This blog post provides easy-to-understand information on essential factors to consider when purchasing a smartphone, such as operating systems, applications, and touch methods.
The number of smartphone users in South Korea has exceeded 30 million, with six out of ten people using smartphones. On the other hand, the market for feature phones, or non-smartphones, continues to decline. If you are planning to buy a new mobile phone in South Korea in 2025, you cannot ignore smartphones. It is important to know what you are buying. Therefore, this article provides information on the definition and history of smartphones, operating systems, applications, touch screen types, and more.
Smartphones are high-performance mobile phones equipped with a general-purpose operating system like a regular computer, allowing users to freely install and run various mobile apps. They are often referred to as “PCs in your pocket.” It can be seen as a combination of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and a mobile phone. A PDA is a small, lightweight computer that fits in one hand, mainly uses a touch screen as an input device, and has basic functions such as personal schedule management, address book, and calculator. The first smartphones were devices that added mobile phone functions such as phone calls and messaging to the functions of a PDA.
The Simon, designed by IBM in 1992, was one of the first smartphones. In addition to the phone and text messaging functions available on existing mobile phones, the Simon had various other functions, such as an address book, calculator, notepad, email, fax, and entertainment. Instead of pressing physical buttons to enter phone numbers or write messages, users had to touch the screen with their fingers or a stylus pen. Starting with Simon, which was quite advanced for its time, Nokia, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, and other companies developed smartphones, leading to the global popularization of smartphones today.
The biggest difference between feature phones and smartphones is the operating system. An operating system is a program that controls the hardware and software of a computer to help users maximize the computer’s capabilities, with Microsoft’s Windows being a representative example. Similarly, the operating system of a smartphone, which is a “PC in your hand,” provides an interface that allows users to use the hardware, such as memory and CPU, and application software, especially various applications, as they wish. Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are considered the most representative smartphone operating systems. Apple’s iOS is an operating system exclusively for Apple products, such as iPhones. It has an intuitive and flexible interface that requires no learning, and offers over 200,000 applications. However, iOS is a closed system that can only be used on Apple products, and requires the use of iTunes to transfer files to and from a computer. In addition, the file formats it supports are limited, requiring separate conversion each time. Google’s Android, well known in Korea through Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy series, is an operating system used in various smartphone models manufactured by multiple manufacturers because it is an open system. An open system is a system that allows an operating system to be applied to products from multiple smartphone manufacturers. In addition, because it is an open system, it supports a wide variety of file formats and can accept most file formats used on computers. Furthermore, it has the advantage of not requiring a separate connection program such as iTunes for iOS and can be freely connected to any computer with a USB cable. However, the disadvantage is that when Google updates the operating system, the update is not immediately applied to each manufacturer’s products. This is because the manufacturer must first optimize the product for the latest version before the update can be applied.
Since smartphones are based on this operating system, you can install additional applications according to your needs to get the most out of your device. Smartphone applications can be understood in the same way as various programs used on computers. If you do not use applications on your smartphone, it is the same as using a computer without any programs installed. Hundreds of smartphone applications are released every day, and installing them not only makes your life easier, but also provides entertainment that was not possible with conventional mobile phones. In other words, using applications makes you “smarter.”
One feature that you can experience firsthand when using a smartphone is the touch screen. Smartphones operate using one of three methods: capacitive, resistive, or infrared. The capacitive touch system used by iPhones and BlackBerrys is designed to work when the voltage of the human body is applied. This system allows users to touch multiple points at once, is highly durable and resistant to water and minor damage, and provides extremely high screen clarity. However, noise processing is very difficult, and specific circuits are required, making the unit price relatively high. In addition, it does not work well with pens or gloves. On the other hand, the resistive touch method, which is mainly used in Samsung smartphones, is the most common touch screen method. The resistive touch method has a simpler operating principle than the capacitive method. When a power supply is applied to silver electrodes, the voltage is distributed evenly, and when the screen is touched, the distributed voltage is read to determine the position. The resistive touch method is inexpensive, simple to manufacture, and highly accurate. However, the screen clarity is low, durability is poor, and it does not support multiple points, so you cannot touch multiple places at once. Finally, the infrared method detects the position using the heat from your fingers, resulting in high screen clarity. However, due to its operating principle, it may not work well with gloved hands.
Smartphones are small, smart mobile phones that can be carried around in your pocket. Starting with the “Simon” that appeared 20 years ago, they have undergone repeated development to become the smartphones that are popular today. Unlike feature phones, smartphones are equipped with operating systems such as iOS and Android, which allow users to use various applications. In other words, installing and using various mobile apps not only makes our lives more convenient, but also enriches our lives by providing a variety of entertainment. Smartphones can be used with power, resistance, and infrared touch screens, and each model has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you consider this basic information carefully when purchasing a smartphone, you will be able to make a good decision on whether to purchase a smartphone and, if so, which model to purchase.
