Handspring
Treo 180

The Treo 180 was one of the first popular smartphones that allowed users to install their own apps. Built by Palm offshoot Handspring, it was the first smartphone to use the Palm operating system. Previously, Palm OS had been used exclusively on personal digital assistants (PDAs) — handheld computers that lacked a mobile phone cellular radio. One of these PDAs, the Handspring Visor, was a key device in developing Handspring's understanding of what was required to make a fully integrated smartphone. There were two versions of this early smartphone, the Treo 180 with a small qwerty keyboard, and the 180G which swapped the keyboard for a Graffiti handwriting area. Graffiti was a stylised handwriting-type input mechanism where users drew simplified letters using the included stylus. It was the main way to input text and information on Palm PDAs. Both models connected to slow 2G networks because at the time 3G had only been launched by mobile operators in Japan, and not in the North American and European launch markets for the Treo 180. As a result, users often linked their Treo to their computer with a cable to transfer and sync data. Back in 2002 when these smartphones launched, the small external antenna was a common part of mobile phone design. The hardware powering the Treo 180 was basic and primitive. It still had a black and white display at a time when colour displays were available on both PDAs and smartphones from other brands such as Nokia with the 9210 Communicator (released in 2000) and the Sony Ericsson P800 smartphones or the Compaq iPAQ PDA. The Treo’s display resolution was also very low at 160x160 pixels and was less detailed than most rivals. The neat flip design ensured the fragile resistive touchscreen was protected when not in use. But as it was transparent, users could see details about incoming calls easily. The cover left quick access buttons exposed allowing users to access some of the Treo’s built-in apps. The software included a calendar, contacts, notes and to-do — all standard classic Palm OS apps — as well as a very basic HTML browser called Blazer. Apps could be sideloaded or “hot-synced” from a connected computer using the free desktop sync software. The calendar and other personal information management (PIM) apps could also be synchronized with popular computer organizer apps of the era. The application processor was the original chip architecture of Palm PDAs — a Motorola Dragonball VC — rather than the ARM-based processors used on later Palm smartphones as well as almost all modern smartphones. The Palm apps had an extremely elegant interface design that made them easy to learn and quick to use. And, they required very little processing power, so even on the older application processor the Treo was responsive in use. Shortly after the Treo 180 was launched, Handspring received a patent infringement lawsuit from BlackBerry maker RIM and within a matter of weeks agreed to license the keyboard patents owned by RIM. At the time of its launch, the Treo 180 cost US$399. It has been reported that approximately 60,000 units were sold.