A smartphone release is a big deal in the tech world. It can take over a year for a phone to go from concept to public release. It can change beyond recognition in that time. It also takes months for the official release date to come around, which can be frustrating for non-techies who want to know when they’ll be able to get their hands on the latest model.
In 1992, IBM engineer Frank Canova created a prototype called Sweetspot that was widely regarded as the first smartphone. However, it wouldn’t be available to consumers for two more years. When it was, the IBM Simon Personal Communicator had a touch screen but you still needed a stylus to use it. This device made it possible to send text messages and email attachments and the first apps were launched, like a calculator, appointment scheduler and notepad.
Fast forward a few years to 2000 and 3G mobile network technology became available, which allowed smartphones to connect to the internet. This opened up a whole new realm of smartphone functionality, such as video conferencing and large file uploads. In 2015 Qualcomm announced a camera that could recognise objects, which is now becoming a feature of many smartphones.
Today’s smartphones are incredibly complex. They’re able to do so much more than call and text, they’re also capable of tracking our health and wellbeing. The newest models can track our blood pressure and heart rate, detect cancerous cells and even read our emotions with the help of artificial intelligence.