We’re all so used to smartphones being an integral part of our lives, but not long ago, this device did not exist.
So how did we get here? How did we go from a can on a string to having the whole world in the palm of our hand? When did cell phones come out and what was the first cell phone?
Join us as we take a journey through cell phone history and learn all about the evolution of this essential device, or use the Versus phone comparison tool to compare some of these and many other phones.
The first portable cell phone was invented in 1973 by Motorola. On April 3, 1973, Motorola engineer Martin Cooper made the first-ever cell phone call on the DynaTAC 8000X. The prototype he used weighed 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) and measured 9.1 x 5.1 x 1.8 in (23 x 13 x 4.5 cm). This clunky device offered a talk time of just 30 minutes and required 10 hours to recharge. Before this, owning a car phone was the closest that one could get to not being tied to a landline.
Cell phones became popular during the cellular revolution that started in the 90s. In 1990, the number of mobile users was around 11 million; by 2020, that number had risen to a whopping 2.5 billion.
Of course, during this time, we have seen the famous “brick” phones evolve to something much more impressive… but let’s see how exactly they evolved.
The first Siemens mobile phone was the Siemens Mobiltelefon C1, which came in the form of a suitcase. Yes, you read that right. People had a cell phone that was actually a suitcase. After that, some more compact phones followed.
In 1987, Nokia launched its first mobile phone, the Mobira Cityman 900. The phone weighed only 800g (28 oz) including the battery, and was considered expensive and exclusive to those of a higher status.
A year later, in 1988, Samsung developed its first “handphone" — The SH-100. It was officially the first mobile phone to be designed and manufactured in Korea.
After many similar brick-style cell phones, Motorola innovated again by bringing the "flip" design to the market. Before Motorola’s MicroTAC model, most cell phones were bulky and usually installed in cars due to their size.