People usually think that Apple created the first smartphone back in 2007, and well, in some sense it is the first fully functional touchscreen phone and multimedia device. Although Apple took the crown for the new standard of smartphone technology, a older yet more progressive company has actually beaten Apple to the title, although they weren’t entirely recognized for it. The company IBM, International Business Machines Corporation, is a technology consultant company responsible for many technological feats of the 20th century. But Apple was also a big contender in the computing industry, making many different types of computers ranging from game consoles to fully fledged desktop workstations. Not to mention, Apple made the first trackpad laptop in 1994, pretty impressive.

Moving forward, after the successful launch of the first iPhone in June of 2007, Apple was met with their, still to this very day, life-long contender: Android. The first Android phone was unveiled in September of the next year. Unlike Apple, Android let multiple companies use their Android software to make different products of their own. For example, LG uses their software to make their own smart fridges. Most of the popular companies that use Android software are; LG, HTC, Samsung, Google and many more.

Fast forwarding to 2016, Apple displays their new iPhone 6 that is equipped with an 8 megapixel camera, the second iPhone with the “gold” color option, and the newest “IOS 8” that featured a new and rebranded Apple. On the flip side, for Android, the new Samsung Galaxy S5 was a small flop due to the fact that after the S5’s release, Samsung had recorded their lowest profits, ouch.

The interesting thing is that the more advanced these smartphones get, the less advanced our lives will be. A smartphone has all the essentials of everyday commute, work, and basically life in general. It’s can pull up a calculator in an instant. It can also stream the newest song for the trip to work or school, instead of waiting for it to play on the radio. The essence of a phone is still there, always has been, but the add-ons and life saving benefits from new technology can really play a key role in someone’s life. Let’s be honest, you’re probably reading this on a phone right now, and that’s insane. Computing and technology design has all led up to this point where someone can answer a text message on a smartwatch, or even have a video call with a relative that’s half way around the globe. Technology is cool.