You're holding a supercomputer in your palm right now. But have you ever stopped wondering when was the first smartphone created? Most folks guess "iPhone in 2007" – and they're dead wrong. That sleek iPhone was actually fashionably late to a party that started 13 years earlier. The real OG smartphone? It was a brick. Literally.
I remember seeing an IBM Simon at a tech exhibit years back. My first thought? "Did someone graft a calculator onto a landline?" This chunky beast weighed as much as a small dumbbell, cost more than my rent, and had battery life shorter than my toddler's attention span. But man, was it revolutionary.
The Actual First Smartphone: Meet IBM Simon
Here's the straight truth: the first smartphone was created in 1994. Not 2007. Not 2000. IBM Simon Personal Communicator hit stores in August '94 through BellSouth Cellular. Forget touchscreens being revolutionary – Simon had one before most households owned a computer.
Why does everyone miss this? Two reasons: First, Simon was crazy expensive ($1,100 with inflation – about $2,200 today). Second, it was marketed as a "personal communicator" not a "smartphone." That term wouldn't exist for another six years.
Simon's specs sound laughable now but were sci-fi back then:
| Feature | IBM Simon (1994) | Modern Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 4.5" monochrome touchscreen | ≈ Post-it note size |
| Memory | 1MB storage (no apps) | Holds 10 contacts max |
| Battery Life | 1 hour talk time | Died during long calls |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (500g) | Heavier than 3 iPhones |
| Special Feature | Pager + Fax + Email | The original "all-in-one" |
My buddy Dave (a tech historian) showed me his Simon once. That resistive touchscreen needed fingernail jabs – no gentle swipes here. And texting? You tapped a keyboard on-screen. Took ages to write "See you at 8." Honestly, I'd have thrown it against a wall after a week.
How Simon Changed Everything (Despite Flopping)
Simon bombed commercially – only 50,000 units sold. Why? Beyond the price and bulk, it had zero app store. You got exactly 10 built-in functions:
- Phone (obviously)
- Pager service
- Fax machine capability
- Email via cryptic text entry
- Address book (max 99 contacts)
- Calendar with alerts
- Notepad
- World clock
- Calculator
- Sketch pad (monochrome drawing!)
But here's why Simon matters: when the first smartphone was created, it established the DNA of modern devices. It combined communication + computing + portability. Before Simon, phones made calls. PDAs managed calendars. Simon merged them. That vision wouldn't become mainstream until 2007.
"Using Simon felt like holding the future. A really heavy, impractical future." – Early adopter interviewed for Wired, 1997
Before Simon: Failed Experiments That Paved the Way
Technically, prototypes existed earlier. IBM developed Simon from 1992-1994. But let's bust a myth: Apple's 1993 Newton MessagePad wasn't a phone. It was a PDA. Same with Palm Pilots. They lacked cellular connectivity.
Other "almost smartphones" before Simon:
- 1987: Nokia Mobira Cityman - Bag phone with no smart features
- 1993: BellSouth/IBM Simon Prototype (codenamed "Angler") - Pre-release version
- 1994: Hagenuk MT-2000 - German device with basic digital features
None met the smartphone criteria: cellular connectivity + computing capabilities + touch interface. That's why IBM Simon holds the crown.
The Dark Ages: What Happened After Simon?
Simon vanished by 1995. For years, "smartphones" were niche gadgets for Wall Street types. Check out this depressing timeline:
| Year | Device | Progress | Flaws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Nokia 9000 Communicator | Physical QWERTY keyboard | No touchscreen, $800 price tag |
| 2000 | Ericsson R380 | First marketed as "smartphone" | Black-and-white screen, slow processor |
| 2002 | BlackBerry 5810 | Corporate email darling | No built-in mic (needed headset) |
| 2007 | iPhone (1st gen) | Multi-touch interface | No App Store until 2008 |
I owned a BlackBerry 5810 in college. Needing a headset just to make calls felt absurd. And that trackwheel? Let's just say I developed thumb cramps. It's wild how we tolerated such clunky designs.
Why Did It Take 13 Years After Simon For Smartphones To Catch On?
Three big roadblocks:
- Battery tech - Lithium-ion batteries didn't shrink until early 2000s
- Network speeds - 2G networks (1991) were too slow for real data
- Component costs - Screens and processors were prohibitively expensive
Frankly, the world wasn't ready when the first smartphone was created. We didn't need internet in our pockets yet. Dial-up at home was still novel!
Modern Smartphones vs Simon: Jaw-Dropping Evolution
Let's get nerdy with comparisons. Remember when the first smartphone was created? Here's how far we've come:
| Capability | IBM Simon (1994) | iPhone 15 Pro (2023) | Improvement Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor speed | 16MHz | 3.78 GHz | 236x faster |
| Storage capacity | 1MB | 1TB | 1 million times more |
| Screen resolution | 160x293 pixels | 2556x1179 pixels | 64x denser |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs (500g) | 6.60 oz (187g) | 2.6x lighter |
| Price (adjusted) | $2,200 | $1,199 | Nearly half cost |
Mind-blowing, right? My iPhone has more power than NASA's computers during the moon landing. Yet Simon pioneered the concept that made this possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When exactly was the first smartphone created?
The IBM Simon was developed in 1992-1994 and commercially released on August 16, 1994. That's the undisputed origin point for smartphones.
Was the iPhone really the first smartphone?
Not even close. Apple entered 13 years after Simon. The iPhone revolutionized user experience but didn't create the category. Credit goes to IBM and BellSouth.
Why have most people never heard of IBM Simon?
Three reasons: Limited marketing (only 15 US states sold it), astronomical price point, and poor battery life. It was a commercial flop but a tech landmark.
Could IBM Simon access the internet?
Sort of. It could send faxes and basic emails via early cellular data networks. But no web browsing – that didn't arrive until Nokia's 1996 Communicator.
Where can I see an original IBM Simon today?
Several tech museums display them, including:
- Computer History Museum (California)
- Science Museum (London)
- Deutsches Museum (Munich)
Who coined the term "smartphone"?
Ericsson in 2000 for their R380 model. Ironically, this was six years after the first smartphone was created when IBM Simon launched.
Why Getting This History Matters Today
Knowing when was first smartphone created isn't just trivia. It shows how innovation works:
- Vision precedes execution - Simon proved the concept despite terrible execution
- Timing matters - Success requires tech + infrastructure + consumer readiness
- Failures pave the way - Without Simon's attempt, would Apple have risked the iPhone?
Last month, I visited the Computer History Museum. Holding a Simon felt like touching a dinosaur bone – clunky, impractical, yet profoundly significant. That brick in my hand changed human communication forever.
So next time someone claims smartphones started with the iPhone? Gently correct them. The real pioneer was an ugly, impractical, glorious brick from 1994. And that story deserves remembering.
Fun fact: Modern smartphones have more computing power than all NASA computers combined during the 1969 Apollo moon landing. We've come a long way since that first smartphone was created!
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