How Much Did the First Smartphone Cost? Unbelievable Facts

The evolution of cell phones is something impressive in the last two decades. Of all electronic devices created by humans, cell phones were the ones that evolved the most and gained new functions.

This is mainly due to the advancement of technologies and also the wide competition among smartphone brands; today there are countless from the most varied countries.

How much did the first smartphone cost?

Google, Samsung, Apple are the best known today, the Chinese market is growing very large. Huawei and Xiaomi are making smartphones of the same quality and with the same functions as iPhone and Android. But have you ever wondered how it all started?

Keep following this post to find more information about this topic. Check it out below!

Who created the world's first smartphone?

So, you have the IBM Simon as the first smartphone in history. Although it was a big and heavy product, the device already had an operating system similar to DOS, also containing a 16MHz processor. Furthermore, it contained a 160 x 293-pixel monochrome LCD screen with 1MB of memory and 1MB of storage.

In general, its functions allowed the user to exchange messages from computers through the Dispatch tool, but it cost approximately 3,000 dollars.

In addition, it was possible to accept and carry out fax transmissions. Furthermore, it also contained a touchscreen, camera and applications such as maps, stock market viewer and music player.

Interestingly, the product was sold using the same current price policy. In other words, it cost approximately 899 dollars.

The Ericsson R380

Basically, the Ericsson R380 was the first smartphone in history. At first, it is a device launched in 2000 for the value of 700 dollars, being the first model to run the Symbian operating system.

Despite other smartphones, including the IBM Simon, it is believed that this model contained a quirk. In other words, the phone's size fit the standard dimensions of traditional cell phones.

Steve Jobs and Apple's First Cell Phone

One of the most influential years for smartphone evolution was 2007. It was year Steve Jobs and the team at Macworld revealed the very first iPhone. Not only was this the sleekest touch screen device to hit the market, it was also the first device that offered a full, un-watered down version of the internet. The very first iPhone gave consumers the ability to browse the web just as they would on a desktop computer.

The device was offered at a 4GB level ($499) and 8GB ($599). It boasted a battery life with 8 hours of talk time (rivaling the 1992 smartphones measly 1 hour of juice) as well as 250 hours of standby time! And while there were kinks (don’t we all remember how much easier it was to type on a blackberry vs. the original one finger at a time iPhone?) it still made a mark on the industry that lasts to this day.

The Future of Smartphones

The early smartphones like IBM’s Simon showed us a glimpse of what mobile devices could be. In 2007, their potential was fully realized by Apple and the iPhone. Now, in 2022, they continue to become a staple of our everyday lives.

From replacements for our digital cameras and music players, to personal assistants like Siri and voice search, we’ve ceased using our smartphones merely to communicate with each other.

So what's next?