In 2007, the iPhone was introduced as one of the best touchscreen-based phones. This device brought a revelation to the telecom industry.
It was the first intuitive device that offered multiple functionalities in a phone. Soon after, other companies followed the iPhone design and made various other Smartphones.
On the surface, the iPhone and other Smartphones have many design similarities. Both of these devices offer app-based functionality.
For this reason, many people think that both of these devices are the same. However, they are entirely different from the inside.
Key Takeaways
- The iPhone is a specific line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is known for its sleek design, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration with other Apple products and services.
- Smartphones encompass a wide range of mobile devices from various manufacturers, running on different operating systems like Android, Windows, or iOS (for iPhones).
- iPhones are popular for users seeking a premium, cohesive experience, while other smartphones offer more variety in price, features, and customization options.
iPhone vs Smartphone
The difference between iPhone and Smartphone is that the iPhone is a class of mobile phones exclusively designed and marketed by Apple Incorporation. At the same time, the Smartphone is a type of mobile phone produced by various phone manufacturers. It offers phone, internet, software, and multimedia functionalities through a screen touch-based interface.
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Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | iPhone | Smartphone |
|---|---|---|
| What is it | The iPhone is a class of mobile phones exclusively designed and marketed by Apple Incorporation. | The Smartphone is a type of mobile phone produced by various manufacturers and offers phone, internet, software, and multimedia functionalities through a touch-based screen. |
| Producer | Apple Incorporation | Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, etc. |
| Operating system | iOS | Android |
| User | 728 Million | 2.7 Billion |
| App | 1.85 Million | 2.2 Million |
| Price | Expensive | Available at different price points. |
What is iPhone?
The iPhone is a class of mobile phones exclusively designed and marketed by Apple Incorporation. All iPhones use a touchscreen-based interface.
The intuitive screen touch interface has replaced the functionality of buttons. It offers the user an immersive experience during phone usage.
Renowned Apple CEO Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in the year 2007.
All iPhones use Apple’s proprietary iOS mobile operating system. Apple does not permit other phone manufacturers permission to use this operating system as a company.
For this reason, it is exclusively limited to Apple devices like, iPad, iPhone, Macbook, and Apple computers. Even though Apple incorporated designs and markets the phones, it does not manufacture the iPhone.
Apple contracted Foxconn and Pegatron for iPhone manufacturing.
iPhone offers various functionality through various apps. Apple has a dedicated Apple App store for its devices like the iPhone and iPod.
According to an estimate, it is the second-largest app store in the world. It currently offers over 1.85 million apps for the iPhone, iPod, MacBook, and other Apple devices.
Compared to other phones, the iPhone is a little bit more expensive. The primary reason behind this price point is Apple always uses the latest technology in the iPhone.
They also incorporate various security measures to ensure a secure privacy standard for the users. Currently, over 728 million people use iPhone, which is considered a premium brand in the phone market.
What is Smartphone?
The Smartphone is a type of mobile phone produced by various manufacturers and offers phone, internet, software, and multimedia functionalities through a touch-based screen. Currently, the largest Smartphone producers in this world are Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, etc.
Most Smartphones in the world currently use the Android operating system. It is an operating system based on Linux and other open-source software.
This operating system is exclusively designed for touch interface-based devices. Google and Open Handset Alliance is the primary developer of this operating system.
In 2019, Google announced that Android is the most installed operating system in the world, with 2.5 billion device installations.
Smartphones offer their functionality through various apps. Some essential apps come with the phone as bundled, but users can download multiple apps from the Google play store.
According to an estimate, 2.2 million apps are available for Smartphone users. Another benefit of the Smartphone is storage expandability.
A user can plug in a MicroSD card to increase the memory space of any Smartphone.
Compared to the iPhone, the price of most Smartphones is much lower. The prime reason behind this price parity is that most Smartphones incorporate cheaper technology in their phones and mass produce them.
According to an estimate, there are over 2.7 billion people in the world who use Smartphones.
Main Differences Between iPhone and Smartphones
- The iPhone is a class of mobile phones exclusively designed and marketed by Apple Incorporation. On the other hand, the Smartphone is a type of mobile phone produced by various phone manufacturers.
- The producer of the iPhone is Apple Incorporation; Even though Foxconn and Pegatron manufacture the phone under contract, apple design and market the iPhone. However, most Smartphones are designed and manufactured by different phone companies like Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, etc.
- iPhone uses the iOS operating system, while most Smartphones use the Android operating system.
- According to an estimate, around 728 million people use the iPhone. However, the number of Smartphone users is much more significant, about 2.7 billion people.
- Compared to other phones, the price point of the iPhone is much higher. However, all other Smartphones are available in the market at different prices.
- On the Apple App Store, over 1.85 million apps are available for iPhone and other Apple devices. However, over 2.2 million smartphone apps are available on Google Play Store.
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2371574.2371577?casa_token=_lZkZxZTpGQAAAAA:EhGwq_oUsM4mOJIUAwteR4B2_UrpjNoDDziGAZgHJFbvw2zMjbon-Trs1PRSlvTFRzFXKfWp11V6p5s
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.7227/IJEEE.48.3.6
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
