Post 4

        The smartphone has proven to be an immensely impactful piece of recent technology that has reshaped the very way we communicate with each other. While cellphone technology and long range calls existed before the term “smartphone” was brought to popularity, the smartphone revolutionized the mobile phone industry within a decade of its conception. While the growth of the this technology after its announcement happened relatively rapidly, it took considerably longer for the cell phone to evolve into what we know as the smartphone. The first cell phone was invented in 1973 by Motorola. While the portable cell phone wouldn’t be released until 1984, it did not truly capture the market’s attention in an impactful way. The DynaTAC 8000X was far too clunky, inconvenient and expensive ever reach true popularity, leaving it to be used mostly as a status symbol for those who could afford its steep four-thousand-dollar price tag.

https://sites.bu.edu/cmcs/2018/09/14/the-past-present-and-future-of-smartphone/

        It wasn’t until 1994 that we would see the release of the first rendition of a true smartphone with IBM’s Simon Personal Communicator, more commonly known as the IBM Simon. The IBM Simon boasted an array of new features, such as a touch screen that required a stylus and an LCD screen. This phone was incredibly limited compared to what we know now considering it could only support a battery life of about an hour and only reached 15 states with cell service, but it was an incredible step forward for the industry. The IBM Simon hit the market at a quarter of the price as its predecessor, pushing the smartphone closer and closer to being owned by nearly every adult in the country. The integration of cameras in smartphones in 2000 was the next major leap in smartphone technology.

https://blog.textedly.com/smartphone-history-when-were-smartphones-invented

        The Japanese Sharp J-SHO4 was not only able to incorporate a camera, but also slim the overall model down to weigh just four ounces, beginning the trend of making our smartphones sleek and lightweight. From this point it only took a year for smartphones to be able to access the internet. Today, many people believe that smartphones gained such a name due to their ability to connect to the internet, but in reality cell phones became “smart” before this point back in 1994 with the IBM Simon due to it’s ability to have download apps. The next and arguably most impactful stage in the evolution of the smartphone was in 2007 with Steve Jobs. The introduction of Apple’s iphone completely revolutionized everything we know about the smartphone market. From touch screens to better battery, complete cell coverage potential to the expansion of mobile video games, the iphone destroyed its competitors and sold upwards of 1.4 million units in its first year. The sudden jump in popularity not only solidified Apple as a leading competitor in the world of mobile technology but also outlined just how impactful advancements in the smartphone industry can be. Today, the lives of nearly every American completely rely on mobile technology. Many of the features that Apple has implemented over the years, such as texting, facetiming, proper internet access, storage, camera quality, and far more have become simply an expectation for your everyday person to possess in their everyday lives.