The year was 1992. While cell phones had been gaining popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they were still large, heavy devices mainly used for phone calls. But one prototype device debuted at a tech trade show that year would change everything – introducing the first "smartphone" as we know it today.
The Market Landscape in the Early 1990s
During the early 1990s, mobile phones were still relatively new technology that had only recently become broadly affordable to general consumers. Most phones on the market focused just on voice calls and basic numeric paging capabilities.
The installed base of cellular subscribers was still under 20 million in the United States by 1994. And consumer expectations for phone functionality was quite modest – ability to make calls untethered while on the go.
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) also existed in the early 90s, made by companies like Apple, Casio, Tandy, and Sharp. These devices let users manage contacts, calendars, and notes digitally. But they lacked ability to make phone calls or easily connect to wider computer networks/platforms.
There was minimal concept of convergence between mobile phones and computing functions before IBM‘s release of the pioneering Simon device.
The Sweetspot: Origins of the First Smartphone
In the late 1980s, advances were being made in wireless and mobile technology, especially with the development of chips using metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) technology. An IBM engineer named Frank Canova realized these chips could enable powerful new features in handheld devices.
Canova and his team at IBM created an early smartphone prototype that they dubbed "Sweetspot." It combined a personal digital assistant (PDA) with cellular phone capabilities into a single handheld gadget.
"We knew we were seeing the future of mobile computing with Sweetspot," said Canova. "We could put cutting edge functionality right in someone‘s purse or pocket."
The Sweetspot prototype wowed audiences when Canova demoed it at trade shows and industry events. Attendees realized that this pocket-sized gizmo could not just make calls – but also manage critical personal and business data.
In 1992, the Sweetspot caught the attention of USA Today, which featured Canova and the device prominently on the front page. The headline read "IBM fellow creation may be baby‘s first computer." This publicity drove interest from potential manufacturing partners.
Development of the Simon Personal Communicator
After the attention garnered by Sweetspot, IBM looked to commercialize the concept. They approached Motorola to manufacture the device, but they declined – perhaps seeing IBM as a potential competitor.
Instead, IBM worked with manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric, who had expertise in wireless and PDA devices. Telecom provider BellSouth also came on board to handle the cellular network access and sales.
Mitsubishi integrated many advanced features like a touchscreen interface, built-in applications, and cellular connectivity. Additionally, the Simon included:
Simon Hardware Specifications
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel 80C88 operating at 4.77Mhz |
| Display | Monochrome LCD, 240 x 320 pixels |
| Dimensions | 8.5 x 11.5 x 1.4 inches |
| Weight | 1.89 pounds |
| Battery Life | 1 hour talk time, 8 hours standby |
| Storage | 1MB onboard, up to 8MB via memory card |
To put this in perspective, leading desktop PCs in 1993 utilized early Intel 486 processors running at 33Mhz – nearly 10 times faster than the Simon. And their large CRT monitors supported 640×480 resolutions at minimum.
But the Simon packed advanced mobile features and usability into a handheld form factor significantly smaller than any PC of the era.
BellSouth executives decided to name the device the “Simon Personal Communicator” when unveiling it to the public in 1993.
Revolutionary Features for the Era
When Simon launched in 1994, it stood out thanks to features that were exceptionally advanced for the time, including:
- Touchscreen interface: Allowed for an intuitive, flexible user experience using a stylus
- Apps and personal information management: Had built-in calendar, address book, email, etc.
- Wireless email and fax capabilities: Could send/receive emails and faxes without wires
- Predictive text capabilities: Speed up typing on the on-screen keyboard
- Third-party developer support: SDK allowed creation of additional Simon programs
The Simon did not have the ability to access an application store or web browser. But its array of digital capabilities in a handheld wireless device made it truly groundbreaking – and the first true commercial "smartphone."
Initial Reception Among Early Tech Adopters
When the Simon Personal Communicator was unveiled at Las Vegas COMDEX 1993, over 50,000 attendees flocked to see the device in person. The Simon drew substantial excitement and praise among the primarily tech savvy early crowds:
"Simon represents an important milestone in the integration of communications technologies that businessmen need and want today," wrote Gary Arlen, president of Arlen Communications, in 1993 piece analyzing the device.
Among tech publications, reviews highlighted both the promise and limitations of this pioneering mobile technology:
"Simon is clearly ground-breaking, but may just be a little bit ahead of its time," wrote Popular Science in 1994. "Once battery life and third party apps improve, Simon could be the future."
But the Simon resonated with early adopters who were thrilled by features like portable fax/email, touch interface, and calendar syncing. And they didn‘t mind the $900 price tag or short battery for cutting edge functionality.
However, mainstream consumer adoption would require improvements in usability, pricing, and battery limitations during a period when mobile expectations were still relatively basic.
Launch and Commercial Performance
The Simon Personal Communicator first became available to consumers in August 1994, selling through BellSouth Cellular’s network spanning 15 states.
Priced originally at $899 with a two-year voice/data contract and $1099 without a contract, the Simon saw modest sales driven by tech aficionados and business travelers: approximately 50,000 units moved in its first six months.
To put these figures context, top selling mobile phones in 1994 like the Motorola MicroTAC sold over 10 million units – outselling Simon by a factor of 200x. And pricing on high-end cellular phones typically ranged from $200 to $500 at most.
So while revolutionary, the Simon‘s price and niche target market limited uptake among general consumers used to paying 3-4x less for mobile devices focused just on telephony.
By Februrary 1995, just 6 months after launch, IBM and BellSouth discontinued the touchscreen marvel due to lack of commercial viability. Simon had blazed a trail as the world‘s first smartphone, but would not find mass market success itself.
Legacy: Inspiring the Future of Mobile Computing
While ahead of its time in the early 1990s, the Simon Personal Communicator laid groundwork that would inspire mobile devices over the next decades.
As computing power improved, battery life extended, and cellular data networks enhanced – smartphones increasingly adopted the PDA/Phone convergence model that Simon pioneered.
In 1996 Nokia launched the 9000 Communicator, directly inspired by Simon. Then the first BlackBerry 850 in 1999 took PDA/Email capabilities to business users. Palm Pilot, Danger Hiptop, and Handspring Visor brought elements of Simon to their groundbreaking late 90s devices as well.
“We wanted to build on the genius of the Simon vision for mobile productivity,” said RIM founder Mike Lazaridis of incorporating email into early BlackBerry models.
Of course, the ultimate spiritual successor to Simon emerged in 2007 – when Apple released the revolutionary iPhone. Combining a touchscreen, third party apps, advanced smartphone capabilities and access to mobile web – the iPhone realized the vision started by IBM‘s Simon concept over a decade earlier.
“Not only was it revolutionary in combining the first smartphone with a PDA and digital organizer, but it set the vision for today’s smartphones,” said former Apple CEO John Sculley of the IBM Simon.
Now over 1 billion smartphones ship globally each year, with an installed base reaching 4 billion devices worldwide by 2020. We can directly trace the origins of our app-enabled, touchscreen-operated pocket computers with built-in cameras, music storage, and more back to innovators like Frank Canova and his Simon device.
So while commercially short-lived itself, the Simon Personal Communicator pioneered the mobile computing vision that led to the indispensable multipurpose gadgets we all carry today. It sparked a revolution in mobility that continues with increasing momentum nearly 3 decades later.
