By SK. TDT | Manama Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com In 1994, IBM launched the Simon Personal Communicator, widely regarded as one of the first smartphones. It combined the functions of a mobile phone with features that were advanced for its time, including email, calendar, notes and fax c
TDT | Manama
Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com
In 1994, IBM launched the Simon Personal Communicator, widely regarded as one of the first smartphones. It combined the functions of a mobile phone with features that were advanced for its time, including email, calendar, notes and fax capabilities.
Unlike today’s slim smartphones, Simon was large, heavy and expensive. It used a stylus for interacting with its touchscreen and had a battery life of only about an hour of continuous use. It was also designed primarily for business users rather than everyday consumers.
Despite its limitations, Simon introduced an important idea: one handheld device could combine communication, organisation and computing.
More than three decades later, that concept has become central to modern life. Today’s smartphones are far more powerful, connecting people through cameras, apps, artificial intelligence, high-speed internet and digital services — all from a device that fits in a pocket.
