News / Software
Analysts debated how to classify the first iPhone
In January 2007, ABI Research analysts argued that Apple’s newly announced iPhone did not fit their definition of a smartphone because third-party software was not openly supported.
What the report described
The debate turned on what “smartphone” meant: an open operating system and independent applications for some observers, versus a controlled platform with advanced capabilities for others. Apple’s stated concern about network and device protection was part of the account.
How to read the claim
This is a contemporary classification dispute, not a modern definition of smartphones.