What was the First Smartphone?
![What was the First Smartphone](https://dox4euoyzny9u.cloudfront.net/images/fastsms/What-was-the-First-Smartphone-.jpg)
If you ask the average person on the street which was the first smartphone, you’re likely to get “iPhone” as the answer. And by many measures they might be right. The iPhone really was the first smartphone marketed primarily to the consumer. And it revolutionised the mobile market when it was released in 2007.
But smartphones have been around for over 20 years. Surprised? I was too at first. But before I get too far, let’s take a look at what defines a smartphone. Generally we define smartphones as having both a keyboard, calendar, and email at a minimum. Mostly they also incorporate a camera, a means of playing music and can run many of the applications that used to reside solely on laptops and PCs.
I remember sitting in meetings in the early 2000’s where the senior management would be silently texting away and checking email on their Blackberrys or mobile phones. The company I worked for at the time issued the devices to employees they thought needed them – usually project leaders that travelled frequently. And in the early days of the smartphone that was generally the case. Businesses adopted the smartphone long before the general consumer market.
So getting back to the question…what was the first smartphone? Who made it? And when?
Way back in 1992, IBM debuted the Simon. Amazingly it had a touchscreen, but required a stylus to use. You could check email, take notes, and use the calendar. As a bonus you could even send and receive fax messages. Yes, it had a fax capability. That’s something we don’t even consider for smartphones today (unless you’re using an online fax service via email). Though the Simon fits the definition of a smartphone, the device never caught on. So was it the first? That’s debatable as although it did exist it never really entered service. Maybe we should think of it more as a prototype.
It wasn’t until 1997 when Ericsson promoted their GS88 as a “smart phone” that the term “smartphone” took off. Purists will argue Nokia actually released the first modern smartphone a year earlier. According to TheNextWeb.com,the Nokia 9000 Communicator is “what many consider to be the quintessential smartphone”. But thanks to Ericsson’s marketing, smartphone is now the catchall term for phones with added capability.
And based on sales in 2013, Gartner reports that smartphone sales accounted for 53.6% of global mobile phone sales. It was the first year consumers bought more smartphones than basic phones. And surely that trend has accelerated in the meantime.
Android based phones accounted for about 78% of the sales worldwide, trouncing Apple’s iOS at just 15.6%.
I doubt there are too many people faxing from their phones these days. But smartphones do just about everything else. And that range will only increase as voice commands become ever more powerful, eliminating keypad use. Besides calling or texting, what’s your favorite smartphone activity? What new features do you think will emerge? Share your thoughts in a comment.
Related Articles
Advantages & Disadvantages of SMS Marketing
SMS marketing is very different to most other more traditional marketing tools, specifically because of its short-form, text only nature. This certainly shouldn't put you off though. We have put together our guide to both the best things about SMS marketing and some of the potential problems, and how to work around them.
What Your Customers Want From SMS Marketing
Mobile marketing offers an unprecedented access to your customers virtually any time, anywhere. This is particularly true for SMS marketing because it is “always on”. Customers don’t have to be surfing the web, or using an app to receive messages. Instead, they see the marketing messages right alongside ones from their friends and family.
4 Basic Metrics for Your SMS Marketing Campaigns
One key to successful marketing is to know when you’re doing it right. And when you’re doing it wrong. The great thing about SMS marketing is you can get that information pretty quickly. But to understand how your messages are performing, you need to do a little maths. Thankfully, it’s all rather simple once you see it.
5 Simple Steps to Improve Your SMS Marketing with A/B Testing
Do you ever wonder if your SMS marketing campaigns could be even more successful? Of course, you do! Find out how to put A/B testing to work in your campaigns by following our five simple steps and see your ROI increase
Do You Ever Unplug From Your Mobile?
While it’s undeniable technology is a growing part of our everyday lives, it may be surprising how few of us ever turn it off. Or leave it behind. Most people rarely 'unplug' from their mobile devices. This provides unparallelled opportunities for marketing, especially via SMS text messaging.
SMS Messaging is Much Better Than Shouting!
Just in the last 60-70 years, communications have gone from requiring a person to route the calls to not needing anyone other than the two people at either end. It all got me wondering about the history of communications and how much different it is from even just a 100 years ago, or a thousand. The result of my wondering is this infographic that covers most of recorded history (at some level of detail anyway).
UK digital advertising spending tops 7.4 billion euros
The Truth About SMS Opt Out Rates
You’ve read all about getting subscribers, the legal and recommended guidelines, and put great offers out to your list. But people still unsubscribe. Should you be worried? Are you doing something wrong? That depends. As the saying goes, you can’t make 100% of the people happy 100% of the time. You will have opt-outs, but whether you have too many is the question you should be asking.
A Brief History of the SMS Text Message
Despite the surge in popularity of smartphones over recent years and the rapid growth of alternative messaging apps, SMS messaging remains one of the most commonly used and popular methods of communication today. Read this article to learn more about the history of SMS messaging and discover why it is still a highly profitable channel that should be seriously considered in your marketing strategy.