Think back for a moment: ten years ago, we were done with pagers, but it was still popular to listen to CDs. There was no such thing as a smartphone, and the greatest feature of a mobile device was probably your ring tone. In just one decade, so much has changed in the technological realm and especially with regards to mobile technology. Here’s a list of some of the most significant advances in mobile tech over the last decade.
Nokia sets the standard for cell phones.
In 2005, Nokia released their most popular model, the Nokia 1110. This model was valued for its indestructibility, as well as its extremely long battery life – the Nokia 1110 could go days without needing a recharge. Nokia sold over 250 million units of their cell phone worldwide, and the phone was available in all different colors and patterns. This was the first time in history that mobile phones became stylish and recognized as something more than just a way to call people.Apple iTunes distributes a billion songs.
After its initial launch, the iPod and Apple exploded onto the scene. In 2006, downloads reached over 1 billion songs, showing that cell phones weren’t the only devices rapidly changing. Consumers were ready to embrace new technology, as long as it fit snugly into their lives.1st Generation iPhone is launched.
Apple releases the iPhone in 2007, and consumers went gangbusters for the device. The Apple iPhone redefined the smartphone market, and everyone wanted to have a device that could do a great deal more than talk and text. (Very few people would be buying clamshell mobile phones shortly after this.)Android OS is created.
Google developers decided to make an operating system that could compete with the OS used in Apple iPhones. Hence, the Android OS was born in 2008. Back then, the market penetration of Apple, Nokia and BlackBerry was ubiquitous, but these days Android has blown them out of the water – they had 81% of the market share in 2013! Pretty good run in five short years.Apple launches the iPad.
When it came out, many tech journalists criticized the Apple iPad as a clunky version of a laptop, or an oversized mobile phone. After consumer purchases of the iPad skyrocketed, the mobile device became the fastest selling new category of technology hardware ever and is slated to surpass PC sales in the future. In 2013, PC shipments declined 10% and tablet shipments increased by 50%.
No one can deny that things have changed in the mobile tech world. We use technology today that probably would have been hard to imagine ten years ago. As future generations of phones, tablets, and who-knows-what-else in the mobile world develop, it will be difficult and terribly exciting to conceive of technology that will be available a decade from today.