Mobile phones or cell phones are increasingly used nowadays, but not many know about the history of mobile phones and their development. Both from elementary school children to elderly now use mobile phones to communicate. But does anyone know who the inventor of the cellphone or cellphone was? In this article, we will discuss the history and development of mobile phones.
Before the existence of mobile phones, people usually used two-way radios like a walkie-talkie to communicate. This is the beginning of the idea to develop it into a mobile phone. The history of mobile phones dates back to 1908 when Nathan B. Stubblefield patented his wireless phone. Then, almost 40 years afterward, BTS was designed. This discovery took a new look and modified the radio and made it a cellphone.
We, as modern mobile phone users, should thank Martin Cooper. Without his idea and discovery, we will not be able to communicate easily using a cellphone. He himself might not imagine if a cellphone he designed at first could be as small as it is now and could be carried everywhere.
The Development of Mobile phones in the 1970s
This is the main milestone for the birth of mobile phones in the world. For the first time, mobile communication occurred in 1973. Martin Cooper, a Director of Motorola, proudly mentioned that the communication he was using was a cellphone. The cellphone that Cooper used to make calls to his business rivals was known as Motorola DynaTAC. DynaTAC is the abbreviation of Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage. It can be said as Motorola’s first mobile phone prototype.
Its shape was not like modern cellphones used today. It is very heavy, its size is very large and uncomfortable to carry. It weighs almost one kilogram. However, this prototype can already be used to call without having to connect with a cable. Then, the era of modern communication began to change since the birth of the Motorola DynaTAC designed by Cooper.
The Development of Mobile phones in the 1980s
For a decade later, Motorola has struggled more in the laboratory to perfect the prototypes of their hand-made cellphones. Finally, in 1983, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X appeared and created a new history of cell phones. This was the first mobile phone produced commercially by the manufacturer.
As the first prototype, its shape was still quite large and thick, when compared to current generation mobile phones. But its ability had far exceeded the prototype series. The phone had a battery that lasted for eight hours. In addition, the weight is only around 793 grams. It was, indeed, quite heavy, but it was much lighter if compared to the previous prototype. However, since mobile phones were rare items that day, the selling price was quite fantastic. It reached 4,000 US Dollars per piece.
The Development of Mobile phones in the 1990s
Until Motorola MicroTAC is created, a cellphone can only be used to receive and make phone calls. There are no other functions included in mobile phones at that time. Entering the third decade in the history of mobile phones, changes in mobile phone technology occurred so fast. The acceleration of technology in this decade could be said doubled compared to the previous era.
In 1992, mobile phones were able to send short messages. In this era, Nokia appeared as Motorola’s greatest rival. It dares to present the latest technology with a more charming design. Nokia 7110 was the first mobile phone equipped with Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technology which allowed its user to browse the internet.
The Development of Mobile phones in the 2000s
Nokia might be proud to have created the best-selling mobile phone in the history of the cellular world. However, they must admit that Sharp was the first to create a cellphone with a camera. For your information, the world’s first camera cellphone was Sharp J-SH04 released in 2000. Since then, the development of the cellular world has also accelerated. Mobile phones were no longer just to call or send short messages. A number of advanced features began to be included.
One of the most phenomenal examples was the production of Blackberry’s 5810 series. This was a mobile phone that should be connected to the internet to allow you to operate it. In other words, the features available on this smartphone will not function without a data connection.
The Development of Mobile phones in the 2010s
Entering the fifth decade, the smartphones users were crazy about Blackberry. However, the history of mobile phones also notes if Blackberry was finally unable to compete with Android and iOS based mobile phones. After a long time surviving with its original model, the Blackberry also followed the people’s preference to touchscreen model. Besides, the ability of the processor implanted in modern mobile phones continues to grow. Including greater memory and RAM capacity, along with the need to store applications that are increasingly high.
