Editing Smartphone (section)

{{Short description|Handheld mobile device}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
[[File:Wikipedia homepage on a large Android phone, 2015-04-16.jpg|thumb|A [[Nexus 6]], an [[Android (operating system)|Android]] smartphone, displaying the [[Main Page]] of the [[English Wikipedia]]]]

A '''smartphone''' is a [[mobile phone]] with advanced [[computing]] capabilities. It typically has a [[touchscreen]] interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as [[web browsing]], [[email]], and [[social media]], as well as [[multimedia]] playback and [[Streaming media|streaming]]. Smartphones have built-in [[camera]]s, [[GPS navigation]], and support for various communication methods, including voice calls, [[text messaging]], and internet-based messaging apps. Smartphones are distinguished from older-design [[feature phone]]s by their more advanced hardware capabilities and extensive [[mobile operating system]]s, access to the [[internet]], business applications, [[Mobile payment|mobile payments]], and multimedia functionality, including music, video, [[mobile gaming|gaming]], [[Internet radio|radio]], and [[Mobile television|television]].

Smartphones typically feature [[MOSFET|metal–oxide–semiconductor]] (MOS) [[integrated circuit]] (IC) chips, various sensors, and support for multiple [[wireless]] communication protocols. Examples of smartphone sensors include [[accelerometer]]s, [[barometer]]s, [[gyroscope]]s, and [[magnetometer]]s; they can be used by both pre-installed and third-party software to enhance functionality. Wireless communication standards supported by smartphones include [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]], [[5G NR]], [[Wi-Fi]], [[Bluetooth]], and [[satellite navigation]]. By the mid-2020s, manufacturers began integrating [[Satellite phone#Integration into conventional mobile phones|satellite messaging]] and emergency services, expanding their utility in remote areas without reliable [[cellular coverage]]. Smartphones have largely replaced [[personal digital assistant]] (PDA) devices, [[handheld PC|handheld/palm-sized PCs]], [[portable media player]]s (PMP),<ref name="Tom's Hardware">{{cite web |last=Islam |first=Zak |date=30 December 2012 |title=Smartphones Heavily Decrease Sales of iPod, MP3 Players |url=http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Smartphones-iPod-MP3-Players-Sales,20062.html |access-date=3 May 2013 |work=Tom's Hardware |language=en-US}}</ref> [[point-and-shoot camera]]s, [[camcorder]]s, and, to a lesser extent, [[handheld game console|handheld video game consoles]], [[e-reader]] devices, [[pocket calculator]]s, and [[GPS tracking unit]]s.

Following the rising popularity of the [[iPhone]] in the late 2000s, the majority of smartphones have featured thin, slate-like [[Form factor (mobile phones)|form factors]] with large, [[capacitive sensing|capacitive]] touch screens with support for [[multi-touch]] gestures rather than physical keyboards. Most modern smartphones have the ability for users to download or purchase additional [[mobile app|applications]] from a centralized [[app store]]. They often have support for [[Mobile cloud storage|cloud storage]] and cloud synchronization, and [[virtual assistant]]s. Since the early 2010s, improved hardware and faster wireless communication have [[Post-PC era|bolstered the growth of the smartphone industry]]. {{As of|2014}}, over a billion smartphones are sold globally every year. In 2019 alone, 1.54 billion smartphone units were shipped worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Smartphone sales worldwide 2007-2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/263437/global-smartphone-sales-to-end-users-since-2007/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2020}}, 75.05 percent of the world population were smartphone users.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.statista.com/topics/840/smartphones/#topicOverview | title=Topic: Smartphones }}</ref>