0Handspring
Visor
Announced
16 October 2000
Weight
153 grams
Features
Handspring was founded by Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky and Ed Colligan who were all former employees of Palm Computing, which had been founded by Hawkins. The trio left Palm after it had been acquired by US Robotics and then 3Com who refused to spin Palm out into a separate company.
Handspring produced a series of PDA devices using the product name Visor. These devices ran the PalmOS which Handspring licensed from Palm (3Com).
The Visor’s inclusion in the Mobile Phone Museum Collection reflects its important role in the DNA of smartphones although we do not agree with some assessments that it was the first smartphone. Other products such as the IBM Simon, Nokia 9000 Communicator and Ericsson R380 have a much stronger claim on that title.
Hawkins saw the need for the company to offer a smartphone if Handspring was to remain competitive, but could not afford to manufacture an integrated device. Instead it took advantage of the expansion slot the company had cleverly designed into the back of the Visor PDA. This enabled a slide-in cartridge called a “Springboard” to be slotted into the back of the device.
A range of different cartridges were developed supporting a variety of applications such as a GPS module, a camera module, an MP3 player and a Wi-Fi module. Most importantly, a Belgium company called Option International developed the VisorPhone module in conjunction with Handspring. It cost $299 in the US and £280 in the UK and was launched in October 2000.
The VisorPhone provided the functionality of a GSM mobile phone and included an earpiece, a speaker, an antenna and a SIM card slot. It was available in two variants, a 900MHz/1900Mhz version for the US market and a 900MHz/1800MHz variant for Europe and other markets.
The user experience on the VisorPhone was a mixed affair. It struggled to maintain a consistent connection to a GSM network and the sound quality was poor.
The phone application neatly integrated with the contacts app on the Visor PDA and users could access a contact card and click on the phone number to initiate a call. It was also possible to set-up 50 quick-dial numbers.
It was also easy to send SMS text messages via a dedicated SMS application with text being entered using Palm’s Graffiti character input.
It was also possible to install a Blazer browser that provided rudimentary access to the web using the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
The VisorPhone provided an excellent solution for Handspring Visor owners but quickly become outdated with the arrival of products such as the Sagem WA3050 a cellular-enabled Microsoft PocketPC PDA phone. This was reflected in the fact that fewer than 50,000 VisorPhone modules were sold with excess stock eventually being sold off at US$49. It also laid the groundwork for future devices from Handspring, notably the Treo 180.
Handspring produced a series of PDA devices using the product name Visor. These devices ran the PalmOS which Handspring licensed from Palm (3Com).
The Visor’s inclusion in the Mobile Phone Museum Collection reflects its important role in the DNA of smartphones although we do not agree with some assessments that it was the first smartphone. Other products such as the IBM Simon, Nokia 9000 Communicator and Ericsson R380 have a much stronger claim on that title.
Hawkins saw the need for the company to offer a smartphone if Handspring was to remain competitive, but could not afford to manufacture an integrated device. Instead it took advantage of the expansion slot the company had cleverly designed into the back of the Visor PDA. This enabled a slide-in cartridge called a “Springboard” to be slotted into the back of the device.
A range of different cartridges were developed supporting a variety of applications such as a GPS module, a camera module, an MP3 player and a Wi-Fi module. Most importantly, a Belgium company called Option International developed the VisorPhone module in conjunction with Handspring. It cost $299 in the US and £280 in the UK and was launched in October 2000.
The VisorPhone provided the functionality of a GSM mobile phone and included an earpiece, a speaker, an antenna and a SIM card slot. It was available in two variants, a 900MHz/1900Mhz version for the US market and a 900MHz/1800MHz variant for Europe and other markets.
The user experience on the VisorPhone was a mixed affair. It struggled to maintain a consistent connection to a GSM network and the sound quality was poor.
The phone application neatly integrated with the contacts app on the Visor PDA and users could access a contact card and click on the phone number to initiate a call. It was also possible to set-up 50 quick-dial numbers.
It was also easy to send SMS text messages via a dedicated SMS application with text being entered using Palm’s Graffiti character input.
It was also possible to install a Blazer browser that provided rudimentary access to the web using the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
The VisorPhone provided an excellent solution for Handspring Visor owners but quickly become outdated with the arrival of products such as the Sagem WA3050 a cellular-enabled Microsoft PocketPC PDA phone. This was reflected in the fact that fewer than 50,000 VisorPhone modules were sold with excess stock eventually being sold off at US$49. It also laid the groundwork for future devices from Handspring, notably the Treo 180.