The question "what year did the smartphone come out" does not have a single, simple answer. It depends entirely on how one defines a smartphone, specifically the combination of features that distinguish it from a basic mobile phone or a personal digital assistant. While the concept of a converged device existed in various forms before, the modern smartphone era is generally traced to a specific device released in 2007, though the technological lineage stretches back nearly two decades.
The Precursors: PDAs and Early Communicators
To understand the smartphone's origin, it is necessary to look at the two technologies it replaced: the personal digital assistant (PDA) and the mobile phone. In the early 1990s, devices like the IBM Simon began to hint at the future, offering a touchscreen interface, email, and even rudimentary apps alongside cellular communication. However, these were bulky, expensive, and not yet ready for mass adoption. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, dedicated PDAs like the Palm Pilot and handheld devices from Nokia and BlackBerry dominated the market, focusing primarily on calendar management, contacts, and basic note-taking, often without any cellular capability.
Defining the Smartphone
A smartphone is essentially a pocket computer that connects to a cellular network. It combines the functions of a mobile phone with those of a computer, typically featuring a mobile operating system, the ability to run third-party applications, and advanced multimedia capabilities. Before 2007, most devices leaned heavily toward one function or the other; either they were phones that could access the internet in a limited way or they were organizers that could make calls. The pivotal moment arrived when a company successfully merged these two paradigms into a single, intuitive user experience.
The Watershed Year: 2007
When most people ask what year did the smartphone come out, they are referring to June 29, 2007. On this date, Apple released the first iPhone, a device that would fundamentally alter the course of technology. Unlike previous devices that relied on physical keyboards or styluses, the iPhone introduced a large, multi-touch capacitive touchscreen as the primary interface. It ran a full suite of visual voicemail, Safari browser for desktop-class internet, and iPod music playback, all integrated seamlessly. This was not merely a new phone model; it was a reimagining of what a mobile computer could be, setting the standard for the industry for the next two decades.
Other Claims to the Title
While the iPhone defined the modern era, it is important to acknowledge that the title of "smartphone" has been applied to other devices from earlier years. For instance, the Nokia 9000 Communicator from 1996 was one of the first devices to combine a mobile phone with a full keyboard and PDA functions. Furthermore, BlackBerry devices running their proprietary operating system were widely adopted by business professionals in the early 2000s, effectively serving as email and data terminals long before 2007. These devices were smartphones in a functional sense, but they lacked the open application ecosystem and fluid user interface that define the category today.
The Evolution and Market Impact
Following the iPhone's success, the market shifted rapidly. Google responded in 2008 by launching the Android operating system, an open-source alternative that allowed various manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, and later, Google itself, to produce competitive devices. This led to an explosion of hardware options and a race to improve cameras, processing power, and app libraries. The year 2007 is thus less a boundary and more a fulcrum; it marks the moment when the industry realized the future lay in software-driven, touch-based interfaces rather than physical keyboards and proprietary operating systems.
