On August 16th, 1994, IBM released what is considered to be the first smartphone, the IBM Simon. Although the term "smartphone" wasn't coined until 1995, due to Simon's abilities, it's considered the first true smartphone. The Simon Personal Communicator was also the first PDA (personal digital assistant) to have the capability to make phone calls. The battery lasted only an hour. Between August 1994 and February 1995, IBM sold 50,000 units of the Simon, but it was discontinued that month as the popularity of slimmer flip-phones killed it off.
