It’s been 50 years since the inception of the very first mobile phone. In its early days, mobile technology was profoundly limited, and the device’s dimensions were starkly distinct from today’s sleek commercial models. However, it has gone through a remarkable evolution over the years, improving its features to be among the most significant technological achievements in history. But have you ever wondered who invented the mobile phone?
Who invented the mobile phone and when?
Martin Cooper, an engineer at Motorola, wasn’t expecting that his idea would become one of the most significant technological discoveries in human history. He was the one who invented the mobile phone. Cooper, a visionary with an unparalleled commitment to innovation, spent years researching and developing ground-breaking technological improvements.
Cooper made history on October 17, 1973, when he developed the Radio Telephone System, a revolutionary telecommunications system. The DynaTAC 8000X mobile phone made the first-ever mobile phone call possible thanks to its innovation. This historic communication took place on the bustling streets of New York, with the call directed to none other than Joel Engel, his formidable adversary and an electronics engineer at AT&T.
The Evolution of Mobile Phones
The widespread adoption of mobile phones didn’t materialize until the 1990s. In 1990, the global count of mobile users hovered around 11 million. Today, as indicated by Data eportal’s annual report, developed in collaboration with We Are Social and Hootsuite, more than 5 billion individuals worldwide rely on mobile phones, representing a staggering 68% of the world’s population.
Following Motorola’s monumental success, competitors embarked on their quests to develop prototype mobile phones. The Mobira Cityman, conceived by Nokia and launched in 1987, was one of the early contenders. Samsung introduced its first analog display mobile, the SH-100.
The mobile phone’s evolution unfolded gradually as it acquired new functionalities. A significant milestone occurred on December 3, 1992, when the very first text message in history was dispatched. A Vodafone developer sent this historic message to the company’s director, Richard Jarvis, during a Christmas celebration. The message, a simple yet heartfelt “Merry Christmas,” marked the birth of a new era in communication.
In that same year, Spain witnessed an explosive surge in mobile telephony, amassing 180,000 users. By the end of 1995, with the launch of Movistar, the customer base had swelled to nearly one million, signifying a 125% increase from the previous year.
