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First SMS - "Merry Christmas"
The first commercial SMS (short message service) was message sent on December 3, 1992. Engineer Neil Papwort sent "Merry Christmas" from his computer to the phone of his colleague Richard Jarvis. -
Covers and ringtones
Mobile phones could be personalised with covers and ringtones. -
Predictive text
The introduction of predictive text. Cliff Kushler invented T9 (Text on 9 keys). Predictive text technology displays words from a single keypress. -
WAP
WAP browsing was introduced, allowing internet access for the first time. -
Camera and apps
First camera phone launched. Apps could be downloaded. -
3G
The launch of the first 3G mobile service. -
Touchscreen
The first touchscreen was introduced. -
Android
Introduction of Google's Android platform -
App Store and Android Market
Apple App Store opened, featuring 500 apps. The Google Play Store (then known as Android Market) was released the same year. -
Siri
Apple released their voice assistant, Siri. -
Fingerprint Scanners
Motorola released the Atrix, which featured a fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. -
4G
Phones started to offer 4G connectivity, which allows you to browse the internet and use apps at much faster speeds. -
Waterproof Phone
The Sony Xperia Z was released, and it was the first handset to be fully waterproof, with an IP rating of 57. The 7 in the rating indicates that the phone can survive being plunged in water at a depth of up to 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. -
Dual Cameras
HTC One M8 was the first phone to feature dual cameras on the back. It offered users a first glimpse into more professional-looking smartphone photography. -
4K HDR Resolution Display
The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium was the first phone to feature both 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR). -
Facial Recognition
iPhone X was released. It featured facial recognition as a way of unlocking the phone. -
5G
the first smartphones featuring high-speed 5G network capability were announced.
