smartphone

American  

[smahrt-fohn] / ˈsmɑrtˌfoʊn /

Or smart phone

noun

1. a device that combines a cell phone with a handheld computer, typically offering internet access, data storage, email capability, etc.

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smartphone British  

/ ˈsmɑːtˌfəʊn /

noun

1. computing a mobile telephone with computer features that may enable it to interact with computerized systems, send e-mails, and access the web

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Etymology

Origin of smartphone

First recorded in 1995–2000

Compare meaning

How does smartphone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cell phone vs. smartphone

Example Sentences

For one, while a mobile AI device would likely upend the smartphone market, that product “would need years to reach sufficient volumes to move Qualcomm’s numbers,” Goldberg said in his Tuesday note.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

The overall contraction in the smartphone market has been partly the result of an ongoing memory shortage, which has constrained production and driven up the cost of components.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, who was returning from a restroom on the floor where the incident occurred, delivered an eyewitness account from the Hilton lobby using a Webex app on a smartphone.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Kaya de Barbaro, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, analyzed families with babies, synchronizing home audio recordings with the mothers’ smartphone use.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

I helped myself to an apple and saw another smartphone nearby.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda