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CHAPTER 2 ■ THE MobilE DEviCE AnD oPERATing SySTEM lAnDSCAPE
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sizes and graphics hardware, application developers only have to deal with a few different
situations. iOS is featured on three main platforms—iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
• iPhone—The iPhone is Apple’s version of a smartphone,
originally released in January of 2007. Each new version of the
iPhone includes incremental updates to the iOS as well as new
major features. The iPhone features a pocket-sized device, a
multitouch screen, a camera in the back (and on the front in
newer versions), and a microphone for audio.
• iPad—Released in April of 2010, the iPad is a tablet computer
created and sold by Apple. It’s about the size of a standard
magazine. The iPad features a much larger screen than the
iPhone, as well as some upgraded hardware. Each generation of
the iPad has added significant hardware upgrades as well as new
features. The iPad runs the same applications as the iPhone and
the iPod Touch; however, applications can be created specifically
for the iPad when desired.
• iPod Touch—Similar to the iPhone in almost every way, the first
generation of iPod Touch hit consumers’ fingers in September
of 2007. The primary difference between the iPod Touch and the
iPhone is the lack of cellular communications on the iPod Touch.
Most applications created for the iPhone run on the iPod Touch
with little to no code modifications on the developer’s side. The
iPod Touch offers an option to play with the iOS without having
to pay the subscription fee of iPhone’s cellular plan, or the added
cost of the iPad.
BlackBerry
Sometimes referred to as the original smartphone, the BlackBerry was introduced in
2003. BlackBerry as of Q3 2013 held three percent of the mobile smartphone market
share. The original BlackBerry featured a small color screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, a
trackball, and a camera. Similar to Apple’s practice, BlackBerry devices are developed and
manufactured in-house by Research in Motion (RIM), which was renamed BlackBerry in
early 2013. The original marketing goal of BlackBerry was to create devices for the average
businessperson. This focus included the ability to check e-mails, access the Internet, and
set up meetings easily and efficiently.
Windows Phone
Developed by Microsoft as the successor to Windows Mobile, Windows Phone is the
fourth major competitor in the mobile operating system space. Windows Phones hit the
consumer market in November of 2010, and unlike Windows Mobile, were aimed away
from the enterprise markets. As of Q3 2013, Windows Phone and Windows Mobile held
two percent of the mobile market share. Windows Phone has a much different layout than
the traditional smartphone user interface. Microsoft has placed a lot of focus on ease of
use, and connectivity with existing Windows services, such as Windows Live.