smartphone

smartphone — noun

1. a portable phone with advanced computing features that allows users to install a

1.nounB1
Definition

a portable phone with advanced computing features that allows users to install apps, access the internet, and perform many tasks typically done on a computer

Example

Dahlia uses her smartphone to check bus schedules every morning.

The screen on Astrid's smartphone cracked when she dropped it on the floor.

possessive: [person]'s smartphone + inanimate subject

Common collocations
  • smartphone app
  • smartphone user
  • smartphone screen
  • smartphone battery
  • to charge a smartphone
  • to upgrade to a smartphone
Synonyms
  • mobile phone

    a broader term that covers all portable phones, not just ones with computing features

  • cell phone

    mainly US English; similar to mobile phone but slightly more informal

Antonyms
  • feature phone

    a basic mobile phone without internet or app capabilities

  • dumb phone

    informal term for a simple mobile phone that only makes calls and sends texts

Grammar Patterns

a/the/my smartphone

smartphone + noun (smartphone app, smartphone market)

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, people often shorten smartphone to just phone when the context is clear. The term mobile phone is a broader category that includes both smartphones and simpler devices called feature phones.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy a new smartphone phone.
I need to buy a new smartphone.
smartphone already contains the idea of phone, so adding phone again is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Smartphone, mobile phone, and cell phone all refer to portable phones, but the main difference is computing ability. A smartphone runs apps, connects to the internet, and works like a small computer, while a mobile phone or cell phone is a broader category that includes basic models without those features. Feature phone and dumb phone are terms for those simpler devices — a feature phone might have a camera or music player but cannot install third-party apps, while dumb phone is a casual label for a phone that only makes calls and sends texts. In everyday speech, phone often stands for any of these, but when precision matters — for instance, when comparing prices or features — smartphone is the term for the internet-connected, app-capable device most people carry today.

mobile phonecell phonefeature phonedumb phone

Common collocations

Nouns

  • smartphone app
  • smartphone user
  • smartphone market
  • smartphone screen
  • smartphone manufacturer
  • smartphone industry

Adverbs

  • wirelessly
  • remotely

Phrases

  • smartphone addiction
  • smartphone usage
  • smartphone technology

Prepositions

  • on a smartphone
  • with a smartphone
  • for a smartphone

Etymology

Old EnglishGreekEnglish

Smartphone is a compound word formed from smart, meaning 'intelligent' or 'clever', and phone, a shortened form of telephone (from Greek phōnē, meaning 'sound' or 'voice'). The term was first used in the late 1990s as mobile phones began to offer computer-like features such as email, calendars, and contact management. Early examples included the Nokia 9000 Communicator (1996) and the IBM Simon (1992), though the word did not become widely used until the launch of devices such as the BlackBerry and later the iPhone in 2007.