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Mobile Technology: Nowadays, smartphones have become an important part of our everyday life. Making calls, making videos, banking or staying connected on social media, everything is now possible from a single device. But have you ever wondered who made the world’s first smartphone and who bought it first? Its story dates back to the early 1990s, when phones were limited to calls and messages only.

IBM Simon: The world’s first smartphone

In the year 1992, American company IBM (International Business Machines) introduced a phone which changed the definition of mobile technology. The name of this phone was IBM Simon Personal Communicator (SPC). It was not just a calling phone, but it provided features like touchscreen, email, calendar and notepad. It was officially launched in the US in 1994. At that time its price was kept at $899, which was considered a huge amount in the 90s. For this reason it was called the first smartphone in history.

Who was the first buyer?

IBM Simon’s first customer was not an ordinary person, but an American business professional who traveled frequently and wanted to keep his emails and contacts together. Although the company did not make public the name of that customer, it said that its initial buyers mostly included business executives and government officials. IBM Simon was specifically designed for people who wanted to complete office tasks while on the go.

Features of IBM Simon

• This phone was way ahead of its time with its touchscreen display.
• It had features like sending and receiving emails, saving contacts, calendar and notepad.
• This phone also had the ability to send fax, which was no less than a miracle for that era.
• Overall the company sold around 50,000 units, which was considered a major success in the 90s.

Foundation of modern smartphone

Moving forward on the same path as the “smartphone” that IBM Simon had envisioned, companies like Nokia, BlackBerry, Apple and Samsung further improved this technology in the coming years. The smartphones we have today with 5G, AI and high-tech cameras have their roots in IBM Simon of 1994. This was the device that not only changed mobile communication, but also started the digital age.