The modern mobile phone is a sophisticated piece of technology. Its remarkable evolution has shaped our lives and is changing the way we communicate forever.
Unlike previous wireless communication systems, the first cellphones only offered voice calls. These were fondly referred to as bricks and could only be used for 30 minutes before needing to recharge.
The DynaTAC 8000X
The first commercial handheld mobile phone was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. It was invented by Martin Cooper, a former Motorola vice president, and weighed 2.5 pounds.
This phone is famous for being used by Gordon Gekko in the 1987 movie Wall Street and was also popular amongst yuppies at the time. The 8000X is one of the most iconic phones of all time.
By the 1990s, mobile phones became smaller and more sophisticated with features like touchscreens, apps, better battery life, and a slimmer antenna (or none at all). The most iconic phone of this era was the Nokia 3210. This phone was so small that it could fit into your palm!
The Nokia 6110
The first mobile phone whose design was influenced by touchscreens is released to the public. It was called the IBM Simon Personal Communicator, and it offered quad-band cellular connectivity, email access, multimedia playback, a calculator, and an address book.
It used a BlackBerry-style trackball to navigate and featured a screen that could be flipped open to reveal the keyboard section of the device. It was also the first cell phone to allow users to send and receive text messages. The 6110 was also the first mobile phone to feature Snake, an addictive game that revolutionized gaming on a handheld.
The Ericsson GS88
When Motorola debuted the DynaTAC 8000X it was clunky and expensive, earning it the nickname “the brick.” It wasn’t until years later that phones got smaller, more portable, and more affordable.
Nokia understood this and developed strategies that included a global logistics component as well as concurrent engineering (working with partners throughout the design process), allowing them to experiment with many different phone form factors. Their success led to the proliferation of today’s sleek smartphones.
RIM took things a step further with the Blackberry, which was optimized for wireless email and caught on with business users everywhere. The smartphone has now gone beyond just a communication device to become an integral part of our lives and education.
The Sharp J-SH04
This 2G phone was the first mobile device to allow its users to attach photos they took to a message they sent out. It was called Sha-Mail and it gave rise to a craze for photo sharing that continues today.
It was a runaway success and made Sharp the world’s first camera phone maker. It also helped to pave the way for today’s era of smartphones with multifunctional hardware that enables internet browsing, multimedia player and telephone all in one. The clamshell handset could physically slide to unveil the keyboard and weighed 74g.
The T-Mobile G1
The T-Mobile G1, better known as the HTC Dream in the US, was the first smartphone to run Google’s Android operating system. Released in 2008, it set the stage for smartphones to become what they are today.
It shipped a million units and helped boost Android’s share of the US market to six percent. But reviews were mixed.
At 4.6 inches tall and 2.1 inches wide, the G1 wasn’t the sleekest or the sexiest phone. And its Android software had a long way to go, with its stripped-down Web browser called “Browser” and an app store called Android Market.
The 4G
During the late 00s smartphones gained popularity. These devices combine the features of a phone with a computer, enabling users to access the Internet and use various applications. They also have larger screens and more powerful processors than traditional phones.
Despite their many advantages, smartphones came with several challenges. First was signal penetration. The higher frequencies had trouble penetrating walls, leading to dropped calls. Second, they were power-hungry and drained batteries quickly.
4G addressed these issues. This technology allowed cellular data to be affordable, making unlimited plans a reality. Additionally, it replaced circuit-switched calls with packet-switched ones. This led to faster internet browsing and lower latency in mobile gaming.
The 5G
The fifth generation of mobile phone technology is on the horizon, and it has huge potential to revolutionise our lives. With speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, it will enable a range of new applications, from healthcare (with trials already taking place for remote monitoring) to transport and entertainment.
5G also has the potential to help boost productivity with increased remote working possibilities and lower latency. It is also designed to be more energy efficient, which aligns with the growing emphasis on sustainability and reducing the impact of technology on our environment.