Phones were initially made for communication but now phones have evolved into a smartphone because yes, they are smart. As found in 2020, among the total population of about 7.7 billion, above 6 billion people use a smartphone. Since we are in the age of technology, innovations are taking place very fast that make our lives easier and better.
Beginning of Smartphones
Although phones have been around for a long time, smartphones are rather new inventions. A major leap in the smartphone industry came on January 9 of 2007, when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone. It combined a phone, camera, music player, and an internet communicator; which was something that was never done before. It’s been fourteen years since the first iPhone or the most revolutionary smartphone was launched.
At present, there are a few things that a smartphone can’t do. However back then there weren’t many big players in the smartphone industry then. Now against a company like Apple, there are other tech giants like Samsung, Xiaomi, Oneplus, Sony, and many other smartphone companies. Since there are many players in the smartphone industry there’s a race for innovation. Big companies are constantly competing for better and smarter smartphones, giving motivation and challenges to outdo one another.
More on Smart Device
Besides just making smartphones these companies like Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi are creating an ecosystem around the smartphone. Along with the smartphone, they are making computers, laptops, TVs, smart-watches, earphones, speakers, and many more that work smoothly with smartphones, hence termed smart devices. These companies have made ties with Auto manufacturers making their devices capable of controlling the multimedia interface in their vehicles or even controlling them. Smartphones even aid people in their studies. For instance, a lot of engineering people rely on smart apps for their education. People can monitor their health through the different sensors in the phone along with the smart-watch. They are wearing on their wrist or any other electronic device.
Among all the other technologies, smartphones have become the centerpiece of the puzzle in this digital world. There are a lot of smartphone manufacturers. They have a whole lot of devices packed with different features that there might only be a few things smartphones can’t do now. Real-time video calling along with audio calls, file sharing, and internet browsing has become common features. In present times some smartphones even come with night vision, and Lidar sensors to measure distance. You can even create 3d images of the environment around you. There are voice assistants like Google, Siri, and Alexa built-in our smartphones with which we can give voice commands. Even projectors have been built into a smartphone.
Smartphone in Daily Life
Our lives so much rely on smartphones that people wake up with the alarm on their phone, check their routine, make calls, and schedule meetings, work. We take pictures and videos as well as cameras so there’s no need to have an extra camera. Even if you have a camera, you can connect to your phone or open the photos that you clicked on your camera. On top of all that, we can even instantly share it on social media or somewhere else.
There are smart homes where one can control the locks, lights, speakers, and heating system. In essence, the day of an average person revolves around this device. People may not have a computer but they have a smartphone. Given that you can essentially do everything a computer can do with a smartphone, it should not be much of a surprise. Although doing things meant for computers on smartphones is a bit cumbersome, you can do it with a bit of effort.
Demerits of Smartphones
Besides all the positive factors and the ease that smartphones have created in our lives, we cannot neglect the other side of the story. Yes, we might be able to access maps, browse the internet, and control our automobiles or our smart-home. But that freedom has also made us vulnerable to companies who aim to make a profit from our data. Privacy issues with smartphones are always a risk and have been a hot topic over the past few years. This is because some apps and smartphones have been accused of violating privacy rights. Smartphone users don’t only have problems with the big players in the industry. Hackers can hack into your digital devices with the help of your phone. Hack your phone itself to get access to your files, bank details, and other things.
Despite all the drawbacks almost 77% of the population of the world use smartphones. The utility they get from them far outweighs the small drawbacks they might create. However, if the smartphone user is well known for its functions and uses such risks can be minimized. It is an advanced device on which we are so dependent. Although the smartphone is a relatively new invention It’s almost impossible to think of a world without it. It’s mobile and has a ton of applications and the ability to connect and control other digital devices and services; we can say that they are the most important digital devices in our lives.