IBM developed the first widely recognized smartphone, the IBM Simon Personal Communicator. IBM unveiled the device as a prototype in 1992 and released it commercially in 1994, combining mobile telephone functions with capabilities associated with a personal digital assistant.
The Simon featured a touchscreen, fax and email functions, a calendar, address book, notes, and built-in software. It used a stylus and could accept additional applications through a PCMCIA card slot. Those features made it far more than a conventional mobile phone, although it was large, expensive, and had a battery life of roughly an hour of active use.
The project is closely associated with IBM engineer Frank Canova, whose prototype was nicknamed “Sweetspot.” IBM Simon was discontinued in 1995 after modest sales. A common mistake is crediting Apple or BlackBerry: both later popularized smartphone design, while Nokia also produced influential early smart devices. The term “smartphone” itself became common later, but Simon is generally identified as the first true smartphone.