In this blog post, we will look at the technological progress and social changes that we have experienced since the spread of smartphones.
The rapid development of the information industry in the 21st century has changed many aspects of our lives. The development of smartphones and the changes in people’s lives that have resulted from them stand out among them. It has been a long time since the number of smartphone users worldwide exceeded 2 billion, and it is expected to reach 3 billion. Beyond the basic functions of mobile phones, such as calling and sending messages, smartphones are playing a major role in our lives, including shopping, financial activities, and social media. Smartphones are used by people of all ages, from elementary school students to the elderly, and it is now difficult to find a mobile phone that is not a smartphone. For people living in the 21st century, smartphones have become an essential part of life.
Why has the smartphone become so important in the 21st century? To answer this question properly, you need to understand the hardware and software of the smartphone and the range of smartphone applications. First, let’s take a look at the hardware of a smartphone. The central processing unit (CPU) is a device that receives external commands from the central processing unit of a computer or smartphone, processes the commands, and then operates the device according to the commands. The CPU of a computer is called the CPU, and the device that plays the same role as the CPU of a computer in a smartphone is called the application processor (AP). The application processor consists of a single chip and contains multiple functions, including a graphics processing unit and a communication unit.
Since a smartphone is a type of mobile phone, the communication function cannot be left out when explaining a smartphone. First, the principle of a call is as follows. A call on a smartphone is made through a mobile communication network. There are a large number of base stations in the mobile communication network, and when a caller makes a call, the caller’s smartphone and the base station are connected wirelessly, and the base station and the receiver’s phone are also connected wirelessly. It refers to a system that allows the sender and receiver to talk wirelessly using a base station. The data transmission method has changed over time, from 1G, which transmits data in analog form, to 2G, which uses digital signals, to 3G and LTE, which dramatically increase the data transmission speed of modern smartphones.
Of course, communication is not the only function of a smartphone. There are many other functions, such as sending and receiving messages, using the camera, and using the Internet. However, all of the functions mentioned above are also found in conventional mobile phones. So what is the biggest difference between smartphones and conventional mobile phones? The answer lies in the software of smartphones. The biggest difference between smartphones and conventional mobile phones is the ‘application’.
An application is any application program that runs within an operating system. An application is also an application program that runs inside a computer and is not directly available to the user. However, in general, only programs that can be used directly by the user, such as an Internet browser or word processor, are called applications. The various functions of the mobile phone, such as the call function and camera function, are all applications. The biggest feature of smartphones is that users can install and delete these applications as they wish. In conventional mobile phones, various essential applications are pre-installed. Users cannot use features other than those pre-installed. However, smartphones are different. Although various essential applications are pre-installed in smartphones, users can install various applications other than the essential applications as they wish and delete them again.
The “App Store” is a place where smartphone users can freely download applications. “App” is short for “application,” and “App Store” is literally an online space where you can buy applications. The concept of the App Store was first introduced with Apple’s iPhone 3, which was released in 2007. iPhone 3 users could download the apps they wanted from the Apple App Store. However, the Apple App Store at the time was a very closed space. Developers other than Apple or general developers could not create apps, and users could only use apps developed by Apple. However, in 2008, Apple released a program that could create apps, and many developers and developers jumped into creating apps.
Apple’s release of a program that allows the creation of applications has turned the Apple App Store into a very open space. Developers can now upload their own applications to the Apple App Store on the condition that they share the proceeds with Apple, and consumers can now select the applications they want from the Apple App Store and install them on their smartphones. After the success of Apple, several types of app stores that benchmarked the Apple App Store, such as Google’s Google Play, have emerged. As anyone can develop applications, a large number of application developers have emerged, some of which have achieved great success, such as Rovio, the company that created the game Angry Birds.
Unlike computer software, which requires a large initial investment, smartphone software requires a small initial investment. It can also be created in a relatively short period of time with a small number of people. Because the entry barrier is low, companies with different philosophies can create applications to satisfy consumers with different tastes. Among them, companies that develop applications that are well received by consumers can grow and expand into various businesses other than smartphones.
From the perspective of companies, the advantage is that the risk is low and the chances of success are high. From the perspective of consumers, the advantage is that the application can satisfy their preferences and the cost of purchasing the application is not expensive. The smartphone application market is naturally structured to grow. As the smartphone application business grows, various companies are investing in smartphone-related businesses and focusing on marketing to promote smartphone sales. As a result, the number of customers looking for smartphones has gradually increased, and various products related to smartphones, such as smartphone-only speakers and smartphone-only joysticks, have emerged. As various products related to smartphones emerge, new markets are formed. New markets are continuously being formed around smartphones. At the center of this phenomenon is a free application development environment and app store. In other words, applications are the main driving force behind the growth of the smartphone market.
The range of smartphone use is also expanding. As more and more people use smartphones and the performance of smartphones improves, smartphones are replacing the role of computers one by one. Not only web surfing, which was considered the exclusive domain of computers, but also word processing is being replaced by smartphones. The case of Apple’s iPad gradually replacing the role of computers has suggested that smartphones will have a huge impact on people’s lives beyond just being mobile phones. Samsung launched the “Smart Watch” that combines a smartphone and a watch, and in the future, smartphones will go beyond the smartwatch and will gradually penetrate deeper into the human life. There are also predictions that in the future, smartphones and cars will be combined to enable human-centered driving through smartphones.
The development of smartphones has brought about not only technological progress but also social and economic changes. People can exchange information in real time via smartphones, use various applications to handle work, and conduct financial transactions securely. Smartphones are also playing an important role in the education sector. Students can access learning materials anytime, anywhere using their smartphones, and teachers are using smartphones to develop more creative and effective teaching methods. This shows that smartphones are playing a role that goes beyond being a simple communication device.
The development of smartphones is also contributing to the solution of various problems in our society. For example, in the healthcare sector, people can monitor their health status and receive remote consultations with doctors via their smartphones. This is helping to increase access to medical services and improve the efficiency of health management. The use of smartphones for environmental protection is also noteworthy. As various applications make it easy to manage energy consumption and organize environmental protection activities, smartphones are becoming an important tool for a sustainable future.
As we have seen, the 21st century is the age of the smartphone. Smartphones have penetrated deeply into people’s lives, to the point where it is difficult to do complex tasks or even go about daily life without them. Wherever you go, everyone is holding a smartphone and spending time using applications created by someone in the world. In the age of the smartphone, we need to know what makes smartphones different from existing mobile phones and what makes consumers so enthusiastic about them. This is because smartphones are more than just a device; they are a necessity that enriches and makes the lives of modern people more efficient.
In the future, the role of smartphones will expand even further. They will provide more personalized services through the combination with artificial intelligence, and they will make our living spaces smarter by connecting with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. All of these changes show the infinite possibilities of how smartphones will change our lives and shape the future.
Smartphones are more than just a device. They are deeply rooted in all aspects of modern society and are changing our daily lives. The development of smartphones will continue, and we will be able to discover new opportunities and enjoy a more abundant life in the midst of these changes.
