Just received a press release from Asda flagging up that 20 years ago today IBM unveiled the
first smartphone. Today, by comparison, a smartphone (from Asda, natch) has 32,000
times the memory capability, half a million times the functions, 25 per cent of the
weight and costs seven per cent of the original price.
The
very first smartphone was unveiled by IBM at the COMDEX trade show
in Las Vegas. It was shaped like a brick, weighed more than 1lb (510g), had 1MB
of memory, featured a built-in fax and a touchscreen with stylus. In
real terms, the 'Simon' would cost £1,104 today.
The
original Angler prototype, as it was called, combined a cell phone and PDA into
one device, allowing a user to make and receive telephone calls, facsimiles,
emails and cellular pages, among other functions. COMDEX
show attendees and the press showed notable interest in the device. The day
after Angler's debut, USA Today featured a photo on the front page of the Money
section showing Frank Canova, Angler's architect, holding the prototype.
BellSouth
Cellular initially offered the Simon throughout its 15 state service area for $899 with a two-year service contract or $1099 without a contract. Later in
the product's life, BellSouth Cellular reduced the price to $599 with a
two-year contract.BellSouth
Cellular sold approximately 50,000 units during the product's six months on the
market.
The term "smartphone" was not coined until 1997, but because of Simon's
features and capabilities, it can lay claim to being the first smartphone.
Here endeth the lesson...Have a good weekend!
