Today, we can find so many types and series of cell phones from different brands. The features are also more and more sophisticated. That is why we call them smartphones. A few years ago, cell phones still came with basic features only. In the past, cell phones can only be used for sending messages and make calls. However, do you know what the first cell phone was? That is what we will discuss here.
Many opinions claim that the first mobile phone was made about 75 years ago. Anyway, the evolution of the mobile phone illustrates what it takes for techs to go from breakthrough to big time. In the past, people sum up numbers using calculators. Today, they do it with their phone. In the past, people see calendars on papers. Now, people prefer seeing calendars on smartphones. In the past, people look at the time on a wristwatch. Now, they cross a wristwatch with a mobile phone. And there are still many other changes because of the technological development.
The first cell phone service, for 80-pound phones installed in cars, was introduced on June 17th, 1946. It means the first phone was introduced 75 years ago. The service of the first phone was available only in major cities & highway corridors. It was also aimed only at companies rather than individuals. In 1948, this first cell phone service had around 5,000 customers.
Big History in Small Packages
A common thread that runs through the evolution of all electronic techs virtually is miniaturization. The technologies included in mobile phones really grew successively lighter & smaller. The first phone used small numbers of big radio towers. It meant all the subscribers shared a central base station. It was not a recipe for universal cell phone service.
Since then, engineers started working on a concept to overcome this issue. It took almost 4 decades to roll out the first cell phone service in 83s. For your information, cellular service involves interconnected networks of smaller radio transceivers handing off moving callers from one transceiver to another.
Military Necessity
Your mobile phone is the result of more than a hundred years of government & commercial investment in research & development in its components as well as related techs. A significant portion was funded by the military.
A major impetus to develop mobile wireless techs was the need during the World War II for troops in order to communicate on the move in the field. For your information, SRC-536 Handie-Talkie was developed to Motorola Corporation by the predecessor and used by the United States Army in the war. It was a 2-way radio which was rather small to be held in a hand & resembled a phone. That is why Motorola went on to be one of the biggest manufacturers of mobile phones.
Looking Forward
It takes many decades to develop technologies in each generation. Now, we can find 5G network, Bluetooth, and many more on today’s phone. Of course, we have seen a big change if we compare today’s phones with the first cell phone 75 years ago.