Smartphone Revolution Acronym Glossary

This glossary defines the acronyms and acronym-like shorthand used in the smartphone revolution timeline. Use it as a companion while reading the timeline, especially when the story moves between semiconductor architecture, mobile networks, operating systems, business strategy, and public company filings.

A-Z Index

0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Z

0-9

2G / 3G: Second- and third-generation cellular network technologies. The original iPhone was 2G-only; iPhone 3G added faster 3G connectivity.

3D: Three-dimensional graphics or media. The timeline uses it in the context of richer smartphone gaming experiences, which relied on improving GPU, CPU, and SoC capabilities.

3GS / 4S: iPhone model names. The 3GS was Apple’s 2009 iPhone; the 4S was the final iPhone launch associated with Steve Jobs.

10-K: Annual report filed by a U.S. public company with the SEC.

20-F: Annual report filed with the SEC by certain foreign private issuers, such as Nokia.

A

A4 / A5: Apple-designed SoC families used in iPad and iPhone devices. The A4 was Apple’s first major custom ARM-based SoC.

A7 / A8 / A9 / A15 / A53 / A57: ARM Cortex processor core families. A7 emphasized efficiency, A8 and A9 moved smartphones toward richer computing experiences, A15 was a high-performance 32-bit core, and A53/A57 were early ARMv8-A 64-bit Cortex cores.

A64: The 64-bit instruction set introduced with ARMv8-A.

AArch32 / AArch64: ARM execution states. AArch32 supports 32-bit ARM code, while AArch64 supports 64-bit ARM code.

ARM: Originally “Acorn RISC Machine,” later “Advanced RISC Machine.” In this timeline, ARM refers to the processor architecture and licensing ecosystem that became dominant in mobile devices. See also RISC, SoC, and ARM vs. Intel.

ARM vs. Intel: ARM and Intel represented different architectural and business assumptions during the smartphone transition. ARM used a RISC architecture and licensed designs to many chipmakers, which made it easier for companies such as Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple to build power-efficient mobile SoCs. Intel’s dominant x86 business was built around CISC compatibility, high-performance PC/server processors, and manufacturing its own chips. That model was extremely strong in PCs but harder to adapt quickly to phone constraints: low power, integrated modems, small thermal envelopes, and rapid handset design cycles.

ARM7 / ARM7TDMI: Early ARM processor core family and a widely licensed core that helped make low-power feature phones practical.

ARM11 / ARM1176JZF-S: ARM processor core family and specific core used in the original iPhone generation.

ARM926EJ-S: ARM9-family processor core with features such as an MMU and Java acceleration.

ARMv5TEJ / ARMv6 / ARMv7 / ARMv8-A: Generations of the ARM instruction set architecture. The timeline uses them to show ARM’s progression from embedded and feature-phone workloads toward full smartphone and PC-class computing.

AT&T: American Telephone and Telegraph, the U.S. carrier that had the original iPhone exclusivity deal.

B

BB10: BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry’s late modern smartphone OS.

big.LITTLE: ARM’s heterogeneous multiprocessing design that pairs high-performance and low-power CPU cores so devices can balance speed and battery life.

C

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access, a cellular network technology used by carriers such as Verizon and by Qualcomm modem platforms. See also WCDMA.

CC BY-SA: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, a license that allows reuse with attribution and similar-share terms.

CEO: Chief Executive Officer, the senior executive responsible for overall company direction.

CIK: Central Index Key, the SEC identifier for a company or filing entity.

CISC: Complex Instruction Set Computer. CISC architectures, including Intel’s x86 family, provide many instructions, some of which can perform complex operations. This helped preserve software compatibility across decades of PC evolution, but the instruction set and compatibility burden made x86 chips more difficult to optimize for the extreme power and integration constraints of early smartphones. Contrast with RISC.

CNBC: Consumer News and Business Channel, the business news network where Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed the iPhone.

CPU: Central Processing Unit, the general-purpose processor that runs program instructions. In smartphones, the CPU is one part of a broader SoC.

D

DSP: Digital Signal Processor, a processor optimized for signal-processing tasks such as audio, video, and wireless communication. DSPs are often integrated into mobile SoCs.

E

EDGAR: Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, the SEC’s public filing database.

F

FCC: Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. regulator for communications, spectrum, and related approvals.

FY: Fiscal Year, a company’s accounting year. Public-company discussions often pair FY with filings such as 10-K or 20-F.

G

G1: T-Mobile G1, the consumer name for the HTC Dream, the first commercial Android phone.

GPS: Global Positioning System, satellite-based location technology that enabled services such as ride hailing and turn-by-turn navigation.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, a processor optimized for graphics and parallel workloads. In smartphones, GPUs are typically integrated into SoCs.

GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications, a cellular standard that helped Europe standardize mobile networks across borders.

GSMA: GSM Association, the mobile industry trade association.

H

HP: Hewlett-Packard, the company that acquired Palm and later discontinued webOS hardware such as the TouchPad.

HTC: High Tech Computer Corporation, the manufacturer of the HTC Dream, the first commercial Android phone.

I

IDC: International Data Corporation, a market research firm cited for device shipment data.

iOS: Apple’s mobile OS for iPhone and iPad.

IoT: Internet of Things, networked embedded devices and sensors beyond traditional computers and phones. Many IoT devices use low-power ARM-based chips.

M

M1: Apple’s 2020 ARM-based Mac processor family, referenced as an endpoint for Apple’s custom silicon trajectory.

M&A: Mergers and Acquisitions, the buying, selling, and combining of companies.

MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service, a mobile messaging standard for sending media such as images and video. See also SMS.

MMU: Memory Management Unit, hardware that supports virtual memory and helps full operating systems run reliably.

MSM7201A: Qualcomm mobile chipset used in early Android hardware such as the HTC Dream.

N

N97 / X6: Nokia touchscreen smartphone models used as examples of Symbian-era response to iPhone and Android.

NEON: ARM’s SIMD instruction set extension for media and signal-processing workloads.

O

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer. In this timeline, OEMs are handset makers that built phones using platforms such as Android or Windows Mobile.

OMAP3 / OMAP4: Texas Instruments “Open Multimedia Applications Platform” mobile processor families used in smartphones and embedded devices.

OS: Operating System, the software layer that manages hardware and provides services for applications.

P

P.A. Semi: Palo Alto Semiconductor, a chip design company Apple acquired before its custom silicon efforts accelerated.

PC: Personal Computer. The timeline uses PC comparisons to show when phones and tablets began competing with traditional desktop and laptop computing.

PDF: Portable Document Format, a document file format used for some source materials linked from the timeline.

PMI: Project Management Institute, cited in the timeline for a DynaTAC case study.

Q

QSD8250: Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset that combined an ARM-based CPU with modem and multimedia hardware.

R

RAZR / V3: Motorola’s stylized product name and model shorthand for its thin clamshell phone line.

R&D: Research and Development, the investment activity used to create new technologies and products.

RF: Radio Frequency, the radio signal domain used in wireless communication systems.

RIM: Research In Motion, the original company name behind BlackBerry.

RISC: Reduced Instruction Set Computer. RISC architectures use a smaller, more regular instruction set, which can simplify processor design and improve power efficiency. ARM’s RISC approach fit mobile phones well because handset makers needed efficient chips that could run all day on batteries and be integrated into compact SoCs. Contrast with CISC.

S

S-1: SEC registration statement used by companies preparing for an initial public offering.

S III: Samsung Galaxy S III, an Android flagship associated with Android’s 2012 market-share growth.

SDK: Software Development Kit, the tools and documentation developers use to build software for a platform.

SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. agency that regulates public company disclosures and securities markets. See also EDGAR, 10-K, 20-F, and S-1.

SIMD: Single Instruction, Multiple Data. A processor technique for applying one instruction across multiple pieces of data at the same time, useful for media processing. See also NEON.

SMS: Short Message Service, the text messaging standard that became a major feature-phone-era application. See also MMS.

SoC: System on Chip. A chip that integrates multiple functions, such as CPU, GPU, modem, and DSP, into one package. SoC integration was central to the mobile advantage of ARM-based designs.

T

TI: Texas Instruments, a semiconductor company whose OMAP chips appeared in mobile and embedded devices.

U

UI: User Interface, the visible controls and interaction surfaces people use to operate software. See also UX.

UX: User Experience, the design and interaction quality of a product from the user’s perspective. See also UI.

V

VC: Venture Capitalist, an investor in early-stage companies.

VFP: Vector Floating Point, ARM floating-point hardware used for faster numeric computation.

VP-210: Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, an early commercial camera phone.

W

WCDMA: Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, a 3G cellular technology related to UMTS networks. See also CDMA.

webOS: Palm’s mobile OS, known for card-based multitasking and gesture navigation.

WM: Windows Mobile, Microsoft’s pre-Windows Phone mobile OS.

X

x86: Intel/AMD processor architecture dominant in PCs and servers during the smartphone disruption period. In this glossary, x86 is the main CISC contrast to ARM’s RISC mobile trajectory.

Z

Z10: BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry’s modern touchscreen BB10 device.

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