evolution of the mobile phone.
emergence of radiotelephony.
Once the telephone was invented in the 1870s and the radio a while after that, the idea of combining the mobility of the radio and the person-to-person capability of the telephone was soon to follow. as early as 1919, ship-to-shore radio systems were developed for Navy ships to communicate with base command. During WWII, some Army soldiers were equipped with backpack walkie-talkies that could be carried around with them to communicate with each other and the command center. In 1946, Mobile Telephone Service (MTS) began America's mobile phone stage. They offered radiotelephones that would operate from cars and trucks. These phones were still large, complicated, and hard to use. Instead of dialing on the phone, one would turn the frequency knob to a clear station then speak to an operator who would then connect the caller to whom he or she wished to speak. Radiotelephones largely stayed this way until the invention of the first hand-help mobile telephone device years later.
1973.
Dr. Cooper with the prorotype Motorola Dyna-Tac 8000X
Dr. Martin Cooper, general manager at Motorola, was named the first inventor of the "radio telephone system" after he invented the first hand-held cellular telephone in 1973. Cooper made the first wireless telephone call in October that year. He then set up a base station in New York, where he worked to create the first prototype cellular device, the Motorola Dyna-Tac 8000X.
first generation: cellular networks.
In 1977, cell phones go public. The first cell phone trial occurs in Chicago, with 2000 customers. Cellular networks begin to spring up around the globe. In 1984, Bell Technologies developed the modern cell system in which base cell towers provide service to a small area, or a cell. The cells overlap slightly and each cell tower receives or transmits the signal to and from the mobile device, connecting it to the person on the other side of the line. At this time, since most phones were too large to carry around easily, they were permanently installed in cars, and the term "car phone" became widely used.
second generation: digital networks.
Starting in 1990, mobile communication networks moved from analog to digital transmission. This enabled quicker network signaling, leading to fewer dropped calls and increased call quality. The rise of the 2G networks sparked the rapid increase of cell phone usage as the mobile devices decreased in size making them convenient to tote around. In 1993, the first person-to-person text message was sent. Soon, SMS messages became the communication method of choice for the young, and spread to all ages. The first downloadable content became available in 1998, beginning with the first ever downloaded ring tone straight to a mobile phone. Cellular devices began to add more features along with text messaging, like a camera, camcorder, games, music players, and other content. With these advances, cell phones became part of everyday life and a main means of communication over any distance. People started to become dependent upon their mobile devices when they were at home or on the go to get in touch with others at all times.
third generation: IP data networks
The first ever commercial 3G network was launched in 2001, and in 2002 the first in the US. Phones on the 3G network could do everything that older phones could do, but their connection speed and data storage were increased. Also, 3G phones had the ability to connect to the Internet so people could gain access to their e-mail and other features. Media streaming of the radio, TV, and Internet videos became possible for the first time. Current technology allows mobile phones to connect to WiFi signals and browse every corner of the Internet. The advances that put the Internet in the palm of one's hand, along with all the other features like the MP3 player, calendar, social network, dictionary, game console, GPS navigator, photo album and many more, made the mobile devices of today have the ability to do just about anything.