A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone, often with PC-like functionality. There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone. For some, a smartphone is a phone that runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application developers. For others, a smartphone is simply a phone with advanced features.
Definition
There is no agreement in the industry about what a smartphone actually is, and definitions have changed over time[6]. According to David Wood, EVP at Symbian, "Smart phones differ from ordinary mobile phones in two fundamental ways: how they are built and what they can do"[7]. Other definitions put different stresses on these two factors[citation needed].
Most devices considered smartphones today use an identifiable operating system, often with the ability to add applications (e.g. for enhanced data processing, connectivity or entertainment) - in contrast to regular phones which only support sandboxed applications[citation needed]. These smartphone applications may be developed by the manufacturer of the device, by the network operator or by any other third-party software developer[citation needed].
In terms of features, most smartphones support full featured email capabilities with the functionality of a complete personal organizer. Other functionality might include an additional interface such as a miniature QWERTY keyboard, a touch screen or a D-pad, a built-in camera, contact management, an accelerometer, built-in navigation hardware and software, the ability to read business documents in a variety of formats such as PDF and Microsoft Office, media software for playing music, browsing photos and viewing video clips, internet browsers or even just secure access to company mail, such as is provided by a BlackBerry.
[edit]History
The first smartphone was called Simon designed by IBM in 1992 and shown as a concept product that year at COMDEX, the computer industry trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was released to the public in 1993 and sold by BellSouth. Besides being a mobile phone, it also contained a calendar, address book, world clock, calculator, note pad, e-mail, send and receive FAX, and games. It had no physical buttons to dial with. Instead customers used a touch-screen to select phone numbers with a finger or create facsimiles and memos with an optional stylus. Text was entered with a unique on-screen "predictive" keyboard. By today's standards, the Simon would be a fairly low-end smartphone.
The Nokia 9000, released in 1996, was marketed as a Communicator, but was arguably the first in a line of Nokia's smartphones. The Ericsson R380 was sold as a 'smartphone'[8] but could not run native 3rd party applications. Although the Nokia 9210 was arguably the first true smartphone with an open operating system, Nokia continued to refer to it as a Communicator.
Although the Nokia 7650, announced in 2001, was referred to as a 'smart phone' in the media,[9] and is now called a 'smartphone' on the Nokia support site,[10] the press release referred to it as an 'imaging phone'.[11] Handspring delivered the first widely popular smartphone devices in the US market by marrying its Palm OS based Visor PDA together with a piggybacked GSM phone module. By 2002, Handspring was marketing an integrated package called the Treo; the company was subsequently bought by Palm primarily because the PDA market was dying but the Treo smartphone was quickly becoming popular as a phone with extended PDA organizer features. That same year, Microsoft announced its Windows CE Pocket PC OS would be offered as "Microsoft Windows Powered Smartphone 2002".[12]. Microsoft originally defined its Windows Smartphone products as lacking a touchscreen and offering a lower screen resolution compared to its sibling Pocket PC devices. Palm has since largely abandoned its own Palm OS in favor of licensing Microsoft's WinCE-based operating system now referred to as Windows Mobile, although WinCE and Palm OS together now amount to 10% of the smartphone market.
Out of 1 billion camera phones to be shipped in 2008, smartphones, the higher end of the market with full email support, will represent about 10% of the market or about 100 million units.[citation needed]
[edit]Operating Systems
The most common operating systems (OS) used in smartphones are:
Symbian OS from Symbian Ltd. (72.4% Market Share)
Symbian has the largest share in most markets worldwide, but lags behind other companies in the relatively small but highly visible North American market.[13] This matches the success of its largest shareholder[14] and customer, Nokia, in all markets except Japan. Nokia itself enjoys 44.5% of the smartphone market.[15] In Japan Symbian is strong due to a relationship with NTT DoCoMo, with only one of the 44 Symbian handsets released in Japan coming from Nokia.[16] It is used by all the major handset manufacturers, including Motorola, Samsung, LG, and BenQ.[17] It has received some adverse press attention due to virus threats (actually trojan horses).[18]
Linux operating system (13.3% Market Share)
Linux is strongest in China where it is used by Motorola,[19] and in Japan, used by DoCoMo.[20] Rather than being a platform in its own right, Linux is used as a basis for a number of different platforms developed by several vendors, including Motorola and TrollTech, which are mostly incompatible.[21][22] PalmSource (now Access) is moving towards an interface running on Linux.[23] Another platform based on Linux is being developed by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic, Samsung, and Vodafone.[24]
Windows Mobile from Microsoft (6.1% Market Share)
Windows CE operating system along with Windows Mobile middleware are widely spread in Asia. The two improved variants of this operating system, Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for touch screen devices) and Windows Mobile 6 Standard were unveiled February 2007 and in the first half of 2008 respectively.
RIM BlackBerry operating system (5.3% Market Share)
This OS is focused on easy operation and was originally designed for business. Recently it has seen a surge in third-party applications and has been improved to offer full multimedia support.
Palm OS developed by PalmSource (now a subsidiary of ACCESS). (1.6% Market Share)
PalmSource traditionally used its own platform developed by Palm Inc. Access Linux Platform (ALP) is an improvement that was planned to be launched in the first half of 2007. It will use technical specifications from the Linux Phone Standards Forum. The Access Linux Platform will include an emulation layer to support applications developed for Palm-based devices.
OS X from Apple Inc. (1.3% Market Share)
The iPhone uses an operating system derived from Mac OS X. Apple and AT&T do not currently allow third-party programs to be installed onto iPhones. Currently, developers can only write applications for the iPhone by creating a web service that can be accessed via the included web browser. However, some have been able to install applications onto the iPhone via unofficial methods.[25] Apple have announced that a software development kit for creating native third-party applications will be released in February 2008.[26]
Market Share data from Canalys report "Worldwide smart mobile device market, Canalys Q2 2007"[27]
Dual-OS handsets have also been announced, such as the FIC Neo1973 which may run OpenMoko or Windows Mobile.
[edit]Comparison table
Model CPU OS Size Weight Screen resolution Keyboard Camera Other
Apple iPhone[28] 620 MHz ARM 1176 OS X 81.4 cc 135g 480x320 Soft QWERTY 2.0mp Wi-Fi
E-TEN glofiish X500+[29] 400 MHz Samsung SC32442 Windows Mobile 105cc 146g 640x480 Soft QWERTY 2.0mp GPS, Wi-Fi
HTC P3300[30] 201 MHz TI OMAP850 Windows Mobile 105cc 130g 240x320 Soft QWERTY 2.0mp GPS, Wi-Fi
HTC TyTN II[31] 400 MHz Qualcomm 7200 ARM Windows Mobile 126cc 190g 240x320 Full QWERTY 3.0mp AF GPS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi
Lobster 700TV Windows Mobile 5.0 140g 240x320 Numeric with T9 1.3mp DAB Digital Radio, DABTV Television, GPRS, Virgin Mobile only
Motorola RIZR Z8[32] ARM 11 Symbian OS 77cc 112g 240x320 Numeric with T9 2mp HSDPA
Motorola Q[33] 312 MHz Intel XScale PXA272 Windows Mobile 89cc 115g 320x240 Full QWERTY 1.3mp internal GPS with no public interface
Nokia E61i[34] 220 MHz ARM Symbian OS 114cc 150g 320x240 Full QWERTY 2mp Wi-Fi
Nokia E70[35] 220MHz Symbian OS 117 x 53 x 22 mm 127g 352x416 Full QWERTY when flipped open, Numeric with T9 when closed 2mp Wi-Fi
Nokia E90 Communicator[36] Symbian OS 150cc 210g 800x352 & 240x320 Full QWERTY and Numeric with T9 3.2mp GPS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi
Nokia N95[37] 332 MHz Texas Instrument OMAP 2420 (ARM 11) Symbian OS 110cc 120g 240x320 Numeric with T9, Multimedia 5mp GPS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi
Palm Treo 700p[38] 312 MHz Intel XScale Palm OS 5 151cc 180g 320x320 Full QWERTY 1.3mp
RIM BlackBerry Pearl (8100) [39] Blackberry OS 77cc 90g 240x260 Numeric with SureType 1.3mp
RIM BlackBerry Curve (8300) [40] Blackberry OS 111g 320x240 Full QWERTY 2.0mp
RIM BlackBerry 8700c[41] Blackberry OS 149cc 134g 320x240 Full QWERTY No
RIM BlackBerry 8800[42] Blackberry OS 105cc 134g 320x240 Full QWERTY No GPS
Samsung Blackjack (SGH-i607)[43] Windows Mobile 5.0 113 x 59 x 11.8 mm 105g 320x240 Full QWERTY 1.3mp with front VGA camera for video calls HSDPA
Samsung SCH-i730 520MHz Intel PXA 272 Windows Mobile 5.0 114 x 58 x 25 mm 183 g 240 x 320 pixels Full slide-out QWERTY 1.3mp in some versions
Samsung SCH-i760 Windows Mobile 6 Professional 115 x 57 x 19 mm 150 g 240 x 320 pixels Full slide-out QWERTY 1.3mp HSDPA, Wi-Fi, microSD, Bluetooth 2.0
Sony Ericsson P990[44] Symbian OS 162cc 150g 240x320 Full QWERTY, Numeric with T9, Soft 2mp Wi-Fi
Sony Ericsson W950i[45] Symbian OS 86cc 112g 240x320 Numeric with T9, Soft No
Toshiba Portege G900 520 MHz Marvell PXA270 Windows Mobile 6.0 119 x 61 x 21.5 196g 800x400 Full QWERTY 2mp HSDPA, Wi-Fi
[edit]See also
Microbrowser
Camera phone
Videophone
Information appliance
[edit]References
^ Smartphones Take Center Stage at Wi-fi Planet
^ Analysis: What is a smart phone? at Silicon.com
^ Birdnest Glossary
^ The iPhone is not a smartphone at Engadget
^ CEVA Glossary of Terms
^ Analysis: What is a smart phone? at Silicon.com
^ ibid
^ Ericsson R380
^ Nokia 7650
^ Nokia Support Site
^ Imaging Phone
^ Windows Powered Smartphone
^ North American Market
^ Symbian Shareholders
^ Nokia's Share of the Smartphone Market Slips
^ Symbian Facts
^ Symbian Licensees
^ Trojan Horses on Symbian
^ Shipping Linux-based Phones at Technology News Daily
^ Microsoft Excluded from DoCoMo at The Register
^ Incompatibility in Mobile Linux at OS News
^ Search Mobile Computing
^ Running on Linux
^ Motorola Press Release on Partnership on Linux Platform
^ Gizmodo Test: iPhone NES Emulator Tested
^ Apple - Hot News
^ Symbian Fast Facts. Canalys.
^ http://www.apple.com/iphone
^ http://www.etencorp.com/products/Communication/X500+.php
^ http://www.htc.com/product/03-product_p3300.htm
^ http://www.htc.com/product/03-product_tytn_II.htm
^ http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_rizr_z8-1863.php
^ http://www.motoqwiki.com/
^ http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/E61i
^ http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/E70
^ http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/E90
^ http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/N95
^ http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo700p/specs.html
^ http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/compare/product-attr-compare.jsp?products=203&
^ http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/compare/product-attr-compare.jsp?products=483&
^ http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/compare/product-attr-compare.jsp?products=65&
^ http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/compare/product-attr-compare.jsp?products=403&
^ http://www.samsungblackjack.com
^ http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=gb&lc=en&ver=4000&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10336
^ http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=gb&lc=en&ver=4000&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10336
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