History of
Cell Phones
Cell phones have been in existence for
decades, but it is only in recent years that technology has
advanced to the point where cell phones are equipped to provide
every media need.
1950’s-1970’s
The first commercial cell phone, MTA, was released in Sweden in
1956 by Ericsson. It weighed 90 pounds and was far from the
sleek, convenient models that exist today. In 1965, Ericsson
released an updated version called the MTB. It was less bulky
than the first version and initially had 150 subscribers.
Despite the advances that had been made, there were many
drawbacks to this early model. Users were obliged to stay
within range of the tower that initially picked up the call,
because there was no technology to allow the signal to switch
between towers without dropping the call. Although the
technology for a “call handoff” system between towers was
invented in 1970, it wasn’t enough to save this first
commercial cell phone company. When the company shut the MTB
service down in 1983 they had only 600 customers. It wasn’t
until technology began improving that cell phones became more
prevalent.
1980’s
The first generation of modern-day cell phones was developed in
the 1980’s. In 1983, after 15 years and 100 million dollars in
research costs, the first handheld mobile phone in the United
States, the Motorola Dyna’s 8000X, hit the U.S. market. It was
known as the “brick” because of its rectangular shape. These
early phones used analog transmission. And rather than being
portable, they were known as car phones because they were
actually installed in cars. Some came with tote bags and
plugged into the DC outlet for battery power, but they were too
heavy and bulky to be considered portable. The earliest cell
phones were genuinely “car phones”.
1990’s
The 1990’s saw the second generation (2G) of cell phones come
into existence. These phones operated on GSM, IS-136 (TDMA) and
IS-95 (CDMA) mobile phone systems. Technology finally caught up
with the cell phone, and because of key advancements in
batteries, and energy efficient electronics, cell phones began
to trend smaller. Transmission of cell phone signals also made
the move from analog to digital signals. This switch offered
callers better quality calls and fewer dropped calls. Analog
signals were quickly replaced by digital. Text messaging was
also introduced during this cell phone generation, and it was
quickly embraced by the youth. The younger generations also
began consuming media through their phones in the form of
downloadable ringtones, making the cell phone a new venue for
the marketplace. During the 1990’s cell phone usage took hold
and cell phones moved away from being a novelty and towards
becoming a necessity for a fast-paced life.
2000-Present
The cell phone today has come a long way from the behemoths of
earlier decades. No longer used solely as phones, the third
generation (3G) of cell phones comes equipped with high speed
internet access and e-mail. Video telephony is also available
on modern day models. Technology is ever changing to make the
cell phone into a handheld media base rather than a simple
phone. Newer technologies that are hitting the market equip
phones with the ability for streaming TV and radio through cell
phones. The cell phone is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity
for all types of people from businessmen to teenagers. The
possibilities are endless.
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