A smartphone is a mobile phone that can do more than other phones.[1] They work as a computer but are mobile devices small enough to fit in a user's hand. Today, most smartphones are able to run more than one program at the same time which helps the user do things quicker and easier. Users are also able to get more programs from the manufacturer, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play which can help them complete special tasks. The majority of smartphones run on Apple iOS or Google Android. Many use Windows Phone or BlackBerry OS.[2]
Data communication has become faster. Smart phones can send and receive data much faster than older phones. The industry uses different standards to label the data transmission rates. 2G was introduced in 1991. 2G means 2nd Generation. 2G phones transmit data at about the same speed as a 56kbit/s (kilobits per second) dial-up modem would get.
3G was introduced in 2002. Depending on where they are, 3G phones vary in speed between about 200kbit/s to 14Mbit/s (megabits per second). This is comparable to a DSL or low end cable modem speed. Most smart phones use 3G technology to make them fast enough to practically use internet and other data features. Faster 4G neworks operate in many places, with speeds estimated as fast as 100Mbit/s to 1Gbit/s (gigabit per second). This would be as fast as some computer networks that use ethernet. Many smart phones introduced after 2010 use 4G technology.
