A History of Mobile Phones and Smartphones

In the late 1990s the pocket device was being worked out along three separate lines. Palm, arriving after oversized PDAs had failed, made a small stylus-and-handwriting organiser whose real partner was the desktop PC it synced with. Research In Motion won over American business users with a keyboard for the thumbs and mail pushed out from the server. In Japan, NTT DoCoMo put a curated portal and packet-billed internet access on the handset itself. The handheld computer and the telephone were still separate boxes; joining them was the next decade's work.

1. EVT.001April 1996T1Palm's Pilot 1000 and Pilot 5000 — The Palmtop That Defined the PDA Category#pda#palm#mobile#stylusCollapse

   

   Palm Computing, then a division of US Robotics, launched the Pilot 1000 (128 KB, US$299) and the Pilot 5000 (512 KB, US$369) in 1996. After the Apple Newton and other oversized PDAs failed in the market, Palm bet on three things: a shirt-pocket form factor, HotSync synchronisation with the PC, and the Graffiti handwriting input system. With a stylus-driven resistive touchscreen, a bespoke OS, and weeks of life on a pair of AAA batteries, Palm passed one million units within eighteen months of launch and effectively owned the PDA category — 68% of the worldwide market in 1998, by IDC's count. It set the template for later smartphone UIs, the home-screen grid, and the desktop-sync culture.

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2. EVT.002June 26, 1997T1The Origins of Wi-Fi — IEEE 802.11 ApprovedAppears inA History of the Internet and the WebRead more →
3. EVT.0031999T1Emoji — From Japanese Mobile Phones to Unicode and the World#japan#ntt-docomo#emoji#unicodeCollapse

   

   Emoji were born on Japanese mobile phones in the late 1990s. The best-known set is NTT DoCoMo's, which appeared with i-mode in 1999: 176 characters on a 12-by-12 grid, developed under Shigetaka Kurita and acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2016. But on mobile phones, the 90 emoji on the Pioneer-made SkyWalker DP-211SW, released by J-Phone in November 1997, came first, and Kurita himself has said so. Each carrier's set was incompatible with the others, and a 2000 proposal to Unicode went nowhere; then Google began converting them in 2006, engineers from Google and Apple jointly proposed them in 2009, and Unicode 6.0 in October 2010 standardised the union of the three Japanese carriers' sets. They spread worldwide with the iPhone, and in 2015 Oxford Dictionaries chose the Face with Tears of Joy emoji as its word of the year. DoCoMo stopped putting its own emoji on new phones in 2025.

   Related organizations

   Google · Apple Inc.

   Appears in

   A History of the Internet and the Web

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4. EVT.004January 19, 1999T1BlackBerry 850 Launches — Hardware QWERTY and Push Email Take Over the Enterprise#blackberry#rim#push-email#qwertyExpand

   

   On 19 January 1999, the Canadian firm Research In Motion (RIM) launched the BlackBerry 850. A two-way pager form factor with a thumb-typed hardware QWERTY keyboard and push email (immediate, encrypted server-to-device delivery), it became the standard tool of US corporate executives, lawyers, and Wall Street. At its peak in 2012 it counted about eighty million subscribers worldwide. President Obama's reluctance to give up his BlackBerry on inauguration became the emblem of the 2000s 'corporate smartphone'. Pushed back by the iPhone and Android wave from 2007, RIM exited its own handset business in 2016 and turned the brand into a licensing operation.

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5. EVT.005February 22, 1999T1i-mode Launches — The World's First Mass-Market Mobile Internet#mobile-internet#japan#ntt-docomo#emojiExpand

   

   On 22 February 1999, NTT DoCoMo launched i-mode: a dedicated browser, a corpus of official sites written in cHTML (compact HTML), a JPY 300 monthly service fee with traffic charged by the packet rather than the minute, and an official portal curated by DoCoMo. It was the world's first mass-market mobile-internet platform. Subscribers passed twenty million within three years and peaked at about forty-nine million contracts in July 2010. Ringtones, emoji, mobile games — a great deal of the mobile-internet culture that would later be exported worldwide began here. On 31 March 2026, i-mode shut down alongside 3G FOMA, closing twenty-seven years of operation.

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6. EVT.006July 26, 1999T1Bluetooth 1.0 — Ericsson's Short-Range Radio, Named After a Viking King#standardExpand

   

   A standard for connecting phones, computers and other devices over short-range radio. It originated at Ericsson in Lund, Sweden, where Jaap Haartsen began formulating the system in 1994. At a 1996 meeting of Intel, Ericsson and Nokia, Intel's Jim Kardach proposed 'Bluetooth' as a temporary code name, after King Harald Bluetooth, who united Denmark and Norway in 958; the preferred alternatives, PAN and RadioWire, fell through and the name stuck. On 20 May 1998 Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba unveiled the technology, which uses the 2.45 GHz band, and on 26 July 1999 they released the Bluetooth 1.0 specification, by which time more than 850 companies had joined. The first commercially available Bluetooth phone is generally given as the Ericsson R520m, released in the first quarter of 2001.

   Related organizations

   Intel · International Business Machines (IBM)

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In the 2000s the handheld computer and the phone became one device, and control of that device began to change hands mid-decade. Nokia began by mass-producing Symbian phones with cameras and packet data, and in 2006 Symbian's share of smartphone operating systems peaked near 70 percent. The 2007 iPhone moved input onto a multi-touch screen; a year later the 3G model arrived alongside the App Store and made it a machine for other people's software. That same year Android set off in another direction, offering an open-source OS to any handset maker. With the 3GS Apple settled into yearly refinement, and the 2010s became a contest between the two camps.

1. EVT.007November 10, 2001T1The First iPod — 1,000 Songs in Your Pocket#launch#apple#music#consumerCollapse

   

   Apple announced the iPod on 23 October 2001 and released it in the US on Saturday 10 November at $399. A 5 GB hard drive held about 1,000 songs in a 6.5-ounce body with up to ten hours of battery life, and FireWire moved a whole CD across in under ten seconds. In Japan it was first set to go on sale the same day at ¥47,800, but the launch was pushed back a week to 17 November. The first iPod worked only with the Mac and iTunes 2; Windows support came with the second generation, announced in July 2002, and the iTunes Music Store opened in April 2003. Apple announced 100 million iPods sold in April 2007, and the name lasted until the iPod touch was discontinued in May 2022.

   Related people

   Steve Jobs

   Related organizations

   Apple Inc.

   Appears in

   A History of Semiconductors and Hardware

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2. EVT.008June 2002T1Nokia 7650 Launches — Symbian S60 Opens the Smartphone Era#nokia#symbian#s60#smartphoneCollapse

   

   On 26 June 2002, Nokia launched the Nokia 7650 — the first mass-produced device running Symbian OS on the Series 60 (later S60) platform, and Nokia's first camera phone. With a slide-up body, a 176×208-pixel colour screen, GPRS data, and open Symbian application execution, Nokia established the template for what would later be called the smartphone. Symbian's share of the global smartphone OS market peaked in 2006 at close to seven-tenths (reported between 67% and 73%), passing 100 million cumulative devices that November; the 250-millionth shipped in July 2009. Then the iPhone and Android arrived; Nokia collapsed, sold the handset business to Microsoft in April 2014, and Microsoft sold the feature-phone business on to FIH Mobile and HMD Global in May 2016, ending the lineage.

   Related organizations

   Microsoft Corporation

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3. EVT.009June 29, 2007T1The Original iPhone Goes on SaleAppears inA History of the iPhoneA General History of Information TechnologyA History of Operating SystemsRead more →
4. EVT.010July 11, 2008T1iPhone 3G — 3G, GPS, the App Store, and JapanAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
5. EVT.011September 23, 2008T1Android 1.0 and the HTC DreamAppears inA History of Operating SystemsA General History of Information TechnologyRead more →
6. EVT.012June 19, 2009T1iPhone 3GS — Same Outside, Faster InsideAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →

In the 2010s the smartphone's shape settled, and the arguments moved to what could be taken off it and how it should recognise its owner. Samsung built the Galaxy S into Android's near-annual standard-bearer, while Apple followed the Galaxy Note to larger screens three years late. The iPhone gave up its 30-pin connector, then its headphone jack, then its home button, and identity checks moved from a fingerprint to a face. Pressure-sensing 3D Touch arrived and left within the decade. By its end, several lenses sat on the back. The notch, the Lightning port and Siri would each be reworked in the 2020s.

1. EVT.013April 3, 2010T1The First iPad — and the Two-Month Wait Outside the US#launch#apple#tablet#consumerCollapse

   

   Apple announced the iPad on 27 January 2010 and released the Wi-Fi model in the US on 3 April; the Wi-Fi + 3G model followed in the US on 30 April. Japan was among the countries originally due to get it in late March, later late April, but because US demand outran supply the international launch was pushed back a month. The iPad reached Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on 28 May. It had a 9.7-inch IPS display and Apple's own A4 chip, was 0.5 inches thick, weighed 1.5 pounds and ran for up to ten hours. US prices were $499 to $699 for Wi-Fi and $629 to $829 for 3G. Apple reported one million sold in 28 days and two million in under 60 days.

   Related people

   Steve Jobs

   Related organizations

   Apple Inc.

   Related terms

   Multi-touch

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2. EVT.014June 4, 2010T1Samsung Galaxy S Launches — The Android Empire's Real Beginning#samsung#galaxy#android#smartphoneCollapse

   

   Samsung Electronics launched the Galaxy S (GT-I9000) on 4 June 2010, starting in Singapore and rolling out across Europe, with the United States following from later that summer. A 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 1 GHz Cortex-A8 (Hummingbird) SoC, Android 2.1 Eclair (later updated to 2.3) — Samsung's first serious Android flagship sold ten million units worldwide in about seven months. The S line has continued almost annually since, reaching the Galaxy S26 in 2026, with cumulative S-series sales running to several hundred million units. Through the patent litigation with Apple from 2011 (settled in 2018) and the Galaxy Note 7 fires of 2016, Samsung has held the world's largest annual smartphone shipment number in most years since 2011 — with Apple taking the annual crown in 2023 and again in 2025.

   Related organizations

   Google · Apple Inc.

   Related terms

   OLED (Organic LED)

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3. EVT.015June 24, 2010T1iPhone 4 — Retina Display and 'Antennagate'Appears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
4. EVT.016October 14, 2011T1iPhone 4S and Siri — The First iPhone with a Voice AssistantAppears inA History of the iPhoneA History of Artificial IntelligenceRead more →
5. EVT.017September 21, 2012T1iPhone 5 — Taller Screen, LTE, LightningAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
6. EVT.018September 20, 2013T1iPhone 5s — Touch ID and the 64-bit A7Appears inA History of the iPhoneA History of Semiconductors and HardwareRead more →
7. EVT.019September 19, 2014T1iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — The Pivot to Big ScreensAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
8. EVT.020April 24, 2015T1The First Apple Watch — Seven Months From Unveiling to Sale, Japan on Day One#launch#apple#wearable#consumerExpand

   

   Apple unveiled the Apple Watch on 9 September 2014 and released it on Friday 24 April 2015 in nine countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US. Japan was in the first wave. Pre-orders and in-store try-ons began on 10 April, and on launch day Apple's own stores sold it by reservation. It came in three collections — Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition — and two sizes, 38 mm and 42 mm. US prices started at $349, and the 18-karat gold Edition at $10,000; in Japan the Sport started at ¥42,800 and the Edition at ¥1,280,000, before tax. It introduced the Digital Crown and the Taptic Engine, had a heart-rate sensor, needed an iPhone 5 or later, and was rated for up to 18 hours of battery. Series 2 (2016) added 50-metre water resistance and GPS; Series 4 (2018) added an ECG app and fall detection.

   Related organizations

   Apple Inc.

   Related terms

   Retina Display

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9. EVT.021September 25, 2015T1iPhone 6s — 3D Touch and the Pressure of a FingerAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
10. EVT.022Announced September 9, 2015; on sale from November 11T1The First iPad Pro — A 12.9-inch iPad and the Apple PencilAppears inA History of Semiconductors and HardwareRead more →
11. EVT.023March 31, 2016T1The Original iPhone SE — A 6s Heart in a Four-Inch BodyAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
12. EVT.024September 16, 2016T1iPhone 7 — The Headphone Jack RemovedAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
13. EVT.025Announced October 4, 2016, with pre-orders the same dayT1Google Pixel — A Phone Made by Google, Inside and Out#google#consumer#launch#smartphoneExpand

    

    On 4 October 2016 Google announced Pixel and Pixel XL, phones under its own brand, and opened pre-orders the same day in the US, UK, Canada, Germany and Australia. They came in 5-inch and 5.5-inch sizes from $649, and in the US were exclusive to Verizon. Google called Pixel the first phone made by Google inside and out, and the first with the Google Assistant built in. The earlier Nexus phones, starting with the Nexus One in 2010, were made by partners and sold by Google. Part of the HTC team that had helped build the first Pixel joined Google in 2017. Pixel reached Japan with the Pixel 3 on 1 November 2018, and from the Pixel 6 in 2021 it has used Tensor, a processor Google designed itself. The eleventh generation, Pixel 11, arrived in August 2026.

    Related organizations

    Google

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14. EVT.026December 13, 2016T1The First AirPods — Promised for Late October, Shipped in December#launch#apple#wearable#audioExpand

    

    Apple announced AirPods on 7 September 2016, the same day as the iPhone 7, promising them for late October at $159 in the US. They were late: online ordering on Apple.com opened on 13 December 2016, with deliveries and arrivals in Apple stores and resellers from the following week. In Japan, sales on Apple's site also began on 13 December, at ¥16,800 before tax. The earbuds had no wire between them, used Apple's W1 chip and optical sensors that detected when they were in the ear, called Siri with a double tap, and were rated for up to five hours per charge and more than 24 hours with the case. A second generation with the H1 chip followed in March 2019, and AirPods Pro with noise cancellation in October 2019.

    Related organizations

    Apple Inc.

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15. EVT.027November 3, 2017T1iPhone X — The Home Button Goes, Face ID ArrivesAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
16. EVT.028September 21, 2018T1iPhone XS and XR — Every New Model Gets Face IDAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
17. EVT.029September 20, 2019T1iPhone 11 — Night Mode, and the First iPhone Called ProAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →

Every 2020s entry here is an iPhone, yet several of the largest shifts came from outside the handset: the 5G network, the EU's Common Charger Directive, and generative AI. The notch shrank on the 13 and, on the 14 Pro, became a display region the OS could resize. MagSafe came back as a magnetic charging and mounting system, and the port changed from Lightning to USB-C because EU law required it. The iPhone 16 was sold on on-device AI that was absent at launch; Japanese support followed the next year, and the more personal Siri missed the generation. The gap between announcement and shipment is what the decade leaves open.

1. EVT.030October 23, 2020T1iPhone 12 — 5G, MagSafe and a Launch in Two WavesAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
2. EVT.031September 24, 2021T1iPhone 13 — Smaller Notch, ProMotionAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
3. EVT.032September 16, 2022T1iPhone 14 Pro and Dynamic IslandAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
4. EVT.033September 22, 2023T1iPhone 15 — The Move to USB-CAppears inA History of the iPhoneRead more →
5. EVT.034September 20, 2024T1iPhone 16 and Apple IntelligenceAppears inA History of the iPhoneA History of Artificial IntelligenceRead more →