The first widely recognized smartphone was the IBM Simon Personal Communicator, announced in 1992 and released to consumers in 1994.

Quick Scoop

  • Name: IBM Simon Personal Communicator (often just “IBM Simon”)
  • Announced: 1992 as a “smartphone” prototype by IBM
  • Released: 1994 in the US market
  • Why it counts as the first smartphone:
    • Combined mobile calling with PDA‑style functions (address book, calendar, notes, etc.)
* Had a touchscreen operated with a stylus

* Could send and receive emails and faxes, not just voice calls
  • Fun context: The “smart” label comes from doing more than voice calls—IBM Simon bundled apps and data functions in one handheld device, decades before today’s iPhone and Android era.

Tiny timeline for context

  1. 1973–1983: Early mobile phones like Motorola’s DynaTAC were just for calls (huge, heavy, and very expensive).
  1. 1992: IBM engineers build and show a prototype “smartphone” (codename “Sweetspot”), considered the first true smartphone design.
  1. 1994: That design becomes the IBM Simon Personal Communicator, sold to consumers and often cited as the world’s first smartphone.

In short: if you’re answering “what was the first smartphone,” the historically accepted answer is IBM Simon (1994).

TL;DR: IBM Simon, released in 1994, is widely credited as the first smartphone because it merged calling, touchscreen, email/fax, and built‑in apps in one device.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.