Mostly used by business people and early adopters in the past, smartphones have recently been increasingly adopted by the general public. In 2004, Research In Motion's BlackBerry gained popularity among office workers in major US cities, while Apple's subsequent release of its iPhone 3G in July 2008, emphasizing better usability and easy access to content, put smartphones in full swing. In Korea, the craze for smartphones began in the latter half of 2009 with the launch of Samsung Electronics' Omnia II in October and the introduction of Apple's iPhone 3Gs in November. |