IBM SimonÂ
While most users would likely assume that the first real touchscreen smartphone came about in the early 2000s, the actual date of such a device was back in 1994. Meet the IBM Simon.
Shaped like an old-school satellite phone, the Simon channeled the energy of the cellular “brick” phone with the PDA/pager design, adding elements that allow users to send and receive emails, faxes, and cellular pages.
While the Simon was certainly a game-changer, its bulkiness couldn’t compete with the more versatile and wildly popular flip phone design.