Smartphones began to become truly popular in the late 2000s , and they turned into something close to “everyone has one” during the early 2010s in many countries.

Quick Scoop: The Short Version

If you’re thinking “When did smartphones go from nerdy gadget to everyday necessity?” a good rule of thumb is:

  • Around 2007–2010 – smartphones moved from niche to mainstream, thanks mainly to the iPhone (2007) and the first Android phones (2008).
  • By about 2012–2014 – in many developed countries they were effectively ubiquitous among teens and adults, driven by cheaper Android devices and faster 3G/4G networks.

So: early models existed in the 1990s, but popularity really hits after the iPhone and Android era starts.

Mini Timeline: From “What is that?” to “Can I see your charger?”

Here’s how the story unfolds:

  1. 1992–1994: First true smartphone, but not popular
    • IBM’s Simon Personal Communicator (often considered the first smartphone) was announced in 1992 and sold from 1994.
 * It had a touchscreen and could send emails and faxes, but it was expensive and only sold tens of thousands of units, not millions.
  1. Late 1990s–early 2000s: Smartphones for business people
    • Devices like early Nokia Communicators and BlackBerry phones added email, basic web, and QWERTY keyboards.
 * They were mainly used by professionals; regular users mostly stuck to simpler “feature phones” (think Nokia bricks and flip phones).
  1. 2007–2008: iPhone and Android change the game
    • 2007: Apple launches the first iPhone, combining a full touch screen, proper web browsing, and media in one sleek device.
 * 2008: The first Android smartphone (HTC Dream/T‑Mobile G1) arrives with touchscreen, keyboard, and internet access.

 * App stores (Apple’s App Store in 2008, Android Market soon after) make phones _far_ more useful and fun for everyday users.
  1. Late 2000s–early 2010s: Smartphones become mainstream
    • As 3G and then 4G networks spread, smartphones became much better for constant internet use, social media, and streaming.
 * Cheaper Android phones appeared, so you no longer had to buy a premium device to get “smartphone” features.

 * This is the period when seeing someone with a non‑smartphone in many cities started to feel unusual.
  1. Mid‑2010s and beyond: Smartphones are the default
    • In many countries, the majority of adults own a smartphone and use it for communication, entertainment, work, navigation, banking, and more.
 * Feature phones still exist (especially in some regions or specific use cases), but they’re the exception rather than the rule.

Key Milestones Table (HTML, as requested)

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Period</th>
      <th>What was happening</th>
      <th>Popularity status</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1992–1994</td>
      <td>IBM Simon, first true smartphone with touchscreen and email.[web:1][web:3][web:7][web:9]</td>
      <td>Niche, low sales; not popular with the general public.[web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Late 1990s–early 2000s</td>
      <td>BlackBerry and similar devices used for email and business.[web:3]</td>
      <td>Popular mainly among professionals and tech enthusiasts.[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2007–2008</td>
      <td>First iPhone (2007) and first Android phone (2008) released.[web:3][web:5][web:7][web:8]</td>
      <td>Start of mainstream interest in smartphones.[web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2009–2012</td>
      <td>Rapid growth of app stores, 3G networks, and affordable Android phones.[web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
      <td>Smartphones become common among everyday users in many countries.[web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2013–mid‑2010s</td>
      <td>4G improves streaming, social media, and mobile video.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:8]</td>
      <td>Smartphones effectively ubiquitous among teens and adults in developed markets.[web:2][web:3][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Different Ways to Answer “When did they become popular?”

Because your question is a bit like asking “When did the internet become popular?”, the answer depends on what you mean by “popular”:

  • First time the public could buy one: mid‑1990s (IBM Simon), but hardly anyone had one.
  • First time lots of ordinary consumers wanted one: around 2007–2010 , with iPhone and early Android smartphones.
  • When they felt almost universal in daily life: roughly early to mid‑2010s for many countries, as data plans got cheaper and social media + apps became central to life.

A simple way to phrase it for a “quick scoop” is:

Smartphones were invented in the 1990s, but they only became widely popular after the launch of the iPhone in 2007 and the rise of Android phones from 2008 onward, with near‑universal adoption by the early 2010s.

Today and “latest news” / trending context

  • Today, smartphone coverage focuses less on “are they popular?” and more on what’s next : foldables, AI features, satellite connectivity, and extended reality (AR/VR) integrations.
  • In forum and social discussions, the popular nostalgia trend is people comparing pre‑smartphone life (dumb phones, fewer notifications) with today’s always‑online world, often debating whether we were “happier” before smartphones took over.

If you tell me which country or age group you care about, I can narrow the “when did smartphones become popular” story to that specific context. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.