<P> In 1999 , the Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country . Smartphones became widespread in the late 2000s , following the release of the iPhone . In the third quarter of 2012 , one billion smartphones were in use worldwide . Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for feature phones in early 2013 . </P>
<P> In 1999 , the Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country . Smartphones became widespread in the late 2000s , following the release of the iPhone . In the third quarter of 2012 , one billion smartphones were in use worldwide . Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for feature phones in early 2013 . </P>
when did smart phones first hit the market
when did smart phones first hit the market
1999
1999