The History of the Mobile Phone
The mobile phone has been around for decades, but it wasn’t until recently that the device became commonplace in most people’s lives. The smartphone was once primarily used by business professionals and wealthy people, but thanks to advancements in technology and decreased prices, more people than ever can afford to have them now. Although smartphones aren’t widely considered to be revolutionary, they certainly changed how people communicate with one another and stay connected, making them a landmark achievement in the world of communications and technology. Let’s take a look at how this technological device came into existence a
nd how it’s evolved over time.
The First Cellphone
A Texas engineer named Martin Cooper made history on April 3, 1973 when he placed a call from a portable handset. The Motorola DynaTAC could hold 30 minutes of talk time and weighed nearly 2.5 pounds. Cooper talked to his rival at Bell Labs, who was calling him on a landline. A year later, Bell sold its first handheld cell phone and calls started dropping in cost to $2 per minute by 1982—an unheard-of price at that time (it would be more than $50 today). Today, we have smartphones with gigabytes of memory that also allow us to take pictures, email attachments and surf online for free! There is no telling how long it will be before our mobile phones are smaller than our credit cards—and not just for carrying around!
From AT&T to Cellular (1983 – 1993)
It wasn’t until 1983 that mobile phones really started taking off in terms of technology and popularity. That’s when AT&T—the company that created most phone services in America—created a plan for making cellphones accessible for personal use. Previously, only businesses could buy cellular plans from AT&T, but once personal use was allowed, cellphone sales began to soar. The rise was so great, in fact, that there were more people on cellular plans than landlines by 1990—and from there it only increased from there.
Early Wireless Carriers
As early as 1925, some people were talking about radio as a way to communicate without wires. Two years later, AT&T became one of the first companies to make money selling phone service through an American radio network called Bell System. AT&T’s new customers were charged 2 cents per minute for a maximum 15-minute call that had to originate from within their local service area. When you consider today’s standard cell phone plans cost $30 or more each month and offer unlimited calling (even internationally), it’s easy to see why Bell System was so successful in its day. In fact, 80 percent of all calls in 1929 were made via wireless phones!
Predecessors of the Mobile Phone
The idea behind mobile communications actually dates back to over a century ago, when a guy named Nathan Stubblefield invented a device called the telephane. (See picture on right.) His invention was a clunky-looking contraption that consisted of two parts: an audio speaker and a separate microphone. The telephane could transmit voice signals across distances up to 2 miles in rural areas. Although it sounds like something straight out of Star Trek, Stubblefield’s prototype only existed as nothing more than an interesting concept… for now. Perhaps one day it will become reality once again!
Generation One – 1984–1997
In 1984, NTT released the brick in Japan. The first mobile phones weighed over 2 pounds and had a battery life of just one hour. Japanese consumers weren’t impressed, but U.S. mobile giants AT&T and Motorola saw its potential value and immediately signed deals with NTT to import the brick to America. In 1993, Motorola launched what they called a cellular telephone; at that time they were marketed as a business tool – rather than a device for your personal use – as most calls made were to connect people to company phone lines.
Generation Two – 1998–2004
Time to Take Calls on the Go – The cell phone landscape changed dramatically in 2000 when Nokia introduced its revolutionary, if bulky, 8110. Not only did it support multiple colors and personal ringtones, but it also had a sliding keypad that protected users from outside germs (and dust and sand). On a more practical level, wireless carriers started offering family plans with shared minutes, data allowances and messaging services. While it didn’t have WAP (wireless application protocol), texting or Bluetooth capability, nor could you download third-party apps like today’s smartphones do—it was still enough to change how we interacted with mobile phones forever. It was also around then that some people began to wonder if carrying their mobile around was actually safe for their brains.
Generation Three – 2005–2010
iPhone and Android appear. The iPhone comes out in 2007, bringing a whole new world of apps to users’ pockets. Suddenly people are buying phones with sophisticated software for hundreds—even thousands—of dollars. Later that year, T-Mobile offers unlimited data plans for phones capable of surfing at 3G speeds (the iPhone 3G can do that). By 2010, over 100 million smartphones were in use worldwide. There were even 1 billion smartphone subscriptions in 2013!
Generation Four – 2022–Present
3G, 3.5G and 4G: Cellphones begin to enter our lives in a big way, as do smartphones and phablets (smartphone/tablet hybrids). This is also when major innovations really start to take place. In 2015, for example, Samsung released its first curved-screen smartphone with a device that wrapped around both sides of your face. Soon after, other manufacturers started coming out with phones with four cameras on their back—this is known as a quad-camera setup. You’ll be able to create mind-bending effects in real time by shooting photos and videos that capture not just three dimensions but also depth information.
Comparison with Other Technologies
One thing that might surprise you is that, when it comes to mobile phones, we’re not actually in first place. The mobile phone was invented in 1973 by Martin Cooper and his team at Motorola, but since then Japan and Finland have taken over. In Finland, nearly 80% of people own a mobile phone—in Japan, over 90%. This shows just how valuable mobile phones are for business: when companies invest in their workers’ mobile technology needs, those workers perform better. Clearly there’s something about them we don’t yet understand; and if countries like Finland can figure out what it is… well then maybe our managers could learn a thing or two from them!