iOS
iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. and distributed exclusively for Apple hardware. It is the operating system that powers the company's iDevices. In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone, the first device to use iOS and one of the first smartphones to use a multi-touch interface. The iPhone was notable for its use of a large touchscreen for direct finger input as its main means of interaction, instead of a stylus, keyboard, or keypad as typical for smartphones at the time.<ref name="iPhone-is-not"/> In 2008, Apple introduced the App Store, which allowed any iPhone to install third-party native applications. Featuring over 500 applications at launch,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the App Store eventually achieved 1 billion downloads in the first year, and 75 billion by mid-2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2015, Apple announced that they have now sold one billion iOS devices.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Windows Phone
In 2010, Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 with a User Interface inspired by Microsoft's "Metro Design Language", to replace Windows Mobile. Windows Phone 7 integrates with Microsoft services such as Microsoft SkyDrive, Office, Xbox and Bing, as well as non-Microsoft services such as Facebook, Twitter and Google accounts. This software platform runs the Microsoft Mobile smartphones, and has received some positive reception from the technology press and been praised for its uniqueness and differentiation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2012, Microsoft released Windows Phone 8, replacing its previously Windows CE-based architecture with one based on the Windows NT kernel with many components shared with Windows 8, allowing applications to be ported between the two platforms. In recent version of Windows Phone turn into new series called Windows 10 Mobile , They insert many new things like App porting from Android, iOS, a brand new mobile computing called Windows Continuum which allow users to use full-fledged PC experience by putting a Display, Keyboard and mouse. Also a new Universal Windows Platform has announced by which developer can build any app for every Windows 10 platform with same core API. This version of Windows Phone have lot of things for developers.<ref name="windows.microsoft.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
BlackBerry
In 1999, RIM released its first BlackBerry devices, providing secure real-time push-email communications on wireless devices. Services such as BlackBerry Messenger provide the integration of all communications into a single inbox. In September 2012, RIM announced that the 200 millionth BlackBerry smartphone was shipped. As of September 2014, there are around 46 million active BlackBerry service subscribers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most recently, RIM has undergone a platform transition, changing its name to BlackBerry and making new devices on a new platform named "BlackBerry 10"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in November 2015 released an Android smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Firefox OS
Firefox OS (originally called the boot to gecko project) was demonstrated by Mozilla in February 2012. It was designed to have a complete community based alternative system for mobile devices, using open standards and HTML5 applications. The first commercially available Firefox OS phones were ZTE Open and Alcatel One Touch Fire. As of 2014 more companies have partnered with Mozilla including Panasonic (which is making a smart TV with Firefox OS) and Sony.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sailfish OS
The Sailfish OS is based on the Linux kernel and Mer.<ref>Template:Cite webarchive-url=https://wayback.archive.org/web/20130315002624/https://sailfishos.org/wiki/Main_Page%7Carchive-date=March 15, 2013</ref> Additionally Sailfish OS includes a partially or completely proprietary multi-tasking user interface programmed by Jolla. This user interface differentiate Jolla smartphones from others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sailfish OS is intended to be a system made by many of the MeeGo team, which left Nokia to form Jolla, utilizing funding from Nokia's "Bridge" program which helps establish and support start-up companies formed by ex-Nokia employees.<ref>Bombus<ref name="xeps-dnock">Template:Citation</ref>archive-url=https://wayback.archive.org/web/20120622014726/https://www.hs.fi/english/article/Many+former+Nokia+employees+start+businesses+of+their+own/1329104331230%7Carchive-date=June 22, 2012</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tizen
Tizen is a Linux-based operating system for devices, including smartphones, tablets, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) devices, smart TVs, laptops and smart cameras. Tizen is a project within the Linux Foundation and is governed by a Technical Steering Group (TSG) composed of Samsung and Intel among others. In April 2014, Samsung released the Samsung Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, running Tizen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Samsung Z1 is the first smartphone produced by Samsung that runs Tizen; it was released in the Indian market on January 14, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ubuntu Touch
Ubuntu Touch (also known as Ubuntu Phone) is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system developed by Canonical UK Ltd and Ubuntu Community.<ref name=backed>Template:Cite web</ref> It is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
Discontinued mobile operating systems
Symbian
Symbian was originally developed by Psion as EPOC32. It was the world's most widely used smartphone operating system until Q4 2010, though the platform never gained popularity or widespread awareness in the U.S., as it did in Europe and Asia. The first Symbian phone, the touchscreen Ericsson R380 Smartphone, was released in 2000,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was the first device marketed as a "smartphone".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It combined a PDA with a mobile phone.<ref>*****o</ref> In February 2011, Nokia announced that it would replace Symbian with Windows Phone as the operating system on all of its future smartphones, with the platform getting abandoned throughout the following few years.<ref name="NokiaWinPho7">*****o</ref>
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile was based on the Windows CE kernel and first appeared as the Pocket PC 2000 operating system. Throughout its lifespan, the operating system was available in both touchscreen and non-touchscreen formats. It was supplied with a suite of applications developed with the Microsoft Windows API and was designed to have features and appearance somewhat similar to desktop versions of Windows. Third parties could develop software for Windows Mobile with no restrictions imposed by Microsoft. Software applications were eventually purchasable from Windows Marketplace for Mobile during the service's brief lifespan. Windows Mobile was phased out in favor of Windows Phone.
Bada
The Bada operating system for smartphones was announced by Samsung in November 2009.<ref>*****o</ref><ref>*****o</ref> The first Bada-based phone was the Samsung Wave S8500, released in June 2010.<ref>*****o
(Archived 5 January 2012 via Wayback)
</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Samsung shipped 4.5 million phones running Bada in Q2 of 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Bada merged with a similar platform called Tizen.
Palm OS
In late 2001, Handspring launched the Springboard GSM phone module with limited success. In May 2002, Handspring released the Palm OS Treo 270 smartphone, that did not support Springboard, with both a touchscreen and a full keyboard. The Treo had wireless web browsing, email, calendar, a contact organizer and mobile third-party applications that could be downloaded or synced with a computer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Handspring was purchased by Palm, Inc which released the Treo 600 and continued releasing Treo devices with a few Treo devices using Windows Mobile. After buying Palm in 2011, Hewlett-Packard (HP) discontinued its webOS smartphone and tablet production.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
webOS
webOS was from LG, although some parts are open source. webOS is a proprietary mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel, initially developed by Palm, which launched with the Palm Pre. After being acquired by HP, two phones (the Veer and the Pre 3) and a tablet (the TouchPad) running webOS were introduced in 2011. On August 18, 2011, HP announced that webOS hardware was to be discontinued<ref>Template:Cite web
(Archived 6 October 2011 via Wayback)
</ref> but would continue to support and update webOS software and develop the webOS ecosystem.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> HP released webOS as open source under the name Open webOS, and plans to update it with additional features.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 25, 2013 HP announced the sale of WebOS to LG Electronics, who planned to use the operating system for its "smart" or Internet-connected TVs. In January 2014, Qualcomm has announced that it has acquired technology patents from HP, which includes all the WebOS patents.<ref>Qualcomm purchases Palm patents from HP USA Today January 24, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2016</ref>
Application stores
The introduction of Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch in July 2008 popularized manufacturer-hosted online distribution for third-party applications (software, computer programs) focused on a single platform. Up until that point, smartphone application distribution depended on third-party sources providing applications for multiple platforms, such as GetJar, Handango, Handmark, and PocketGear.
Following the success of the App Store, other smartphone manufacturers launched application stores, such as Google's Android Market in October 2008 and RIM's BlackBerry App World in April 2009. In February 2014, 93% of mobile developers were targeting smartphones first for mobile app development.<ref>W3C Interview: Vision Mobile on the App Developer Economy with Matos Kapetanakis and Dimitris Michalakos. February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2015.</ref>
Display
One of the main characteristics of smartphones is their screen. It usually fills almost the entire phone surface (about 70%); screen size usually defines the size of a smartphone. Many have an aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9.
They are measured in diagonal inches, starting from 2.45 inches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Phones with screens larger than 5.2 inches are referred to as "phablets". Smartphones with screens over 4.5 inches commonly are moved around in the hand or used with both hands, since the average thumb cannot reach the entire screen surface. Types of screen include IPS OR TN type LED/CCFL BACKLIT LCD, OLED, AMOLED, e-INK display, etc.
An upcoming development is a Braille screen, using microfluidics technology.<ref>Braille for smartphone screens Template:Es icon</ref>
Smartphone usage
In the third quarter of 2012, one billion smartphones were in use worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for features phones in early 2013.<ref name="news1">*****o</ref> As of 2013, 65 percent of U.S. mobile consumers own smartphones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The European mobile device market as of 2013 is 860 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In China, smartphones represented more than half of all handset shipments in the second quarter of 2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2014 there were 519.7 million smartphone users, with the number estimated to grow to 700 million by 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of November 2011, 27% of all photographs were taken with camera-equipped smartphones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A study conducted in September 2012 concluded that 4 out of 5 smartphone owners use the device to shop.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another study conducted in June 2013 concluded that 56% of American adults now owned a smartphone of some kind. Android and iPhone owners account for half of the cell phone user population. Higher income adults and those under age 35 lead the way when it comes to smartphone ownership.<ref>https://boletines.prisadigital.com/PIP_Smartphone_adoption_2013.pdf</ref>
Worldwide shipments of smartphones topped 1 billion units in 2013, up 38% from 2012's 725 million, while comprising a 55% share of the mobile phone market in 2013, up from 42% in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web
(Archived 31 January 2014 via Wayback)
</ref>
By manufacturer
| Source | Date | Samsung | Apple Inc. | Huawei | Xiaomi | Lenovo | LG | Others | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gartner | Q3 2014 | 24.4% | 12.7% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.0% | N/A | 47.5% | <ref name="Gartner1">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| IDC | Q3 2014 | 23.7% | 11.7% | N/A | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 49.3% | <ref name="IDCQ3">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| IDC | Q2 2014 | 24.9% | 11.7% | 6.7% | N/A | 5.2% | 4.8% | 46.7% | <ref name="IDCQ2">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Gartner | Q4 2013 | 29.5% | 17.8% | 5.7% | N/A | 4.6% | 4.5% | 37.9% | <ref name="Gartner.com">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Source | Date | Apple Inc. | Samsung | LG | Motorola | HTC | Others | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| comScore | January 2015 | 41.3% | 29.3% | 8.0% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 12.4% | <ref name="ComScore1">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| comScore | October 2014 | 41.9% | 29.3% | 7.4% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 12.1% | <ref name="ComScore1"/> |
| comScore | March 2014 | 41.4% | 27.0% | 6.7% | 6.4% | 5.4% | 13.1% | <ref name="ComScore2">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| comScore | March 2013 | 39.0% | 21.7% | 6.8% | 8.5% | 9.0% | 15.0% | <ref name="ComScore3">Template:Cite web</ref> |
In 2011, Apple had the highest shipment market share worldwide. In 2013, Samsung had 31.3% market share, a slight increase from 30.3% in 2012, while Apple was at 15.3%, a decrease from 18.7% in 2012. Huawei, LG and Lenovo were at about 5% each, significantly better than 2012 figures, while others had about 40%, the same as the previous years figure. Only Apple lost market share, although their shipment volume still increased by 12.9 percent; the rest had significant increases in shipment volumes of 36 to 92 percent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Q1 2014, Samsung had a 31% share and Apple had 16%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Q4 2014, Apple had a 20.4% share and Samsung had 19.9%.<ref name="brett">*****o</ref>
In Q1 2015 in the US, Android market share was 53.2%; Apple's iPhone had a 41.3% share and Samsung's Android smartphones had 29.3%.<ref name="ComScore1"/>
By operating system
The market has been dominated by the Android operating system since 2010. Android's market share (measured by units shipment) rose from 33.2% in Q4 2011 to 78.1% of the market in Q4 2013. Apple's market share oscillated between 15% to 20.9% during the same period. BlackBerry's market share fell from 14.3% in Q4 2011 to 0.6% in Q4 2013. Windows Mobile market share rose from 1.5% to 3% during the same time frame.<ref name="2014 market share">Template:Cite web</ref>
As of the end of Q3 2014, Android was the most popular operating system, with a 84.4% market share, followed by iOS with 11.7%, Windows Phone with 2.9%, BlackBerry with 0.5% and all others with 0.6%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Historical sales figures, in millions
| Year | Android (Google) | iOS (Apple) | Windows Mobile/Phone (Microsoft) | BlackBerry (formerly RIM) | Symbian (Nokia) | Palm/WebOS (Palm/HP) | Bada (Samsung) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007<ref name="gartner.com">Gartner Says Worldwide Smartphone Sales Reached Its Lowest Growth Rate With 3.7 Per Cent Increase in Fourth Quarter of 2008. Gartner.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2012.</ref> | 3.3 | 14.7 | 11.77 | 77.68 | 1.76 | |||
| 2008<ref name="gartner.com"/> | 11.42 | 16.5 | 23.15 | 72.93 | 2.51 | |||
| 2009<ref>Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales to End Users Grew 8 Per Cent in Fourth Quarter 2009; Market Remained Flat in 2009. Gartner.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2012.</ref> | 6.8 | 24.89 | 15.03 | 34.35 | 80.88 | 1.19 | ||
| 2010<ref>Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Device Sales to End Users Reached 1.6 Billion Units in 2010; Smartphone Sales Grew 72 Percent in 2010. Gartner.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2012.</ref> | 67.22 | 46.6 | 12.38 | 47.45 | 111.58 | |||
| 2011<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 219.52 | 89.26 | 8.77 | 51.54 | 93.41 | 9.6 | 14.24 | |
| 2012<ref name="gartner2013">Gartner Says Annual Smartphone Sales Surpassed Sales of Feature Phones for the First Time in 2013. Gartner.com. Retrieved on July 24, 2014.</ref> | 451.62 | 130.13 | 16.94 | 34.21 | 15.9 | 47.20 | ||
| 2013<ref name="gartner2013"/> | 758.72 | 150.79 | 30.84 | 18.61 | 18.82 | |||
| 2014<ref>*****o</ref> | 1,004.68 | 191.43 | 35.13 | 7.91 | 5.75 |
Issues
Smartphones have presented issues besides those affecting other mobile telephones.
Battery life
Compared to earlier non-smartphones, smartphone battery life has generally been poor and a significant drain on customer satisfaction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>*****o</ref>
Social
Template:Main A 2012 University of Southern California study found that unprotected adolescent *****ual activity was more common among owners of smartphones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A study conducted by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) Lighting Research Center (LRC) concluded that smartphones, or any backlit devices, can seriously affect sleep cycles.<ref name=Colaner>*****o</ref> Some persons might become psychologically attached to cellphones resulting in anxiety when separated from the devices.<ref>Cheever, N. A., Rosen, L. D., Carrier, L. M., & Chavez, A. (2014). Out of sight is not out of mind: The impact of restricting wireless mobile device use on anxiety levels among low, moderate and high users. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 290-297.</ref>
A "smombie" (a combination of "smartphone" and "zombie") is a walking person using a smartphone and not paying attention as they walk, possibly risking an accident in the process, an increasing social phenomenon.<ref name="sunday-times">*****o</ref> The issue of slow-moving mobile phone users has led to the creation of a "mobile lane" for walking in the city of Chongqing, China.<ref name="bbc">*****o</ref>
Legal
Template:Main A "patent war" between Samsung and Apple started when the latter claimed that the original Galaxy S Android phone copied the interfaceTemplate:Nsmdnsand possibly the hardwareTemplate:Nsmdnsof Apple's iOS for the iPhone 3GS.
Medical
Template:Main With the rise in number of mobile medical apps in the market place, government regulatory agencies raised concerns on the safety of the use of such applications. These concerns were transformed into regulation initiatives worldwide with the aim of safeguarding users from untrusted medical advice.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Security
Template:Main Smartphone malware is easily distributed through an insecure app store.<ref name="Juniper-malware">Mobile Malware Development Continues To Rise, Android Leads The Way.</ref><ref name=trustbus11>Template:Cite book</ref> Often malware is hidden in pirated versions of legitimate apps, which are then distributed through third-party app stores.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Malware risk also comes from what's known as an "update attack", where a legitimate application is later changed to include a malware component, which users then install when they are notified that the app has been updated.<ref name="Lookout-malware">Template:Cite web</ref>
One out of three robberies in 2012 in the United States involved the theft of a mobile phone. An online petition has urged smartphone makers to install kill switches in their devices.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, Apple's "Find my iPhone" and Google's "Android Device Manager" can disable phones that have been lost/stolen. With BlackBerry Protect in OS version 10.3.2, devices can be rendered unrecoverable to even BlackBerry's own Operating System recovery tools if incorrectly authenticated or dissociated from their account.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sleep
Template:Main Using smartphones late at night can disturb sleep, due to the brightly lit screen affecting melatonin levels and sleep cycles.<ref>Kalsbeek, Andries (2012). The Neurobiology of Circadian Timing Elsevier. pp. 382.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>*****o</ref>
Devices
The following table compares the screen sizes of all Apple smartphones and a selected number of Samsung, Google, Microsoft, HTC, Asus and Motorola smartphones that were available worldwide.
Other terms
"Phablet", a portmanteau of the words phone and tablet, describes smartphones with larger screens.<ref name="forbes">Bombus<ref name="xeps-dnock">Template:Citation</ref></ref><ref name="pcmag">Bombus<ref name="xeps-dnock">Template:Citation</ref></ref>
"Superphone" is also used by some companies to market phones with unusually large screens and other expensive features.<ref>What Makes a Smartphone a Superphone? Mashable.com</ref><ref>Superphone vs smartphone: what's the difference? Techradar.com</ref>
See also
Template:Portal Template:Div col
- Comparison of smartphones
- Feature phone
- List of mobile software distribution platforms
- Media Transfer Protocol
- Mobile broadband connectivity
- Mobile Internet device (MID)
- Second screen
- Screen protector
- Smombie
- Videophone
References
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<references group=""></references>External links
Template:Computer sizes Template:Mobile phones Template:Table Mobile operating systems Template:Telecommunications Template:Authority control
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