To the right here is a picture of the IBM Simon. Released in August 1994 the device is considered the worlds first smartphone and has recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of going on sale. As you can see, the Simon has a fairly large screen which was accompanied by a stylus. The screen (which is roughly the same size as an iPhone's) allowed the user to control features on the device which were way before their time. The phone was able to send emails and messages as well as take notes and keep records of events on the built-in calendar. Of course, it was able to make phone calls as well.
However, the phone was never a huge success and was discontinued 2 years after its launch. The size and the weight of the device (at 500g) meant that carrying it around was an inconvenience. This, combined with the $900 price tag, the one hour battery life and the fact that it was available only in the USA (and even this was limited) limited the market- though 50,000 were sold.
The Simon was way before it's time and clearly had it's drawbacks. However, for those who think the smartphone is only a very recent revelation- this proves differently.
No Comment to " Meet the worlds first smartphone (from 20 years ago) "
Comments are monitored regularly.