The iPhone broke the mould when it was first introduced back in 07â?? it was the first phone of its kind to operate without any keyboard or stylus and was introduced as being a hybrid, embodying elements if the iPod, a regular mobile phone and an internet communicator.

It was more than just a phone, it was your entire computer, it fit in your pocket and it looked very stylish and sleek.

It was amazingly popular and despite its high price tag it flew off the shelf. When Apple announced the iPad it was met with speculation, people had tried tablets before and theyâ??d fallen flat on their face. This speculation was soon quashed once they went on sale and also flew off the shelves. It seemed all technology had to do to be successful was have an image of an apple missing a bite on it and it would sell.

It didnâ??t take long for that bubble to burst â?? the rest of the technology world was watching in wonder and soon figured they could bring their own versions of these products to the table and theyâ??d be lapped up to.

The problem with being the first in the market is Apple had set their own precedent, with the iPods, then their phones, then their tablets. They always came first and set their own very high price tags (they had a captive market after all). The smart phone market soon started to see HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Blackberry etc. all bring out their own smart phones, they too had touch screens, they had high quality camera and internet capability. Many of these managed to comfortably undercut the iPhone and the market became wide open.

The same thing happened (and is still happening) with the newer tablet market. The iPad has had so much success, these same manufacturers have decided to simply take their popular smart phones, stretch them out and sell them as tablets.

One advantage Apple had over these manufactures is they are an all-round tech company, they make the hardware but they also make the software too. Theyâ??ve been rolling out desk top computers and lap tops for decades now. Samsung and the others havenâ??t, they just make the hardware. When it comes to internet software the biggest player at the moment has to be Google so when they launched their own smart phone operating software called Android it was the perfect collaboration.

For the past year Apple has spent considerable resources going to extreme lengths to eradicate as many of these competitors as possible. The largest of these battles is being played out now in a Silicon Valley court room as Apple claim copious parent laws have been violated. The main name in the line of fire is Samsung which have stormed into the lead in the race for dominance in the smart phone market. Samsung have several patents on technology that all smart phones use and claim that Apple themselves use their technology but Apple are concentrating on the technology they have rights over and claim Samsung have not only copied some of the underlying technology but also the general design of the iPhone and basic user experience features.

Apple are suing Samsung for $2.5bn which makes this the largest every patent court case ever seen.

Jessica writes for buinessmobiles.co.uk who offer a range of business mobile phones including the iPhone and will be keeping a close eye as the trial unfolds