If you have to preamble with 'I don't mean to be/sound/etc but...', it usually means you are and intended to be or do exactly what you're trying to say you aren't. If you weren't, you would just plainly state what you're actually trying to say. Please dispense with the apologetic preambles.
As someone that was born and lived in the United States of America, when I picture the first smartphone--I always imagined the Palm OS phones. Basically, a PDA with phone functionality was my first idea of a smartphone. ...Perhaps people here have forgotten all about Palm? I don't know where you're getting your impressions, but you're probably not an American yourself and unfamiliar with living day-to-day in and around Americans, and so unqualified to jump to such conclusions.