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The Very First Cell Phone - DynaTAC 8000X.
Motorola developed the first portable cell phone in 1973. The hand-held device was shaped like a brick and weighed around 2.4 pounds. It was called the DynaTAC 8000X. -
Siemens Mobiltelefon C1
The Siemens Mobiltelefon C1, which resembled a briefcase, was the company’s first mobile phone. People used cell phones that looked like briefcases, as it was the only way to have enough charge when you were out and about town. From this, phones then became more compact in the wake of this model. -
The First Smartphone
IBM announced the first smartphone in 1992, which wouldn’t be available for purchase for two more years. The Simon Personal Communicator (or SPC, commonly called IBM Simon) included many features familiar to modern smartphone users, such as a touch screen that required a stylus. -
The Earliest Form of Smartphone Apps
IBM Simon finally hit the market in 1994. With a price tag of $1,100, it was significantly cheaper than the DynaTAC 8000X but only sold about 50,000 in its first six months. In addition, its use was pretty limited – it only worked in 15 U.S. states. And while it wasn’t as bulky as earlier phones, the SPC was still big and boxy. One of the more revolutionary aspects of the SPC was that each phone came with a calendar, address book, calculator, email, notepad and other features. -
The Start of Mobile Gaming
Starting that year, Nokia 6110 users could play Snake, a game developed by Finnish software engineer Taneli Armanto. It was a simple, family-friendly game, so people quickly became hooked. Snake started the mobile gaming industry. -
The First Camera Phone
At the start of the new millennium, Sharp introduced the world to the wonders of the camera phone. Although the J-SH04 was limited to Japan, it represented the start of a love affair between phone users and photography. And weighing just four ounces, the J-SHO4 was one step closer to today's sleek and slim phones. -
Cell Phones Access the Internet
Finally, smartphones and the Internet meet. For the first time in 2001, smartphones could connect wirelessly with a 3G network. This capability opened up a whole new world to smartphone users, who could now send email attachments and video conference with their mobile devices. -
Apple
2007 was a game-changer for smartphones. Steve Jobs announced the world’s first iPhone at January’s Macworld convention. The first iteration included a touchscreen, iPod, camera, full internet access capabilities (a first!) and a wide LCD screen designed for video. It was sleek, lightweight and available in 4GB ($499) and 8GB ($599) models. -
The First Android Smartphone
The first Android smartphone was the HTC Dream, also known as the T-Mobile G1. A collaboration between HTC and Google, it ran on Android 1.0, the first version of the Android operating system. It was a groundbreaking device that marked the beginning of the Android era, and it paved the way for the many Android smartphones that followed. -
The Modern Smartphone
The iPhone’s debut revolutionized smartphones and triggered a domino effect of rapidly advancing features and capabilities. Modern cell phones have more memory, speed and power than previously imaginable, and countless apps have become available and monetized. We’ve seen incredible advancements in almost every aspect of the smartphone. For example, smartphone cameras take professional-quality pictures and stream music, videos and games effortlessly.