Q 01/05

Which device, released in 1994, is retrospectively described as the first true smartphone?

A) The BlackBerry 850

B) The Nokia 9000 Communicator

C) The IBM Simon

D) The Palm Treo

Answer · why

C) The IBM Simon

It had a 4.5-inch touchscreen, could send faxes and email, sold 50,000 units and had a battery that lasted about an hour.

Q 02/05

Which company manufactured the IBM Simon after Motorola turned the job down?

A) Sony Corporation

B) Mitsubishi Electric

C) Samsung Electronics

D) Ericsson of Sweden

Answer · why

B) Mitsubishi Electric

Motorola feared IBM could become a rival phone maker; BellSouth sold the finished product on its analogue AMPS network.

Q 03/05

Which engineer made the first public call from a handheld cellphone on a Manhattan sidewalk on 3 April 1973?

A) Martin Cooper

B) Frank Canova

C) Steve Wozniak

D) Andy Rubin

Answer · why

A) Martin Cooper

He worked for Motorola and phoned his rival at Bell Labs; he is known as the father of the handheld cellphone.

Q 04/05

How much did the Motorola DynaTAC, the first commercially available handheld cellphone, cost in 1984?

A) $995

B) $1,995

C) $2,995

D) $3,995

Answer · why

D) $3,995

It took ten hours to charge, stored 30 numbers on an LED display, and had waiting lists despite its weight.

Q 05/05

How much talk time did the DynaTAC offer on a full charge?

A) 30 minutes

B) 60 minutes

C) 90 minutes

D) 2 hours

Answer · why

A) 30 minutes

Consumer demand was strong regardless, and there were waiting lists.