What was the name of the first smartphone, introduced in 1992?

The first smartphone introduced in 1992 was the IBM Simon. Developed by IBM engineer Frank Canova, its prototype—then known as “Angler”—was demonstrated at the COMDEX technology show in November 1992.

The Simon combined a mobile phone with PDA-style computing features, including a touchscreen, calendar, address book, calculator, notepad, email, fax capability, and appointment scheduling. It was far more capable than ordinary mobile phones of the period, which mainly handled voice calls.

The device was refined and sold commercially by BellSouth in 1994 as the Simon Personal Communicator. Mitsubishi Electric manufactured the hardware, while IBM supplied much of the concept and software design. Its large body, short battery life, and high price limited its success.

A common mix-up is the iPhone, released in 2007. The iPhone popularized the modern smartphone format, but it was not the first smartphone. Another nuance is that Simon was demonstrated in 1992 but reached consumers in 1994.