Who invented the touch screen phone?

Today, touchscreen technology is an integral part of modern mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and even laptops. Touch screens provide for a much more convenient and smoother user experience, compared to the good old buttons we are all familiar with. Although the revolution of touchscreen smartphones began a decade ago, it is a fun fact that the first touchscreen was invented more than half a century ago.

In this article, we will go back in time to dive into the exciting story of this life-changing invention and take a look at the first touchscreen phone ever created.

How was the touchscreen technology invented?

Like many successful inventions, the creation of the modern touch screen phone is not the work of a single person. It is the result of the accumulation of knowledge and in-depth research of a number of scientists and technology companies.

It is believed that the first significant achievement in this field was made by the British engineer Eliot, who in the late 60’s developed and described in detail the very first touchscreen technology. It was intended to be used not for mobile phones (which were not yet available at the time), but for air traffic control.

The 1970s proved to be an important era for the development of sensory technologies. The first device called “touchscreen”, created by Dr. Sam Hurst was introduced to the world. It was not initially transparent, but it nevertheless marked the beginning of a revolution. Only a few years later, Dr. Hurst perfected this technology and patented it. To this day, it is the basis of all modern sensor screens.

But who invented the touch screen phone?

In the ’80s, touchscreen technology was increasingly used in the world of computers. The first phones having a touchscreen did not appear until the beginning of the 90s.

The first touchscreen phone was created by the technology giant IBM and was launched in 1993. The IBM Simon Personal Communicator used a resistive touchscreen with a stylus. The device had many modern features such as email, calendar, meeting schedule, and more. Some even describe IBM Simon as the first smartphone, but this title is not official.

At the same time, Apple created its own version of the personal digital assistant – the Newton Message Pad 100, which also worked with a touch screen. The first steps for the implementation of touchscreen technology in mobile phones have been made.

It was the company founded by Steve Jobs that set the stage for the modern touchscreen revolution in the smartphone industry. This happened in 2007 when the first iPhone was launched. It became the first modern telephone possessing a technology based entirely on touch.

Apple completely redefined the concept of a mobile phone, offering consumers a world full of unlimited possibilities.
We are all looking forward to finding out how the story goes. Scientists from various fields are currently working to create next-generation touchscreen technology. Until then, we can definitely conclude that touchscreen technology is one of the most important technological advancements and it has changed forever the way we interact with mobile devices, how we do business and how we communicate with our friends and family.