Most of us can remember our first smartphone or at least the sort of limited functionality that smartphones had when they first came out. Things have come a long way since then.

People quickly realized how much potential smartphones had. While the early cameras might have been a bit clunky and pixelated and the displays were nowhere near as good as they are now, the potential was there for these devices to change lives.

Nowadays, there are estimated to be over 7 billion smartphones in the world and 90% of US adults are thought to have some sort of smartphone device. They’re ubiquitous. It makes sense when you think of everything that these devices are capable of and the fact that they can provide people with a way to work and play games as well as providing a HD camera and loads of other features – all within a user’s pocket.

Gaming Pushes Smartphone Functionality

With 7 billion smartphone users there is a huge percentage that also play games on their devices. The potential for games to be part of the phone’s functions was something that predates smartphones and there were even early options like Snake or games that had similar designs to Tetris.

Casino gaming also played a big part in the evolution of games and how they play on smartphones, especially when it comes to being more responsive and playable on numerous devices. Since the 1990s there have been digital versions of casino games and developers started to create ways for people to play on their computers. As it became common for people to have a smartphone casinos also made games that were playable on mobile.

We saw an evolution of the interfaces for games through the poker industry. A poker boom took place in the early 2000s and lots of players now had access to playing poker online – and the next step in the evolution was for mobile poker sites. This game is very popular with millions of players worldwide, and its popularity continued to grow when people had the option to play online even when on the go. Poker games online also give players the chance to choose between playing in a tournament or just playing a simple cash game where they can join and leave at any time.

Connectivity

Some of us can also remember the frustration of going somewhere outside of the city and not having a signal. The advent of 4G and now 5G has made online gaming a lot simpler. No more worrying about lag or slow loading times – players can games stream seamlessly, and multiplayer modes are accessible wherever there’s a signal. This revolution in network speed has not only improved the gaming experience but has also opened up new genres and styles of play.

Connectivity also means that there’s a chance for things like MMORPG games or similar games with lots of users – games like PUBG Mobile or even Fortnite would have been impossible a couple of decades ago, but now they boast millions of players worldwide, all connected through their smartphones. Some areas still struggle with internet speeds but the average speeds have gone up significantly.

People are able to log in and play games against others online through better connectivity or to play browser games that rely on an internet connection. Apps were once needed and the Apple App Store launched in 2008, and Google Play shortly thereafter, they became the gateways to loads of entertainment. Suddenly, games were available with just a tap, and a new wave of developers emerged, eager to create the next big thing in mobile gaming – but now, the mobile browsers are powerful enough to play many games such as poker and other casino games.

Wordle is another example that is a simple game but one that became a mobile gaming staple. Millions flocked to the inventive game after it was released.

Hardware Improves the Gaming Experience

Improved hardware on phones has made it possible to play games that are more akin to the sort that might be played on consoles.

Phone companies are working on new technology that improves different aspects of phones, and 3D or spatial audio can potentially improve listening to calls but also entertainment like streaming or watching films and playing games (of course).

Hardware improvements also relate to the phone’s display and a lot of phone companies are constantly competing to try and improve the displays of their phones for a more impressive visual experience.

Conclusion

Not many of us still have an early smartphone but if we were to make a direct comparison it is a stark difference in functionality in the relatively short time that these devices have been available. In the future, we’re likely to see even more functions become available from these pocket-sized devices.