Smartphones
The first smartphone to be commercially released was the ‘Angler,’ developed at IBM in 1992 by Frank Canova. It was the first modern mobile phone to have advanced features, including: internet access, a web browser, email, camera, picture viewer, music player, video player, games, a clock, a calendar and a flashlight.
In today’s fast-changing world, we look at the different types of smartphones in use in 2023.
We tell you the basics of how to use a smartphone and what you can do with it.
Smartphones are basically computerised mobile telephones which most of the modern world carry today. This means that they are operated by an operating system (OS), have a filesystem, a desktop, menu, apps (aka programs for Windows users) and settings like a desktop computer, but it’s on your phone. You can access files within your phone internally in just the same way as a computer as well as being able to access files from; and send to: external storage such as a MicroSD card or other multimedia memory storage unit or device.
Novices will find this useful, because there are so many technology platforms out there in 2023, that it could take an expert to know what exactly there is out there and how to use it.
Android, iOS (iPhone), Windows and Blackberry are the main operating systems (OS’s) on smartphones today. The licenses for each operating system may be different. For example, Android is based on an open-source (free and open public license) operating system called Linux, which is basically free for anyone to copy and distribute with clause and exceptions (which means that you should not profit off it without permission from the creators), as there may be commercial license fees applicable, depending on the company, however phone companies such as Huawei, Vivo, Oppo and Samsung modify the Android operating system (OS) to match their hardware as well as add their own customised set of applications with limited software updates and firmware (hardware encoded software) updates. These manufacturers that use Android OS’s, custom tailor each phone for the most recent and stable version of Android and vice-versa: that is to say, the current stable Android operating system release at the time of each model’s development, is customised to match the hardware of the phone under production.
Most modern smartphones have multi-functionality powered by gigahertz plus processors with long lasting batteries off charge. Typically, a new modern smartphone could have:
64-256 Gigabytes (GB) of internal storage memory
1 or 2 x Micro SD card memory slots
2 x SIM card telephone service slots (dual SIM card)
3 – 5 x video cameras (2 x front, 3 x rear/back)
1 x flashlight (torch)
A fingerprint sensor (1 x rear biometric)
1 x rechargeable battery
In this section, we cover a wide description of phones on sale in 2023. With the onset of COVID-19, technology has become even more in demand because of social isolation along-side an ever-increasing demand for technology, particularly with the modern generation: smartphones have become an integrated part of our modern generation. People are now reliant on their smartphone at all times – in other words, 24 x 7. Many people leave it switched on at night before they sleep to use the in-built alarm clock which will wake them up the next day.
The smartphone has become an essential tool for daily life in many regards, due to it’s versatile capabilities and hand-readiness to operate quickly and easily, as well as the ability to access the internet. Smartphones can organise your life – for enjoyment and work. Many people now rely on their smartphones for operating their business or for their employment.
Manufacturers have created brands as their product item list, and run a series of each model such as the Apple iPhone (iOS) 12 or the Huawei P40 Pro with Android 10.
Manufacturers
Today in 2023, there are many old and new manufacturers on the mobile phone market from different countries. Once considered as the founders of mobile phones and associated technologies, American manufacturers still hold high rankings of popular handheld and mobile devices. China now stands as a strong and futuristic competitor capable of producing quality products with ample features at a reasonable price. Manufacturers seek to make a profit, so it’s no surprise that there are some large companies in the world today selling mobile phones and making a lot of money.
The number of mobile phone users per country (world-wide) has grown and continues to grow at an amazing rate. Most teenagers in modern nations own a mobile telephone,
Listed, are some commercial manufacturers according to their OS (operating system) type:
Android: Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Samsung, Huawei, Sony, Motorola plus more.
Blackberry
iOS: Apple (iPhone and iPad)
Windows: Microsoft, Nokia
Brands
iPhone
Samsung Galaxy
Windows Phone
Blackberry
Motorola
Xperia
Nokia
Sony, Sony-Ericsson
With the advent of smartphone technology, most original manufacturers are still in operation, while many new manufacturers are now on the scene (mostly from China), giving consumers more choices of phone models at reasonable prices.
Models
Model names or numbers vary between manufacturers. People can pre-order the latest model, before it is released. They pay for it pre-released, so that when the model is released for sale to the public, they will be allowed to have the product as a priority, for the customer.
Features of modern smartphones
Almost all modern smartphones consist primarily of apps and settings. Those are the two (2) main categories of modern smartphones.
Apps (Applications – programs)
Smartphones made the era of apps happen. Apps, or applications as they are fully known as, are driving the smartphone market. The app market is huge and big business also, for those able to develop something useful and popular. Downloading apps from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store allows people to have software/programs checked for any malicious components.
Installing as a stand-alone installer, a .apk file or the new. xapk installer file is also possible through some app developers.
To do this for Android, you must first enable the My Files app on your phone to have access to the .apk and .xapk files. Go to Settings/Biometrics & Security/Install unknown apps/ then select My Files and then click on the 'Allowed from this source' button to allow access to the file(s).
Some websites which have .apk files for Android, include:
apkmonk.com
apkmirror.com
Settings
The settings section of your smartphone contain everything you need to change and control your phone. The most common settings sections are:
Connections
WiFi
Creating a WiFi Mobile Hotspot
Creating your own WiFi connection is easy. Simply select Mobile Hotspot on your phone under Settings/Connections/Mobile Hotspot and Tethering/Mobile Hotspot, then Configure Mobile Hotspot from the menu and create an SSID Network name, then a password (minimum of 8 characters required) and also make sure you select the best security available such as WPA3 personal (the most secure) or WPA2 personal, if no WPA3.
Connecting to a WiFi network
Connecting to a WiFi is easy: all you need is the SSID Network name and the password, then press ‘Connect’ and you should establish a WiFi wireless network connection.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth connected devices have become very popular over the past ten (10) years. Bluetooth speakers are now used across the world, to play audio from your mobile phone. Ear buds are also popular.
Flight mode
Disable all communications by turning Flight mode ON.
Mobile networks
This is simply your mobile phone company or telecommunications carrier company.
Data usage
Reports your data usage.
SIM card manager
This is where you can manage and change the name of your SIM card or turn it OFF.
Mobile Hotspot and Tethering
Create and modify mobile WiFi networks (called a Hotspot) to share anywhere ‘on the go’. as well as sharing an internet connection by plugging in a USB cable - in this section.
Bluetooth tethering
This allows a smartphone to share its internet, audio and video using Bluetooth to another Bluetooth device such as another smartphone, tablet, computer or printer.
USB tethering
USB tethering allows a person to share an internet connection from their smartphone using a USB cable to a computer or tablet which has a USB port on the receiving end – i.e., plug the USB charging cable from your smartphone into your computer or tablet, to use the internet from your smartphone. Sharing a connection from one (device) to another is called ‘tethering.’
More connections settings
Sounds and Vibration
Sound mode
Sound
Vibrate
Mute
Notifications
Turn notifications for app actions and replies on or off
Display
Brightness
Font size and style
Screen zoom
Full screen apps
Screen timeout
Home screen
Easy mode
Navigation bar
Show charging information
Screensaver
Wallpaper
Change the background image of the screen and the lock screen image.
Themes
Lock Screen
Biometrics and Security
Add fingerprint biometric and face recognition security to secure your phone.
Privacy
Location
Account and backup
Google Account/ Apple ID.
Backup to a storage device or to the cloud over the internet.
Advanced features
Digital Well-being and parental controls
Device Care
Clear your memory to give you free space. Optimise your power use.
Apps
Installation: go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and search for what app, game or movie that you want. Scroll down the list of available apps from your search. Select the one you want and if it suits your requirements, press the Install button. It will then begin to download and then auto-install by itself.
Uninstall / Remove the app: Search for the app on your phone. Hold down the app icon that you want to uninstall/remove. A menu of options will appear. Select ‘Uninstall.’ It should then be remove from your phone or device.
You can also uninstall an app from your phone or device by going to Google Play Store or Apple App Store. In the Google Play Store, click on your account icon, then select ‘Manage Apps and Devices.’ There are two (2) sub-menus:
1) Overview: this is where you can check for any ‘updates’ available for your phone or device; and
2) Manage. Click on this section, to view all of your installed apps. Scroll down to the one(s) you want to remove, select it by touching its icon or name and then you will see the option of Uninstall. Click that button. Apple’s iPhone and iPads app removal procedure is similar. They call it ‘Remove app,’ instead of ‘Uninstall.’
General management
Accessibility
Software update
Android’s app updates are found as mentioned in No. 15 above: Manage apps and devices. Apple’s app updates are similar to Android’s. Go to the Apple App store, click on your profile icon/account, then scroll down to ‘Pending updates and release notes.’ Then there are two (2) choices: 1) Update only a certain app that you tap on; or 2) ‘Update All.’
User manual
About phone
This tells you what name and version of operating system that you have on your phone.
Developer options
This is where you can manipulate your phone for app building and testing apps that you have made using Android .apk files for Android smartphones. Activating Developer Options gives users access to Android smartphones, allowing users to install and test apps on their smartphones, before publishing them to the Google Play Store.
Hardware
Mobile phone hardware has obviously changed considerably since its creation from carrying around a big brick-sized handheld battery with a cable attached, to a small pocket-sized device which fits in your pocket – mobile phones, also known as cell phones, have dramatically reduced in size and made a huge advance in technologies with the invention of the smartphone. The mobile telephone has evolved into a mini computerised telephone.
Buttons
Power On/Off
The most important hardware button is the power on and power off button. This turns the smartphone on and off. You may have to press and hold down the power button for 3-5 seconds to turn on or off your smartphone.
Volume Up and Down
Sound is an important element for every smartphone. Basically each smartphone features video and audio; or audiovisual functionality combined into the device.
To turn the sound up, you press the Volume Up button (+) and press the Volume Down button (-), to turn the sound down.
Key Combinations
You can use 'key combinations,' to perform a certain or specific function, such as a hardware reset to factory settings, which uses the phone's reserved space allocation as a system image with the default (original) settings that came with the smartphone when you bought it new from the shop or dealer/seller.
Touchscreens
Touchscreens replaced the physical hardware keyboards of the past on the initial smartphones which has allowed for less reliance on hardware and also giving the user more options by using a touchscreen system or 3rd-party installed keyboard. They are software or virtual keyboards (no physical hardware buttons).
Batteries
Batteries are what really allow mobile phones to be portable and taken practically anywhere with us. Batteries are evolving at a rapid rate, improving in the capability of staying charged for longer and longer (the number of hours and days at a time that the battery will supply charge to the phone without it needing recharging). So, batteries are staying charged for longer, charge quicker with advanced and more powerful wattage using 250 volt mains power. USB phone chargers are more powerful these days, with stronger charges and longer battery time without needing to recharge your smartphone or device.
On average, smartphone batteries are expected to last 2-3 years, although some may burn out earlier than that and some may last longer.
Lithium-ion Batteries
These batteries were released by Sony in 1991 and became widespread across the globe for use in mobile phones.
Lithium Polymer Batteries
First released in 1997, these batteries are the latest batteries used in smartphones, notebook computers and other portable or wireless devices such as drones, UPS’s and electric vehicles.
Micro USB charging port
This port has changed in versions and also contains brand-specific hardware designs to 'privatise' their product, as specifically 'their own brand' of USB port style (shape). E.g. - Samsung, iPhone.
The only generic shaped USB cable with associated port, is the Android standard charging port.
Micro USB | USB Type C | Lightning | Mini USB |
Android phone and tablet | Google Nexus, Nokia tablet and others | iPhone and iPad | Digital cameras and GoPro's. |
Headphone Socket
The standard size for a headphone socket (hole) is 3.5 mm. This is pretty much an international standard.
SIM Card Holder(s)
Modern phones have two (2) x SIM card holders and one may be combined as a MicroSD card holder, within the one holder (unit).
MicroSD Card Holder
These can be individual and dedicated singular holders or combined (as above) with a SIM card slot as well, together as the one holder.