The tech company IBM is widely credited with developing the world’s first smartphone – the bulky but rather cutely named Simon. It went on sale in 1994 and featured a touchscreen, email capability, and a handful of built-in apps, including a calculator and a sketch pad.
Despite this, Simon suffered from some issues, such as reportedly having a battery life of just one hour. It was also a bit of a flop, with various reports pointing out that the device only spent six months on the shelves, shifting around 50,000 units.
Ultimately, Simon fell victim to the relentless march of technology, which saw the advent of the flip phone in the mid-1990s, the dominance of Nokia throughout the early part of the 21st century, and the emergence of internet-enabled phones akin to the smartphones of today.
Over the past decade, a handful of players, including Samsung, Apple, and Huawei, have risen to control the smartphone market, particularly in the West and large parts of Asia.