The Evolution of Mobile Phones

Before Mobile Phones, early cell phones were considered 'car phones' simply because they were too large to be carried around in a pocket or purse. Since then, mobile phones have gone through various changes in features to what we know now.

 TIMELINE: 

1983- Motorola DynaTAC 8000x

> The first mobile phone as it was small enough to carry around

> Sold at around $4,000USD and was primarily used in business and sales. 

> Apart from the business world, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x was a symbol in pop culture, making appearances in movies such as Wall Street and Saved by the Bell. 

1989- Motorola MicroTAC 9800x

> Similar to the DynaTAC 8000x

> Change in feature with a folded down keyboard cover which set the standard for flip phones in the '90s

1992- Nokia 1011

> Mobile phones were no longer restricted to professional use only

> As mobile phones were now being made accessible to the general public, Nokia, through mass production, produced a cost effective solution for those who wanted to own a phone. 

1997- Siemens S10

> in 1997, the Siemens S10 was created and offered in 4 different colours

> In the same year, GlobalHandy was introduced as the first phone without an external aerial

> The difference in the colours of phones being made created the years of customization. (Swappable keyboard panels, Interchangeable cover, etc. were becoming popular)

1999- Nokia 7110

        

> First device to take advantage of accessing information over mobile wireless network

2000- J-SH04

> Sharp launched the first camera phone but it was only available in Japan

> This launched the start of phone photography

2002- Sony Ericsson T68i

> Sony Ericsson developed the T68i with a clip-on camera feature 

> This was brought to the western world and globalized phone photography

2003- Sony Ericsson Z1010

> The creation of the Sony Ericsson Z1010, made video calling possible

> With the phone's front camera, video calling was now possible; not popular

2006- LG Prada

> Swiping and scrolling replaced traditional phones with button input

> LG Prada was the first touchscreen phone to market

> The iPhone was later released in 2007

2011- Samsung Galaxy S5

> Smartphones became central to modern life and one's personal life

> Smartphones now offered more than communication features

> In 2014, Samsung added a built-in heart rate monitor to capitalize on health and fitness through mobile phones

2015- iPhone 7+

> Phones were now being made with an increase in screen size and features (eg. fingerprint scanner, mobile wallets, etc.) 

> Video streaming and video calling capabilities warranted a larger screen for users to have the best experience possible with these features

Present- Samsung Z Fold & Samsung Z Flip

> With the emergence of 5G, it promises superior data speeds as well as high resolution video streaming and gaming. 

> With those, the ultimate user experience is being offered with the development of all-screen phones.

> In 2021, the iPhone 13 series was released with a visibly smaller notch to gradually reach the stage of all-screen phones.