Mobile application evolution

📞 Early Beginnings (1973–1990s)

• 1973: Martin Cooper invents the first handheld cellular phone
• Late 1970s: Development of cellular networks connecting phones to the Internet
• 1980s: Public gains access to mobile phones
• 1994: IBM Simon—first touchscreen smartphone—launches (50,000 units sold)

🌐 The Mobile Platform Boom (2000s)

• Early 2000s:
  • Consumer demand for “computer-like” mobile experiences grows
  • Touchscreen tech advances rapidly
  • Operating systems evolve to support dedicated apps
  • App stores emerge to centralize downloads
• 2003: Android platform begins development
• 2005: Google acquires Android for ~$50 million

🍎📱 Apple & Google Era (2007–Present)

• 2007: Apple launches the iPhone, igniting mass smartphone adoption
• 2008:
  • First public Android OS release
  • Apple App Store debuts with 500+ apps
• 2009: Samsung launches its own app store
• 2010: Apple releases the iPad with 3,000+ apps
• 2012: Google renames its store to Google Play
• 2015: Google implements pre-publication app reviews

🌍 Today’s Landscape