handhelds

Handhelds are portable electronic devices designed to be operated while held in the hands. They are compact, battery-powered, and emphasize one-handed or two-handed use. The category covers dedicated handheld game consoles, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media players, and modern smartphones and tablets that function as portable computing devices. In professional settings, handhelds may include barcode scanners, rugged handheld computers, and field data collection devices.

History and evolution: The concept emerged with early pocket calculators and organizers in the 1970s and 1980s. The late 1980s saw handheld game consoles such as the Game Boy and the rise of PDAs. The 1990s and 2000s expanded with more capable devices (Palm OS, Pocket PC, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS). Beginning in the late 2000s, smartphones integrated communications, computing, and media in a single device, reshaping the category. In professional environments, rugged handhelds and mobile computers have become standard for logistics and field work.

Common characteristics include small form factors, input methods ranging from physical buttons to touchscreens and styluses, wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, cellular), and rechargeable batteries. Display sizes typically range from about 2 inches to 7 inches for tablets, with processing power varying from simple embedded systems to general-purpose mobile CPUs.

Impact and market trends: Handheld devices have driven mobility in everyday life and work, enabling gaming, communication, data capture, and mobile computing. While dedicated handheld game devices persist in select niches, smartphones have absorbed much of the gaming and media market. Enterprise-focused handhelds continue to evolve with rugged designs, improved security, and specialized software.