Even though we are all so accustomed to our smartphones being an essential component of our lives, there was a time not so long ago when this piece of technology did not even exist. So how did we get here? This article will provide a concise history of the telephone, beginning with the first types of audio transmission and ending with the invention of the first mobile phone.

The History of Phone

The first basic phone was invented in 1849 by Italian inventor Antonio Meucci, while a phone was invented in 1854 by Frenchman Charles Bourseul. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received the first U.S. patent for the device. The first permanent outside telephone wire was installed in 1877. In the United States, commercial telephone service was established.

Oliver Lodge showed wireless communication across a 150-yard distance in 1894. This was the birth of cell phone technology as we know it today.

In 1915, the Bell System completed the first transcontinental telephone line in the United States. At this point, everyone in the United States was linked to one another.

The first commercial mobile telephone service was launched in 1946, using radio to connect moving cars or objects to the telephone network.

The laying of transatlantic telephone wires began in 1953. Calls could be made to European countries, and later to the rest of the world.

Videophones became more inexpensive and functional in the 1960s.

Bell Systems introduced the touch tone phone in 1963. Instead of counting clicks, this phone made a new beep for each number and replaced rotary phones.

Intel Corporation created the first single chip microprocessor, the 4004 in 1971. Telephones and switching systems would be smaller, lighter, and faster to operate thanks to the microprocessor.

The Journey To Cell Phone

In 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, made the first cell phone call on the DynaTAC 8000X. He utilized a prototype that weighed 2 kg. The device had a conversation duration of only 30 minutes and took 10 hours to recharge. The DynaTAC phone cost $3,995, which is now the equivalent of $10,000.

In 1985, the first Siemens mobile phone was the Siemens Mobiltelefon C1, a suitcase-shaped device. Afterwards, more tiny smartphones emerged.

The Mobira Cityman 900 was the first mobile phone introduced by Nokia in 1987. The phone weighed barely 800g, including the battery, and was seen as pricey and exclusive to individuals with a higher social standing.

Motorola introduced the “Pocket” cellular phone MicroTAC in 1989.Motorola innovated once more in 1989 by introducing the “flip” design. 

In 1992, the Nokia 1011, which was the first GSM (2G) phone, was the next major advance.

The IBM Simon, often regarded as the first smartphone, was released in 1993. It served as a mobile phone, PDA, and fax machine all at the same time. It had a touch screen, which foreshadowed the arrival of the Apple iPhone 14 years later. It costs $899.

Digital cordless phones were introduced in 1994. During that period, the FCC allowed a frequency band of 900 MHz for cordless phones, which is now 5.8 GHz.

Philips presented an early effort at a digital “smart phone” in 1997. The “The Synergy” unit provided wireless connectivity to email, the internet, and faxes.

The Hagenuk GlobalHandy was the first phone to be released without a visible external antenna in 1997.

Siemens introduced the Siemens S10, the first cell phone with a color screen, in 1998.

In 1999, the Blackberry 850, a smartphone that could download apps from the Blackberry App World, came out.

Apple released its first iPhone in 2007, which featured a touchscreen display and the greatest mobile web browsing experience available at the time. It remains the standard by which all other cellphones are measured. 

The first smartphone with an Android operating system was introduced by Motorola in 2009, and it sold over 1 million copies in just 74 days after going on sale. Additionally, there are many user-made apps available for download on the Android app store.

TeliaSonera was the first telecom company in the world to commercially introduce 4G in 2009. And the first 5G phones, together with the fifth-generation network, were introduced in 2019.

Conclusion

In today’s society, the phone is a revolutionary invention. Its capabilities are continually evolving as new ones are added daily. We may confidently anticipate continued progress in the years to come. Initiating the telephone network in 1876, we have come a long way in 146 years.