One of the other things that was happening at the time--though not disconnected--is that data charges were getting to the point where normies (or at least reasonably well-paid ones) could at least reasonably consider owning a phone with a data plan even if their company wasn't footing the bill. I bought a Treo a while before the iPhone came out and paid for it on my own after a foot injury that made it difficult to travel with a laptop.