Computers have advanced rapidly since they were introduced decades ago, but mobile technology is advancing at an even faster rate. Revolutionary phones from 2000 now look like obsolete toys that don’t have any of the features that modern users clamor for. You might be surprised by the major changes that happened over the last decade, but it will show you just how quickly this technology is advancing.
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Simple Touch Screens
Motorola released the world’s first touch screen phone in 2000. The screen couldn’t display any color, and the touch sensitivity was improperly calibrated when compared to today’s precision devices. Users would have to press fairly hard on the screen before the phone acknowledged the touch. This is because the technology relied on pressure, whereas today’s technology uses the heat and electricity from the human body to acknowledge commands.
Cameras
Cameras used to be one of the main selling points of a smartphone, but it’s now a common feature that users expect. Most modern smartphone cameras are around 5MP to 8MP, but there are those that exceed 10MP if you are willing to pay extra.
The Nokia 7650 in 2002 was one of the first to include a camera, and it was only 0.3MP. While this was revolutionary at the time, it’s considered deplorable by today’s standards. Even modern front-facing cameras, which are expected to have lower resolutions, are better than this camera.
Keyboards
While messaging was around for years, it didn’t really become popular until keyboards were integrated into smartphones. The first phones that offered messaging forced users to type messages through the keypad. It could take several minutes to form a single sentence.
Some phones prior to 2000 had full keyboards, but they were incredibly expensive and didn’t offer enough features to become very popular. The first popular devices with full keyboards were introduced around 2005. Digital keyboards also become a major selling point in 2007 with devices like the iPhone.
Style and Design
Another major change in mobile technology is design. The first cell phones were made purely for function. They were only used by businesspeople, and developers didn’t consider them for the consumer market. As technology advanced and the public demand increased, style soon became a major focus point.
While many people buy devices for their hardware and capabilities, there are also many who buy phones for their design and appearance. Most phones prior to 2005 looked blocky and unattractive. After this year, most new devices looked great while offering a lot of power.
App Marketplaces
Many devices in the early 2000s had app marketplaces, but they were incredibly limited by today’s standards. The marketplace was often made for a specific type of phone, like the original Motorola Razr, and the marketplaces were closed to independent developers.
Not only that, but the apps very simple, even by the technological standards of the day. The marketplaces would typically have simple games, new ring tones and a few apps to increase the device’s functionality, like a calculator or digital notepad.
Today’s app marketplaces offer hundreds of thousands of apps that utilize modern coding, graphics and performance. They are also open to independent developers, which has allowed them to create unique and diverse apps.
Assistant to Essential Technology
Devices created 10 years ago were made to help people improve their productivity and assist in some daily tasks. At the same time, they weren’t considered essential pieces that people had every second of the day. This is why many earlier smartphones had poor app marketplaces and focused primarily on calling and messaging.
Modern smartphones are created as essential centerpieces in everyone’s life. Aside from having access to the Internet, there are now many apps and functions that help people function. For example, the modern device consolidates GPS modules and modern cameras into a single device. This was a major change in development and direction that occurred in 2007 due to devices like the iPhone and advanced Android smartphones.
Conclusion
Mobile technology has rapidly advanced in the last 10 years. Most of these older devices don’t even have the hardware or features that modern users need, and it’s expected that devices just a few years from now will make today’s smartphones and tablets look like inadequate toys.