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Since 1984 Motorola has trotted out some of the most iconic and memorable mobile designs in the industry. Whether it's the StarTAC, RAZR V3 or the original Droid, Motorola consistently offers something unique through design. It even allows you to make the final call on color schemes with its more recent devices so you can create a gadget that's truly one of a kind. As the company is poised to make its next big reveal tomorrow, let's take a look at some of those notable handsets that span four decades of mobile phones.

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Since 1984 Motorola has trotted out some of the most iconic and memorable mobile designs in the industry. Whether it's the StarTAC, RAZR V3 or the original Droid, Motorola consistently offers something unique through design. It even allows you to make the final call on color schemes with its more recent devices so you can create a gadget that's truly one of a kind.

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The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 | Webdesigner Depot

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The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 | Webdesigner Depot

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Cell phones have evolved immensely since 1983, both in design and function.

From the Motorola DynaTAC, that power symbol that Michael Douglas wielded so forcefully in the movie "Wall Street", to the iPhone 3G, which can take a picture, play a video, or run one of the thousands applications available from the Apple Store.

There are thousands of models of cell phones that have hit the streets between 1983 and now.

We've picked a few of the more popular and unusual ones to take you through the history of this device that most of us consider a part of our everyday lives.

We have tried, wherever possible, to include the most popular phones and the phones that were "firsts" for a particular feature, but may have missed out on your favorite phones due to the sheer number of models that are out there.

We invite you to post your faves in the comments section if they are not listed here.

Mobile phones are just now beginning to be as vital to North Americans as they have been to Asians. You can always see what is coming to store shelves in the next six months to a year by looking at the models that are currently available in Japan.

North America also had a spotty 3G network that has only really been revamped recently in order to deal with increasing demands for faster loading speeds from mobile customers, whereas Asia and most of Europe have had proper 3G networks in place for some time.

This has led to a revolution in 3G phones from 2007 until now, with more due to come out in 2009.

The list does not include any phones that were not portable handhelds. Car phones and some handhelds that were the size of a small briefcase were in use in the 1970's and 1980's, but since this is more about design than function we chose not to include them here.

1983

Motorola DynaTAC 8000X

Analog Motorola DynaTAC 8000X Advanced Mobile Phone System mobile phone as of 1983.

1989

Motorola MicroTAC 9800X

The first truly portable phone. Up until its release, most cellular phones were installed as car phones due to the inability to fit them into a jacket pocket.

1992

Motorola International 3200

The first digital hand-size mobile telephone.

Nokia 1011

This was the first mass-produced GSM phone. It was produced until 1994.

1993

BellSouth/IBM Simon Personal Communicator

The IBM Simon was the first PDA/Phone combo.

1996

Motorola StarTAC

The first clamshell cellular phone. Also one of the first display screens featured on a cell.

Nokia 8110

Alternately called the "banana phone", this phone was popularized in the first Matrix movie.

Nokia 9000 Communicator

The first smartphone series, driven by an Intel 386 CPU.

1998

Nokia 9110i

This iteration of Nokia's Communicator series significantly reduced the weight of this precursor to the smartphone.

Nokia 5110

This cell phone was the most popular consumer model at the time of its release and for some time afterwards.

1999

Nokia 8210

This phone was loved for its customizable design, but hated for its screen fade.

Nokia 7110

The first mobile phone with a WAP browser.

Nokia 5210

This phone was known for its durability and splash-proof interchangeable casing.

Benefon Esc!

This was the first instance of a GPS being integrated into a mobile phone, and was sold mostly in Europe.

Samsung SPH-M100 Uproar

The Uproar was the first cell phone to have MP3 music capabilities.

Nokia 3210

The internal antenna and predictive T9 text messaging sold approximately 160 million of these phones.

2000

Ericsson R380

The R380 featured a black and white touchscreen, partially covered by a flip.

Nokia 3310

This popular phone sold 126 million models, and was particularly popular in Europe.

Ericsson R320

One of the first phones with a WAP browser. A version of this phone was released in China that allowed Chinese character SMS.

2001

Nokia 5510

This phone featured a full QWERTY keyboard. It could also store up to 64mb of music.

Nokia 8310

This phone contained premium features not normally found on handsets of the time, such as Infrared, a fully functional calendar and a FM Radio.

Ericsson T39

This tiny handset was the first Bluetooth-capable phone.

Ericsson T66

This diminutive entry from Ericsson was the height of a cigarette.

Ericsson T68

This was Ericsson's first handset with a colour screen.

Siemens S45

Siemens's first ever GPRS mobile phone with 360kb of internal memory - high at the time.

2002

Nokia 3510(i)

The first Nokia phone to bring GPRS internet services to the mass market. The 3510i, pictured here, was a more advanced version with a colour screen.

Nokia 7650

This was the first Nokia set to feature a built-in camera and was featured in the movie Minority Report.

Sony Ericsson P800

This smartphone featured a touchscreen and up to 128mb of memory.

Nokia 6100

This model sold from 2002-2005. It featured an LCD screen and internet connectivity through GPRS.

Nokia 6310i

The 6310i quickly gained popularity in the corporate world for its simplicity and long battery life.

Sanyo SCP-5300

The first camera phone. Despite the low quality images it produced, it was the first.

2003

Nokia 1100

This extremely popular design has sold over 200 million since its introduction in 2003. This phone is rumoured to have sold for up to $32,000 in online criminal communities due to its ability to intercept one-time banking passwords.

Nokia N-Gage

Nokia's answer to the Game Boy advance, this phone/games system had a couple of award winning titles before it succumbed to its clunky interface design.

PalmOne Treo 600

One of the "it" gadgets from 2003-2004 until BlackBerries overtook them in popularity. Three or four days between charges and a successful merger of phone, PDA, and camera made this the business tool of choice.

Nokia 2100

This design was available in a wide range of colours and featured a monochromatic screen.

Nokia 6600

Considered very advanced at the time of its introduction due to its Symbian OS-based Nokia Series 60 platform. Released in the US market as the Nokia 6620.

BlackBerry Quark 6210

Research In Motion's first integrated phone/PDA.

BlackBerry 7210

BlackBerry's first colour screen.

Nokia 7600

One of the first 3G smartphones by Nokia, still one of the lightest and smallest.

2004

Motorola Razor V3

When this was introduced it set the standard for sleek design in the industry.

Sony Ericsson P910

An attractive flip smartphone with full internet connectivity.

Nokia 7610

Nokia's first smartphone with a 1 megapixel camera.

Nokia 3220

The first entry-level Nokia phone that offered full internet access.

Nokia 6630

The first cell phone to allow for global roaming.

Nokia 7280

Listed by Fortune Magazine as one of the best products of 2004. Also referred to as the "lipstick" phone.

2005

Nokia 1110

Released as a low-end GSM phone, and widely used in developing countries.

Nokia 6680

One of the first 3G phones, the Nokia 6680 was considered to be high end at the time of its release.

HTC Universal

This was the first 3G Pocket PC phone at HTC and the first to come with Windows Mobile.

Motorola RAZR V3 Magenta

This hot pink phone gave the fashion set something to talk about - and on.

2006

HTC TyTN 100

This model was sold as the Orange SPV M3100 in the UK, keeping with HTC's tradition of private labelling for individual carriers.

Nokia N73

This immensely popular smartphone has sold millions of models worldwide, and is still in wide use as of 2009.

Motorola Q

The "BlackBerry Killer" from Motorola.

BlackBerry Pearl

The first design-conscious entry from RIM, the Pearl is still being offered on the market today.

KDDI Penck

A fabulous design available only in Japan.

O2 XDA Flame

The XDA Flame is the first dual processor PDA-phone in the 02 line.

LG Chocolate KG800

One of the first well-designed phones made for mass market use.

Samsung i607 BlackJack

Research in Motion sued Samsung over the name of this phone. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

Nokia E62

Originally released to target business users in the European market.

2007

iPhone

The original iPhone was released in June 2007 with an auto-rotate sensor, a multi-touch sensor that allowed multiple inputs while ignoring minor touches, a touch interface that replaced the traditional QWERTY keyboards, and many other features that helped to give Apple an almost instant healthy market share on its release.

LG Prada KE850

Touchscreen phone that took home a Red Dot Design Award for "Best of the Best" in 2007.

LG Voyager

This design was touted as LG's take on the iPhone.

HTC Touch

HTC's answer to the iPhone with its own multi-touch interface and a high screen resolution.

Motorola RAZR2 V9

The solid steel hinge and the metal case make this sleek design feel luxurious and durable.

Motorola Q9H

This fine-tuning of the Motorola Q was released in Italy and the US in 2007.

Nokia E90 Communicator

This update of the first smartphone launched the fifth generation of the series.

Nokia N95

Nokia's popular smartphone features a slider to access multimedia buttons and a numeric keypad.

Helio Ocean

Work on this "ultimate messaging and talking machine" began before Helio was a company.

LG Shine

This phone won another Red Dot for LG in 2007. Also released in Gold and Titanium Black.

Motorola RAZR²

This phone features the Opera internet browser and CrystalTalk technology.

Palm Treo 755p

The Treo 755p is a smartphone developed by Palm, Inc. It was released on May 14, 2007 as the first CDMA Treo without an aerial antenna.

LG Viewty

A phone firmly focused on visuals. DivX Certified playback and 5 megapixel digital camera with Schneider Kreuznach optics are just a couple of the features of this simply designed phone.

2008

iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G was made even more desirable by all the apps that could be purchased for it in the AppStore when it was released in July of 2008.

LG Vu

The LG Vu was one in a series of phones that included the LG Prada phone.

T-Mobile G1 Phone

The G1 phone was the first phone to be released with the Android operating system designed by Google. Also known as the HTC Dream. One million devices have sold as of April 2009.

Nokia N96

This GPS-enabled entry in Nokia's smartphone line features a sleek, compact design.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

This phone was featured in The Dark Knight.

LG Secret

The outside of the LG Secret, a 3G slider phone, is constructed from carbon fiber. Also features the world's slimmest 5.0 megapixel camera on a smartphone.

Samsung Instinct

The Instinct was introduced as the "iPhone killer" from Samsung at a low price of $129.00.

BlackBerry Storm

Designed to be a direct competitor to the iPhone 3G and other 3G smartphones; RIM's first device to do away with the QWERTY keyboard and incorporate a touchscreen.

BlackBerry Bold

Blackberry's "middle ground" solution for those who wanted a 3G phone and a QWERTY keyboard.

Samsung Behold

Cell Fanatic found this entry by Samsung offered superior image quality over the Apple iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Storm.

Samsung Gravity

The Samsung Gravity is their first to feature a slide-out keyboard that has proved popular in other brands.

Motorola Krave

The Krave design features a transparent flip that acts as a secondary touch surface to access additional features.

Samsung Omnia

The Samsung Omnia features a simple touchscreen interface and a speaker on the back.

Nokia E63

Billed as the budget business smartphone.

LG Dare

The handwriting recognition and simple touchscreen styling of the Dare is enhanced by the easy-grip back.

Sony Ericsson W760i

Includes the "Sensme" music feature, as well as all of the other features from the Walkman phone brand.

Nokia N79

The Nokia N79 has a Naviwheel, GPS, a 5 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss Optics Tessar lens and more.

HTC Touch Diamond

This attractive smartphone featured a resistive touch screen which is better for Asian character recognition.

LG KC910 Renoir

The LG Renoir has an 8-megapixel camera with xenon flash and Schneider-Kreuznach optics.

Nokia E71

The steel frame of this sleek smartphone from Nokia fits into your palm.

2009

Prada II or LG KF900

The second iteration of the Prada phone designed by LG. The sliding QWERTY keyboard is new, as is its 3G capability.

LG Arena

The first phone with LG's 3D S-Class user interface. This UI reorients with the rotation of the phone and allows you to scroll film-reel style through available apps.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

Released in February 2009, the Curve features an improved trackball and a higher resolution screen. Still a 2G.

LG Versa

Comes with an attachable QWERTY keyboard and a virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

Sidekick LX 2009

This 3G incarnation of the Sidekick includes improved support for social networking applications.

Samsung Magnet

The Samsung Magnet is a cheap alternative for pricier smartphones with much of the same functionality and a cool design.

LG Xenon

Another slide-out QWERTY keyboard and compact design. Comes with AT&T's Navigator, AT&T's turn-by-turn GPS service.

HTC Magic

The next HTC entry to sport Google's Android operating system. No US carriers have yet been confirmed for this model, but T-Mobile has been rumoured to be the carrier of record. Vodafone has exclusive rights to the phone in all markets that they service.

HTC Touch Diamond2

HTC made the LCD display screen as large as they could at 3.2″ for their next incarnation of the Diamond.

Samsung Propel Pro

The sliding QWERTY keyboard and slick design make this an attractive entry by Samsung.

LG Rumor2

Built for e-mail, the Rumor2 supports Lotus Notes where its predecessor didn't.

Motorola Renew

This eco-friendly phone is the world's first carbon-neutral cell phone. Made with recycled water bottles, cheap, and an abundance of features for the low price.

Coming Soon

Palm Pre

This phone launches June 6 in the US through Sprint. It will feature the ability to keep multiple apps open at once.

Nokia N97

This phone will be available in June of 2009.

Omnia HD/Samsung i8910

This phone promises the first high-definition video recording when it is released July 1st of 2009.

Only Available in Japan

Here's hoping that some of these sleek designs make it across the pond eventually to North America. For more Japanese tech goodness, check KDDI's English page.

Hitachi WOOO Ketai H001 Phone

This phone promises a 3D display. Ubergizmo predicts that it will be a Japan-only handset.

Panasonic P001

3.1″ increased resolution screen, impressive design, global roaming capabilities and one-push open make this an object of desire.

Walkman Phone Premier

This phone opens up to reveal a 3″ screen and a stylish keypad.

Casio 001

This sports model features a touch panel for interactive gaming and music.

S001 Sony Ericsson Cyber-Shot

This phone screams elegance. Oh, and it has the world's first 3.3″ full OLED WVGA display and an 8.1 megapixel camera. Not that we'd want all that fancy stuff in North America.

Toshiba T001

Princesses and fashionistas everywhere will go gaga over this design. Advanced video functions and a 5.1 megapixel camera put a little spike in this phone's heel.

Kyocera K001 Junior Phone

Those of you with children will know how hard it is to put parental restrictions on anything electronic. This phone gives you the ability to track your child with a GPS locator, lock out questionable website addresses, and more.

Resources

If you have half an hour to kill and really want to get into the evolution of the cell phone and its cultural impact, check this full-length documentary from CBC.

For a more detailed history of the cell phone, we recommend Cell Fanatic's history page.
Feature photo by Shutterstock Please leave us your memories of your cell phones of days gone by and your critiques of what is currently available in our comments section.

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The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 | Webdesigner Depot

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Cell phones have evolved immensely since 1983, both in design and function. From the Motorola DynaTAC, that power symbol that Michael Douglas wielded so forcefully in the movie "Wall Street", to the iPhone 3G, which can take a picture, play a video, or run one of the thousands applications available from the Apple Store.

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History of Mobile Cell Phones | The First Phone To Present Time

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History of Mobile Cell Phones | The First Phone To Present Time

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Cell phones were originally created so people could take while they drove. Initially called "car phones", early cell phones were bulky, cumbersome, and expensive compared to today's modern devices.

Today, we're covering the history of cell phones and explaining where the future of cell phones could be. For a look at the evolution of communication - check out this info-graphic here.

The World's First Cell Phone

The world's first cell phone was launched in 1983. It was the Motorola DynaTAC 800x. It was priced at around $4,000 and lasted for 30 minutes of talk time before dying. It was also about the size of a foot long sub from Subway.

Despite the phone's large size, it was still considered to be the most portable telephone ever made. For the first time in history, a human being could call someone without the constraints of wires or portable phone holders.

Prior to the release of the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, several major developments had paved the way for the first cell phone.

In 1908, for example, one man claimed to have invented a wireless telephone. That man was considered so crazy for his time that he was accused of fraud. The charges were later dropped.

Radio-based Cell Phones

Later, during the First World War, the German military tested wireless phones on military trains running between Berlin and Zossen. Later, in 1924, wireless phones were tested on trains running between Berlin and Hamburg.

During the Second World War, military forces around the world made use of radio telephony links. Starting in 1940, hand-held radio receivers had been widely available, opening up communications in battlefields around the world.

All of these technologies inspired researchers at Bell Labs to create a mobile phone system for vehicles. This system would allow users to place and receive calls from inside their automobiles.

By June 17, 1946, Bell Labs had begun to offer mobile telephone services on vehicles in St. Louis, Missouri. A few weeks later, AT&T matched Bell Labs, offering something called Mobile Telephone Service, which was a wide range of mostly incompatible mobile telephone services that offered limited coverage areas and a small number of available channels.

Eventually, AT&T and Bell Labs would introduce cellular technology, which allowed for the re-use of frequencies multiple times in areas covered by low-powered transmitters. This allowed mobile phones to be more than just a pipe dream: they were an economically feasible product that could make money for Bell and AT&T.

America's short-lived experiment did not lead to the widespread use of mobile phones. It was a niche product that appealed only to a small number of consumers in one city.

Nevertheless, the seeds of mobile telephony had been planted in the minds of Americans.

Russia's First Cell Phone

Surprisingly, the USSR was the next major nation to develop mobile phones.

Between 1957 and 1961, Soviet inventor Leonid Kupriyanovich developed a number of mobile phones that looked surprisingly similar to modern mobile devices. One of Leonid's phones weighed just 70 grams and could easily fit into the palm of your hand.

The Soviet Union decided to push forward with plans to develop these mobile devices. They called the phone the "Altai" and designed it for use in cars.

AT&T's Mobile Telephone Service

In 1949, AT&T launched something called Mobile Telephone Service. We mentioned this service above as part of the automobile cell phone section. This Mobile Telephone Service was initially only available in St. Louis. By 1948, however, the service was available in about 100 towns.

With this service, an estimated 5,000 customers placed approximately 30,000 calls each week. Each call had to be manually connected by an operator. The system also functioned similar to a Walkie-Talkie: you had to push down a button your handset to talk, then release that button to listen.

If you wanted the Mobile Telephone Service in your vehicle, then you had to install about 36kg of equipment.

Other limitations of this system were:

Only three radio channels were available, which meant only three customers in any city could make a call at once

It was expensive, costing approximately 15 USD per month plus an additional $0.30 to $0.40 per local call. In today's dollars, that's nearly $200 USD per month and $4 to $4.50 per local call.

Manchester, UK and the Post Office Radiophone Service

A similar service evolved in the UK soon after AT&T's Mobile Telephone Service. That system was called the Post Office Radiophone Service, and it was launched in Manchester in 1959.

This system also required callers to connect through an operator. However, that operator could connect users to any subscriber across all of Great Britain. London received Post Office Radiophone Service in 1965 and it branched out to other major cities across the UK in 1972.

AT&T Launches Its New Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS)

The original Mobile Telephone Service (MTS) offered by AT&T was soon supplanted by Improved Mobile Telephone Service (IMTS).

AT&T heard the complaints of its customers and sought to address them. They added more radio channels, for example, which meant more simultaneous calls could be placed in each geographic area.

The system also featured improved customer dialing. Customers no longer had to call the operator to setup each call. The subscriber equipment also no longer weighed 36kg.

Nevertheless, IMTS was still a far cry from modern cell phone systems. Demand quickly outstripped the capacity of the system. There were many reports of customers waiting 30 minutes or more to place a call. It got to a point where state governments were forced to restrict service to just 40,000 customers across the entire system. Still, in larger cities like New York City, 2,000 subscribers were forced to share 12 radio channels - which is what led to the long wait times.

Radio Common Carrier

In an effort to compete with AT&T, independent American telephone companies introduced something called Radio Common Carrier, or RCC. This system used frequencies near the IMTS frequencies. This system persisted until the 1980s, at which point cell-based AMPS systems made RCC equipment obsolete.

This loosely-organized system discouraged roaming and came with a complicated billing system and complicated, expensive set of equipment. It provided the next-best alternative to AT&T's Mobile Telephone Service, but that was about it.

European Mobile Radio Networks

Europe, like America, developed its own series of mobile radio networks. The most noteworthy networks could be found in West Germany, which initially launched the A-Netz network in 1952 and then the B-Netz network in 1972.

Norway also had its own system called OLT where operators manually connected calls to one another.

Up to this point, all of these networks relied on radio technology instead of genuine cellular technology. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, however, researchers would work on creating cellular networks that expanded cell service across America.

The First Cellular Network

In 1947, Bell Labs engineers were already looking for ways to implement cell service in vehicles. These researchers theorized that hexagonal cells would work best for vehicles.

However, it wasn't until the 1960s that researchers created the technology systems - like frequency reuse and handoff - that would lead to modern cellular networks.

1973: The First Mobile Telephone Call is Made

In 1973, 10 years before a cell phone was first released onto the market, the first cell phone call was made by Motorola researcher and executive Martin Cooper. Cooper, from Motorola, placed a call to Dr. Joel Engel of Bell Labs.

The call on which this phone was made was an early prototype of the DynaTAC mobile phone. It weighed 1.1kg and was 23cm long.

However, the stage was set: researchers knew that if they could create wireless communications technology that was smaller, there would be a market for it.

1G Cellular Networks

"1G" refers to the first automated analog cellular networks around the world. 1G was first deployed in Tokyo in 1979 and would spread throughout the rest of Japan in 1981. Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark also received 1G that same year.

It took two more years before 1G technology was first introduced in the Americas. In North America, the first 1G network was called the Advanced Mobile Phone System, or AMPS.

This network suffered from some major security issues. The network was unencrypted, for example, and easily vulnerable to eavesdropping using a basic scanner.

This didn't prevent the world's first cell phone, the DynaTAC mobile phone, from launching on the 1G network on March 6, 1983. People didn't care about security at this point: they just thought it was really cool they could own a mobile phone and call people across the nation.

The Motorola DynaTAC

Released on March 6, 1983, the DynaTAC mobile phone was priced at a whopping $3,995 when it hit the market.

The phone could last for about 30 minutes of talk time. Motorola spent $100 million and over 10 years developing the device.

Despite the high price tag, poor battery life, heavy weight, and all its other flaws (at least compared to modern devices), the DynaTAC mobile phone was wildly successful: waiting lists numbered in the thousands.

By 1990, the old AMPS networks were replaced by Digital AMPS (D-AMPS). By 2008, all AMPS service was shut down across North America, marking the end of an era.

2G Cellular Networks

2G cellular networks started to emerge in the 1990s along with the second generation of mobile devices.

This is where European and American networks started to split apart and compete against one another. In Europe, the European-developed GSM standard reigned supreme. In the United States, American carriers favored CDMA.

Both of these systems used digital transmission technologies instead of analog. This came with advantages like better security and faster networking.

2G also allowed for basic SMS communication. The world's first SMS text message was sent in Finland in 1993.

1993's IBM Simon: The First Smartphone?

The first smartphone was probably released earlier than you expected: many call 1993's IBM Simon the world's first smartphone.

Compared to today's standards, the world's first smartphone looked pretty stupid: it was a calendar, address book, clock, notepad, PDA, email service, QWERTY keyboard, and touchscreen all rolled into one. It also featured a stylus and predictive typing. It even had apps!

The phone sold moderately well across the United States, selling 50,000 units between August 1994 and February 1995.

The Simon Personal Communicator, as it was known, sold throughout Bell's 15 state service area at a price of $899 (on a two year contract) or $1099 (without a contract).

3G Cellular Networks

2G introduced cellphone networks to people around the world. Suddenly, everyone needed a mobile phone in their daily lives.

Before long, demand had outstripped existing 2G technology. People wanted to do more than just call: they wanted to browse the internet at faster and faster speeds.

It became clear that 2G technology was not able to keep up. Thus, 3G started to roll out around the world. Once again, the world's first 3G network was launched in Tokyo. Tokyo received the technology in May 2001.

The main advantage of moving from 2G to 3G was that 3G used packet switching instead of circuit switching to transmit data. This allowed for faster data transmission speeds (2 Mbit/s data rates, for example).

This opened the door for media streaming over mobile networks. For the first time, mobile devices were fast enough to support online video and music streaming.

By 2007, there were 295 million 3G users around the world. That may seem impressive, but that number accounted for only 9% of the total worldwide number of mobile users.

4G and the Introduction of Native IP Networks

Before the end of the first decade of the 21st century, it was clear that 3G was being overwhelmed by the number of bandwidth-intensive applications. Carriers realized that it was time to bump up to 4G.

4G's main improvement over 3G technology was its data-optimization, which promises to offer speeds up to 10 times faster than existing 3G technologies. Two different 4G technologies were developed, including the WiMAX standard and the more popular LTE standard.

Notable Cell Phones Released Throughout the Last Three Decades

In addition to the early phones we mentioned above (like the DynaTAC and IBM Simon), here are some of the other notable phones released between 1990 and present day:

Nokia 6110 - 1997

Rumor has it this phone could survive a nuclear explosion. You could throw this phone off buildings, drop it on the floor, and nothing seemed to phase it. It also had a whopping three (!) games, including the ever-popular Memory, Snake, and Logic. Oh, and did I mention it worked as a pager and came in four different colors? Yeah, this phone was a big deal.

Motorola StarTAC - 1997

The most notable part of this phone was that it was the world's first "clamshell" phone, also known as the flip phone. Reportedly inspired by the communicator from Star Trek, the Motorola StarTAC was designed for 2G networks.

BlackBerry 850 - 1999

Based on the name, you might think the BlackBerry 850 was the 8th or even the 850th phone released by RIM. But it wasn't - it was the very first BlackBerry. Ten years later, RIM (now named BlackBerry) was titled the fastest growing company on the planet. We don't have to talk about what happened after 2010. Sorry, BlackBerry fans.

Samsung SGH-T100 - 2000

Samsung's early phones looked nothing like the modern day Galaxy lineup. They looked like average clamshell phones. But they already showed early signs of Samsung's future smartphone dominance: like a bright, vibrant screen. The Samsung SGH-T100 was the first phone to ever use a thin-film transistor active matrix LCD screen.

BlackBerry 5810 - 2003

Like the Original BlackBerry 850, the BlackBerry 5810 had a QWERTY keyboard. This keyboard, however, looked closer to what we would find in later BlackBerry devices. Other notable features included email support and apps for printing, calendar, music, alarm, and much more.

Motorola Razr V3 - 2004

If you had one of these in high school, you were the coolest kid in class. The Motorola Razr V3 featured a sleek exterior and a satisfying "clap" sound when it closed shut. The Razr would eventually become one of Motorola's bestselling phones ever: the company sold 130 million between 2004 and 2006.

BlackBerry 7270 - 2005

This was the first BlackBerry device that came with Wi-Fi. It's easy to see why the term "Crackberry" became so widespread after the release of the BlackBerry 7270. This was also the first BlackBerry to feature a color display.

Apple iPhone 3G - 2008

This is the phone that changed the game forever. Do we really need to say anything about the iPhone that you don't already know? The iPhone introduced millions of people to apps, made touchscreen interfaces the norm, and had the most attractive design of any mobile released to date.

Galaxy Nexus - 2011

Prior to the Nexus, Android was a little-used operating system in development from Google. After the Nexus, Android was a competitor to iOS in the mobile operating system world. The Nexus was the first good Android smartphone and was a strong predecessor to one of the most popular Androids of all time - the Galaxy S3.

Samsung Galaxy Note - 2011

The Galaxy Note is on this list because Samsung had the foresight to build a stupidly large smartphone. We all thought it was stupidly large at the time, but a few years later, the Note's 5.3-inch screen is on the lower end of larger smartphone displays. Samsung was making phablets before it was cool.

We've come a long way from the early days of cell phones that weighed 32kg and fit into the trunk of your car. Today, you have a phone within arm's reach that you probably checked 5 times while reading this article. It's okay: we all do it.

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History of Mobile Cell Phones | The First Phone To Present Time

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Cell phones were originally created so people could take while they drove. Initially called "car phones", early cell phones were bulky, cumbersome, and expensive compared to today's modern devices. Today, we're covering the history of cell phones and explaining where the future of cell phones could be.

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A look back at cell phones -- before the iPhone | am New York

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A look back at cell phones -- before the iPhone | am New York

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In a world where text messaging is basically its own language and there's an app to help with everything from tying your shoes to getting over your ex, it's hard to imagine life before the cell phone. If you think back really hard (or, fine, just Google it) you might recall there was a time when instant communication wasn't the norm... and ancient artifacts can still be found in some parts of the city as cold-hard proof. (Yes, we're talking pay phones.)

So, as you daydream about the soon-to-be-released Apple Watch, let's reminisce about the old clunkers that got us where we are today.

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Remember life before the iPhone (and Apple Watch?)

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In a world where text messaging is basically its own language and there's an app to help with everything from tying your shoes to getting over your ex, it's hard to imagine life before the cell phone. If you think back really hard (or, fine, just Google it) you might recall there was a time when instant communication wasn't the norm...

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Evolution of the Cell Phone (1973-2015) - YouTube

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Evolution of the Cell Phone (1973-2015) - YouTube

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evolution of cellphones timeline - Google Search

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evolution of cellphones timeline - Google Search

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evolution of cellphones timeline - Google Search

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The Cell Phone Timeline

1843 Micheal Faraday a talented chemist begins researching the possibility that space can conduct electricity. His research starts the wheels turning for many other 19th century scientists. At the time, many of them were referred to as "crackpots".

1865 A Virginia Dentist/Scientist, Dr. Mahlon Loomis, develops a method of communicating through the earth's atmosphere by using an electrical conductor. He does this by flying two kites, that are rigged with copper screens and wires, which are connected to the ground on two separate mountains about 18 miles apart. He later received a grant from the U.S. Congress for $50,000. (A fairly large chunk of change for 1865)

1866 The first trans-Atlantic telegraph is built (not much to do with cell phones, but a major advancement in communication nonetheless)

1921 The Police Department in Detroit, Mich. begins installing mobile radios, operating around 2 MHz, in their squad cars. They encounter many problems such as overcrowding on the channels and terrible interference.

1934 The U.S. Congress creates the Federal Communications Commission. They decide who gets to use certain radio frequencies. Most channels are reserved for emergency use and for the government. Radio is still a baby.

1940's By now, the mobile radios are able to operate at 30 to 40 MHz and become much more common between police departments, and the wealthy. Several private companies and organizations begin using these same radios for personal gain.

1945 The first mobile-radio-telephone service is established in St. Louis, Miss. The system is comprised of six channels that add up to 150 MHz. The project is approved by the FCC, but due to massive interference, the equipment barely works.

1947 AT&T comes out with the first radio-car-phones that can be used only on the highway between New York and Boston; they are known as push-to-talk phones. The system operates at frequencies of about 35 to 44 MHz, but once again there is a massive amount of interference in the system. AT&T declares the project a failure.

1949 The FCC authorizes the widespread use of many separate radio channels to other carriers. They are know as Radio Common Carriers (RCC) and are the first link between mobile phones and the telephone, rather than just radio to radio. The RCC's are the first step toward the cellular phone industry, which is were designed more for profit than for the general public.

1956 The first real car phones, not car radios, come into play accross the United States. Although, the system is still using push-to-talk phones, it is an improved version that acctually works. However, the units are big and bulky, and require a personal radio operator to switch the calls. A simular system appeared in Sweden a few years earlier.

1964 A new operating system is developed that operates on a single channel at 150 MHz. In essence, this removes the need for push-to-talk operators. Now customers can dial phone numbers directly from their cars. RCC's are finally taken seriously by the FCC as ligitimate competitors to the land-line phone companies.

1969 The self-dialing capability is now upgraded to 450 MHz and becomes standard in the United States. This new service is known as (IMTS) Improved mobile telephone service.

1970 Cell phone lobbyists finally win with the FCC and get a window of 75 MHz in the 800 MHz region, which allocated specifically for cell phones. The FCC realizes the potential of the industry and can't ignore it any longer.

1971 AT&T is the first company to propose a modern-day mobile-phone system to the FCC. It involves dividing cities into "cells". It is the first company to do so.

1973 Dr. Martin Cooper invents the first personal handset while working for Motorola. He takes his new invention, the Motorola Dyna-Tac., to New York City and shows it to the public. His is credited with being the first person to make a call on a portable mobile-phone.

1974 The FCC actually starts to encourage cell phone companies to push forward the "cellular idea". But unfortunately a law suit arises with Western Electric, who is the closest company to succeeding at the time, and it rules that they are not allowed to manufacture terminal and network phone systems under the same roof. This is an effort to prevent a monopoly. But it also prevents progress.

1975 AT&T adapts its own cellular plan for the city of Chicago, but the FCC is still uneasy about putting the plan into action. They have concerns about its success.

1977 Finally cell phone testing is permitted by the FCC in Chicago. The Bell Telephone Company gets the license; they are in a partnership with AT&T which is a gerneral effort to battle the stubborn FCC.

1981 The FCC makes firm rules about the growing cell phone industry in dealing with manufactures. It finally rules that Western Electric can manufacture products for both cellular and terminal use. (Basically they admit that they put the phone companies about 7 years behind)

1988 One of the most important years in cell phone evolution. The Cellular Technology Industry Association is created and helps to make the industry into an empire. One of its biggest contributions is when it helped create TDMA phone technology, the most evolved cell phone yet. It becomes available to the public in 1991.

2001 BellSouth announces that it is leaving the pay phone business because there is too much competition from cell phones.

Copyright © 2004 Robert D. Keith All rights reserved

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The Cell Phone Timeline 1843 Micheal Faraday a talented chemist begins researching the possibility that space can conduct electricity. His research starts the wheels turning for many other 19th century scientists. At the time, many of them were referred to as "crackpots".

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With today's technology we can speak to people around the world almost anytime and anywhere. It wasn't always this way, and it was made possible in part by cell phones. This timeline outlines how cell phones came to be.

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From Bricks to Brains: The Evolution of the Cell Phone

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From Bricks to Brains: The Evolution of the Cell Phone

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From Bricks to Brains: The Evolution of the Cell Phone

For years, Nokia and Motorola ruled the cell phone industry. But that all changed with the development of the smartphone. With all of the mobile phone manufacturers still producing today, which are the most successful? Let's take a look at cell phone trends and sales throughout the years, from the very first Motorola in 1983 to the Apple iPhone 5S of 2013.

$3,995
Price of first cell phone in 1983, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X
1973
Year first-ever mobile phone call was made, by Motorola's Martin Cooper
1985: 340,213 U.S. mobile subscribers
Today: 300,520,098 U.S. mobile subscribers
Popular Models through the Years

Here is a look at key moments in the history of mobile phones along with some of the most popular models for each year.
1983
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X 1989
Motorola MicroTAC 9800X
1992
Nokia 101
Motorola International 3200
Nokia decides to focus solely on making mobile phones.

1993
Apple releases its first personal digital assistant device.

1996
Nokia 1610
1997
Motorola D160
Samsung enters the mobile phone business.

1998
Nokia 5110
Nokia becomes the leading global mobile phone manufacturer.

1999
Nokia 8210, 7110, 5210, 3210
2000
Nokia 3310
Samsung launches its first PDA phone.

2001
Nokia 8310
Ericsson T68
Siemens S45
2002
Nokia 6100, 6610, 6650, 3510, 7650
Siemens A50
Samsung SGH-T100
Nokia releases its first 3G phone, the 6650.

2003
Nokia 1100, 3100, 3200, 6600
Samsung SGH-E700
BlackBerry Quark 6210, 7210
2004
Motorola Razor V3
Nokia 6630, 7280
2005
Nokia 6680
Motorola Razor Magenta
Samsung outshines Sony as consumers' preferred electronics manufacturer.

2006
BlackBerry Pearl
LG Chocolate KG800
Samsung BlackJack
2007
Apple iPhone
HTC Touch
LG Shine
Nokia 6500 Slide, 6500 Classic
The first iPhone is released, threatening Nokia's reign as most popular manufacturer.

Apple releases its first iPhone as well as iOS 1.1.1.

2008
Apple iPhone 3G
LG Vu, Secret
Nokia N96, E63
BlackBerry Storm, Bold
Apple sells 1 million iPhone 3Gs in its opening weekend.

Apple launches the AppStore with iOS 2.0, introducing third-party applications.

Samsung's chairman Lee Kun-hee steps down after being convicted of tax evasion. In 2010, he is later re-appointed to the position.

2009
Apple 3GS
Motorola Droid
BlackBerry Curve
Sidekick LX 2009
HTC Magic
Nokia experiences its first quarterly loss in more than a decade, just after the Android operating system becomes popular with HTC phones.

Apple sells 1 million 3GSs iPhones in its opening weekend.

2010
Apple iPhone 4
Samsung Galaxy
Nokia N8
Nokia hires Microsoft executive Stephen Elop as its first non-Finnish executive. 1,800 jobs are cut from the company.

2011
Apple iPhone 4S
Samsung Galaxy S II
Motorola Droid 3
HTC Evo
Samsung launches a series of TV ads mocking Apple devotees.

Nokia joins with Microsoft, announcing that Nokia smartphones will now sport the Microsoft operating system. 14,000 jobs are cut worldwide.

Steve Jobs resigns as Apple's CEO and is replaced by Tim Cook. Later in the year, Jobs dies of cancer.

2012
Apple iPhone 5
Samsung Galaxy S III
Nokia Lumia 920
LG Nexus 4
Apple introduces the iPhone 5. Five million units are sold in the first weekend.

Samsung overtakes Nokia as the world's leading manufacturer of mobile phones.

2013
Apple iPhone 5S
Samsung Galaxy S4
BlackBerry Z10
Nokia Lumia 520
HTC One
Nokia agrees to sell its entire mobile phone business to Microsoft for $7.18 billion.

Apple introduces the iPhone 5S (complete with fingerprint authentication technology) and 5C (the company's first so-called "budget device"). A combined 9 million handsets are sold on the first weekend after the phones' launch.

Apple revamps its operating system with the release of iOS7.

Most Profitable Manufacturers

Which manufacturers have sold the most phones and been the most profitable throughout the years?
1992-2011
The years in which Nokia was the top-selling manufacturer
2012-2013
The two years in which Samsung surpassed Nokia as top-selling manufacturer
2012 global sales by manufacturer
Samsung 396.5 million units
Nokia 335.6 million units
Apple 135.8 million units
LG 55.9 million units
Citations

- http://www.samsung.com
- http://www.apple.com
- http://in.reuters.com
- http://www.irishtimes.com
- http://online.wsj.com
- http://reviews.cnet.com
- http://www.webdesignerdepot.com

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From Bricks to Brains: The Evolution of the Cell Phone

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Share this infographic on your site! Embed this infographic on your site! The editors at Computer Science Degree Hub decided to research the topic of: For years, Nokia and Motorola ruled the cell phone industry. But that all changed with the development of the smartphone.

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The Evolution Of The Cell Phone—How Far It's Come! - ReadWrite

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The Evolution Of The Cell Phone—How Far It's Come! - ReadWrite

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In April 1973, Motorola engineer Marty Cooper made the first call from a "real handheld portable cell phone," a point he made very clear during that historic conversation with Joel Engel, the head of rival research firm Bell Labs. Fast forward to June 29, 2007, and the iPhone was born. Now in 2014, innovation is showing no sign of slowing down.

Since that fateful phone call four decades ago, mobile phones have evolved dramatically. Those magical portable technology boxes have become an essential part of interpersonal communication, and their significance will only increase with time. From the rise of SMS to anywhere, anytime Internet connectivity to mobile photography, cell phones have been the catalyst for cultural and technological changes over the past 41 years. Let's relive the defining moments and trends of the mobile era.

Radio Common Carrier (RCC)

This soldier was using a radio common carrier, which was introduced in the '60s as a precellular system. Like a radio, it could transmit voice communication through a push-to-talk system, but it used a public telephone network and had its own telephone number.

Brick Phone

Gordon Gekko may have been the star of Wall Street, but his Motorola DynaTAC played a major supporting role. The classic brick phone had an LED screen and boasted 30 minutes of talk time with eight hours of standby. The DynaTAC was priced at almost $4,000 in the early '80s - no wonder it made its first appearance in the hands of bankers on Wall Street!

It was this phone with which Motorola employee Marty Cooper made the first mobile phone call.

Brick Phone

Here's Marty showing off the cell phone he used to make that historic call.

The Clamshell

The first foray into truly portable devices was the clamshell form factor. Motorola was a pioneer in this front, with the MicroTAC, which looked much like the one Whoopi Goldberg was using in 1989.

The MicroTAC had a red LED display and a standard 12-button keypad, plus a menu of options including a calculator, hands-free operation, keypad tones, and much, much more. By the time that MicroTAC was announced, the phone still cost consumers upward of $2,500.

The Candybar

Nokia was at the forefront of this type of device. The candybar phone was named as such, because it was approximately the size and shape of, well, a bar of candy.

The Elites

The mid-'90s was a period of evolution for the mobile industry. The clamshell phone shed some heft and paved the way for the modern flip phone.

Satellite Phone

This Motorola hybrid satellite/GSM phone was one of the first of its kind. A satphone connects to orbiting satellites, rather than Earth-bound cellular towers, which means it can make a call from essentially anywhere in the world.

The PDA

The personal digital assistants of the '90s ushered in a wave of pocket computing and touchscreen devices. The industry game changer was popularized by Palm, which launched the Palm Pilot in 1997 for a retail price of about $200-$300. The virtual keyboard, handwriting recognition, and Internet connectivity were cutting-edge technologies during that time.

Nokia 6000 Series

Snake! Interchangeable face plates! You either knew someone who had a Nokia 6000 Series phone or owned one yourself. The popular cell phone of the early '00s made mobile communication affordable and widely available for the masses.

Creative Keyboards

Mobile-phone manufacturers looking to capitalize on the rise of SMS created a variety of wacky-looking phones that incorporated full-size QWERTY keyboards.

Razr

Ohhhh, the Razr. The slim, sleek, and superpocketable form factor made the Motorola flip phone, which launched in 2004, a surefire hit among the fashion-forward crowd.

BlackBerry

The BlackBerry email client and BlackBerry-to-BlackBerry instant messaging took the mobile world by storm when it made its debut in the early '00s. Thumbs were never the same again.

T-Mobile Sidekick

Originally named the "Hiptop," the T-Mobile Sidekick was an SMS-friendly phone for the next generation of texters. Like, for texting your BFF Jill.

The iPhone

The world wasn't quite ready for the iPhone when it was unveiled in 2007. Apple founder Steve Jobs launched the all-in-one digital music player, camera (2MP!), and Internet-enabled PDA device, and the rest is history.

Apps Take Over

App-enabled smartphones took over the market after the release of the iPhone. Google's open-sourced Android platform made it possible for manufacturers like Samsung, LG, HTC, and others to create devices based on the mobile operating system.

The Fire Phone

In June 2014, Amazon got in on the cell phone game with the Fire phone. It comes with pretty innovative features, including a better camera and free photo storage in the cloud, 3D features, and Firefly technology, which can recognized 100 million items in the real world.

The Future

The Future Touchscreen phones are getting lighter, wider, and more powerful-but what else can we expect for the future of mobile communication?

Devices will be more resistant to their environments and (hopefully) get much better battery life as technology advances. Sony launched the waterproof Xperia Z at 2013's CES, and Samsung followed suit in 2014 with the waterproof Galaxy S5.
More stories from PopSugar Tech: How One Guy Got Mark Zuckerberg To Help Him Propose T-Mobile Probably Scammed You-Here's What You Need To Know How The Internet Brought Reading Rainbow Back To Life The 6 Joss Whedon Geek Girls Who Captured Our Hearts Tweets That Prove Tim Howard Didn't Deserve To Lose The World Cup

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The Evolution Of The Cell Phone-How Far It's Come! - ReadWrite

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In April 1973, Motorola engineer Marty Cooper made the first call from a "real handheld portable cell phone," a point he made very clear during that historic conversation with Joel Engel, the head of rival research firm Bell Labs. Fast forward to June 29, 2007, and the iPhone was born.

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The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 | Webdesigner Depot

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The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 | Webdesigner Depot

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Cell phones have evolved immensely since 1983, both in design and function.

From the Motorola DynaTAC, that power symbol that Michael Douglas wielded so forcefully in the movie "Wall Street", to the iPhone 3G, which can take a picture, play a video, or run one of the thousands applications available from the Apple Store.

There are thousands of models of cell phones that have hit the streets between 1983 and now.

We've picked a few of the more popular and unusual ones to take you through the history of this device that most of us consider a part of our everyday lives.

We have tried, wherever possible, to include the most popular phones and the phones that were "firsts" for a particular feature, but may have missed out on your favorite phones due to the sheer number of models that are out there.

We invite you to post your faves in the comments section if they are not listed here.

Mobile phones are just now beginning to be as vital to North Americans as they have been to Asians. You can always see what is coming to store shelves in the next six months to a year by looking at the models that are currently available in Japan.

North America also had a spotty 3G network that has only really been revamped recently in order to deal with increasing demands for faster loading speeds from mobile customers, whereas Asia and most of Europe have had proper 3G networks in place for some time.

This has led to a revolution in 3G phones from 2007 until now, with more due to come out in 2009.

The list does not include any phones that were not portable handhelds. Car phones and some handhelds that were the size of a small briefcase were in use in the 1970's and 1980's, but since this is more about design than function we chose not to include them here.

1983

Motorola DynaTAC 8000X

Analog Motorola DynaTAC 8000X Advanced Mobile Phone System mobile phone as of 1983.

1989

Motorola MicroTAC 9800X

The first truly portable phone. Up until its release, most cellular phones were installed as car phones due to the inability to fit them into a jacket pocket.

1992

Motorola International 3200

The first digital hand-size mobile telephone.

Nokia 1011

This was the first mass-produced GSM phone. It was produced until 1994.

1993

BellSouth/IBM Simon Personal Communicator

The IBM Simon was the first PDA/Phone combo.

1996

Motorola StarTAC

The first clamshell cellular phone. Also one of the first display screens featured on a cell.

Nokia 8110

Alternately called the "banana phone", this phone was popularized in the first Matrix movie.

Nokia 9000 Communicator

The first smartphone series, driven by an Intel 386 CPU.

1998

Nokia 9110i

This iteration of Nokia's Communicator series significantly reduced the weight of this precursor to the smartphone.

Nokia 5110

This cell phone was the most popular consumer model at the time of its release and for some time afterwards.

1999

Nokia 8210

This phone was loved for its customizable design, but hated for its screen fade.

Nokia 7110

The first mobile phone with a WAP browser.

Nokia 5210

This phone was known for its durability and splash-proof interchangeable casing.

Benefon Esc!

This was the first instance of a GPS being integrated into a mobile phone, and was sold mostly in Europe.

Samsung SPH-M100 Uproar

The Uproar was the first cell phone to have MP3 music capabilities.

Nokia 3210

The internal antenna and predictive T9 text messaging sold approximately 160 million of these phones.

2000

Ericsson R380

The R380 featured a black and white touchscreen, partially covered by a flip.

Nokia 3310

This popular phone sold 126 million models, and was particularly popular in Europe.

Ericsson R320

One of the first phones with a WAP browser. A version of this phone was released in China that allowed Chinese character SMS.

2001

Nokia 5510

This phone featured a full QWERTY keyboard. It could also store up to 64mb of music.

Nokia 8310

This phone contained premium features not normally found on handsets of the time, such as Infrared, a fully functional calendar and a FM Radio.

Ericsson T39

This tiny handset was the first Bluetooth-capable phone.

Ericsson T66

This diminutive entry from Ericsson was the height of a cigarette.

Ericsson T68

This was Ericsson's first handset with a colour screen.

Siemens S45

Siemens's first ever GPRS mobile phone with 360kb of internal memory - high at the time.

2002

Nokia 3510(i)

The first Nokia phone to bring GPRS internet services to the mass market. The 3510i, pictured here, was a more advanced version with a colour screen.

Nokia 7650

This was the first Nokia set to feature a built-in camera and was featured in the movie Minority Report.

Sony Ericsson P800

This smartphone featured a touchscreen and up to 128mb of memory.

Nokia 6100

This model sold from 2002-2005. It featured an LCD screen and internet connectivity through GPRS.

Nokia 6310i

The 6310i quickly gained popularity in the corporate world for its simplicity and long battery life.

Sanyo SCP-5300

The first camera phone. Despite the low quality images it produced, it was the first.

2003

Nokia 1100

This extremely popular design has sold over 200 million since its introduction in 2003. This phone is rumoured to have sold for up to $32,000 in online criminal communities due to its ability to intercept one-time banking passwords.

Nokia N-Gage

Nokia's answer to the Game Boy advance, this phone/games system had a couple of award winning titles before it succumbed to its clunky interface design.

PalmOne Treo 600

One of the "it" gadgets from 2003-2004 until BlackBerries overtook them in popularity. Three or four days between charges and a successful merger of phone, PDA, and camera made this the business tool of choice.

Nokia 2100

This design was available in a wide range of colours and featured a monochromatic screen.

Nokia 6600

Considered very advanced at the time of its introduction due to its Symbian OS-based Nokia Series 60 platform. Released in the US market as the Nokia 6620.

BlackBerry Quark 6210

Research In Motion's first integrated phone/PDA.

BlackBerry 7210

BlackBerry's first colour screen.

Nokia 7600

One of the first 3G smartphones by Nokia, still one of the lightest and smallest.

2004

Motorola Razor V3

When this was introduced it set the standard for sleek design in the industry.

Sony Ericsson P910

An attractive flip smartphone with full internet connectivity.

Nokia 7610

Nokia's first smartphone with a 1 megapixel camera.

Nokia 3220

The first entry-level Nokia phone that offered full internet access.

Nokia 6630

The first cell phone to allow for global roaming.

Nokia 7280

Listed by Fortune Magazine as one of the best products of 2004. Also referred to as the "lipstick" phone.

2005

Nokia 1110

Released as a low-end GSM phone, and widely used in developing countries.

Nokia 6680

One of the first 3G phones, the Nokia 6680 was considered to be high end at the time of its release.

HTC Universal

This was the first 3G Pocket PC phone at HTC and the first to come with Windows Mobile.

Motorola RAZR V3 Magenta

This hot pink phone gave the fashion set something to talk about - and on.

2006

HTC TyTN 100

This model was sold as the Orange SPV M3100 in the UK, keeping with HTC's tradition of private labelling for individual carriers.

Nokia N73

This immensely popular smartphone has sold millions of models worldwide, and is still in wide use as of 2009.

Motorola Q

The "BlackBerry Killer" from Motorola.

BlackBerry Pearl

The first design-conscious entry from RIM, the Pearl is still being offered on the market today.

KDDI Penck

A fabulous design available only in Japan.

O2 XDA Flame

The XDA Flame is the first dual processor PDA-phone in the 02 line.

LG Chocolate KG800

One of the first well-designed phones made for mass market use.

Samsung i607 BlackJack

Research in Motion sued Samsung over the name of this phone. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

Nokia E62

Originally released to target business users in the European market.

2007

iPhone

The original iPhone was released in June 2007 with an auto-rotate sensor, a multi-touch sensor that allowed multiple inputs while ignoring minor touches, a touch interface that replaced the traditional QWERTY keyboards, and many other features that helped to give Apple an almost instant healthy market share on its release.

LG Prada KE850

Touchscreen phone that took home a Red Dot Design Award for "Best of the Best" in 2007.

LG Voyager

This design was touted as LG's take on the iPhone.

HTC Touch

HTC's answer to the iPhone with its own multi-touch interface and a high screen resolution.

Motorola RAZR2 V9

The solid steel hinge and the metal case make this sleek design feel luxurious and durable.

Motorola Q9H

This fine-tuning of the Motorola Q was released in Italy and the US in 2007.

Nokia E90 Communicator

This update of the first smartphone launched the fifth generation of the series.

Nokia N95

Nokia's popular smartphone features a slider to access multimedia buttons and a numeric keypad.

Helio Ocean

Work on this "ultimate messaging and talking machine" began before Helio was a company.

LG Shine

This phone won another Red Dot for LG in 2007. Also released in Gold and Titanium Black.

Motorola RAZR²

This phone features the Opera internet browser and CrystalTalk technology.

Palm Treo 755p

The Treo 755p is a smartphone developed by Palm, Inc. It was released on May 14, 2007 as the first CDMA Treo without an aerial antenna.

LG Viewty

A phone firmly focused on visuals. DivX Certified playback and 5 megapixel digital camera with Schneider Kreuznach optics are just a couple of the features of this simply designed phone.

2008

iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G was made even more desirable by all the apps that could be purchased for it in the AppStore when it was released in July of 2008.

LG Vu

The LG Vu was one in a series of phones that included the LG Prada phone.

T-Mobile G1 Phone

The G1 phone was the first phone to be released with the Android operating system designed by Google. Also known as the HTC Dream. One million devices have sold as of April 2009.

Nokia N96

This GPS-enabled entry in Nokia's smartphone line features a sleek, compact design.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

This phone was featured in The Dark Knight.

LG Secret

The outside of the LG Secret, a 3G slider phone, is constructed from carbon fiber. Also features the world's slimmest 5.0 megapixel camera on a smartphone.

Samsung Instinct

The Instinct was introduced as the "iPhone killer" from Samsung at a low price of $129.00.

BlackBerry Storm

Designed to be a direct competitor to the iPhone 3G and other 3G smartphones; RIM's first device to do away with the QWERTY keyboard and incorporate a touchscreen.

BlackBerry Bold

Blackberry's "middle ground" solution for those who wanted a 3G phone and a QWERTY keyboard.

Samsung Behold

Cell Fanatic found this entry by Samsung offered superior image quality over the Apple iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Storm.

Samsung Gravity

The Samsung Gravity is their first to feature a slide-out keyboard that has proved popular in other brands.

Motorola Krave

The Krave design features a transparent flip that acts as a secondary touch surface to access additional features.

Samsung Omnia

The Samsung Omnia features a simple touchscreen interface and a speaker on the back.

Nokia E63

Billed as the budget business smartphone.

LG Dare

The handwriting recognition and simple touchscreen styling of the Dare is enhanced by the easy-grip back.

Sony Ericsson W760i

Includes the "Sensme" music feature, as well as all of the other features from the Walkman phone brand.

Nokia N79

The Nokia N79 has a Naviwheel, GPS, a 5 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss Optics Tessar lens and more.

HTC Touch Diamond

This attractive smartphone featured a resistive touch screen which is better for Asian character recognition.

LG KC910 Renoir

The LG Renoir has an 8-megapixel camera with xenon flash and Schneider-Kreuznach optics.

Nokia E71

The steel frame of this sleek smartphone from Nokia fits into your palm.

2009

Prada II or LG KF900

The second iteration of the Prada phone designed by LG. The sliding QWERTY keyboard is new, as is its 3G capability.

LG Arena

The first phone with LG's 3D S-Class user interface. This UI reorients with the rotation of the phone and allows you to scroll film-reel style through available apps.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

Released in February 2009, the Curve features an improved trackball and a higher resolution screen. Still a 2G.

LG Versa

Comes with an attachable QWERTY keyboard and a virtual keyboard on the touch screen.

Sidekick LX 2009

This 3G incarnation of the Sidekick includes improved support for social networking applications.

Samsung Magnet

The Samsung Magnet is a cheap alternative for pricier smartphones with much of the same functionality and a cool design.

LG Xenon

Another slide-out QWERTY keyboard and compact design. Comes with AT&T's Navigator, AT&T's turn-by-turn GPS service.

HTC Magic

The next HTC entry to sport Google's Android operating system. No US carriers have yet been confirmed for this model, but T-Mobile has been rumoured to be the carrier of record. Vodafone has exclusive rights to the phone in all markets that they service.

HTC Touch Diamond2

HTC made the LCD display screen as large as they could at 3.2″ for their next incarnation of the Diamond.

Samsung Propel Pro

The sliding QWERTY keyboard and slick design make this an attractive entry by Samsung.

LG Rumor2

Built for e-mail, the Rumor2 supports Lotus Notes where its predecessor didn't.

Motorola Renew

This eco-friendly phone is the world's first carbon-neutral cell phone. Made with recycled water bottles, cheap, and an abundance of features for the low price.

Coming Soon

Palm Pre

This phone launches June 6 in the US through Sprint. It will feature the ability to keep multiple apps open at once.

Nokia N97

This phone will be available in June of 2009.

Omnia HD/Samsung i8910

This phone promises the first high-definition video recording when it is released July 1st of 2009.

Only Available in Japan

Here's hoping that some of these sleek designs make it across the pond eventually to North America. For more Japanese tech goodness, check KDDI's English page.

Hitachi WOOO Ketai H001 Phone

This phone promises a 3D display. Ubergizmo predicts that it will be a Japan-only handset.

Panasonic P001

3.1″ increased resolution screen, impressive design, global roaming capabilities and one-push open make this an object of desire.

Walkman Phone Premier

This phone opens up to reveal a 3″ screen and a stylish keypad.

Casio 001

This sports model features a touch panel for interactive gaming and music.

S001 Sony Ericsson Cyber-Shot

This phone screams elegance. Oh, and it has the world's first 3.3″ full OLED WVGA display and an 8.1 megapixel camera. Not that we'd want all that fancy stuff in North America.

Toshiba T001

Princesses and fashionistas everywhere will go gaga over this design. Advanced video functions and a 5.1 megapixel camera put a little spike in this phone's heel.

Kyocera K001 Junior Phone

Those of you with children will know how hard it is to put parental restrictions on anything electronic. This phone gives you the ability to track your child with a GPS locator, lock out questionable website addresses, and more.

Resources

If you have half an hour to kill and really want to get into the evolution of the cell phone and its cultural impact, check this full-length documentary from CBC.

For a more detailed history of the cell phone, we recommend Cell Fanatic's history page.
Feature photo by Shutterstock Please leave us your memories of your cell phones of days gone by and your critiques of what is currently available in our comments section.

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The Evolution of Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 | Webdesigner Depot

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Cell phones have evolved immensely since 1983, both in design and function. From the Motorola DynaTAC, that power symbol that Michael Douglas wielded so forcefully in the movie "Wall Street", to the iPhone 3G, which can take a picture, play a video, or run one of the thousands applications available from the Apple Store.

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Let us take a look at how cell phones have evolved into what we have in our pockets today.

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How Cell Phones Have Changed the World | Our Everyday Life

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How Cell Phones Have Changed the World | Our Everyday Life

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by Laurel Storm

The first commercially available cell phone was released in 1983 and only let you talk for half an hour before it needed to be recharged. It resembled a brick in size, weight and design, and despite the hefty $3,995 price tag, people were all over it. Since then, phone technology has advanced enough to make cell phones commonplace; basic phones can be obtained without breaking the bank, and top-of-the-line smartphones are more like small computers that can also make phone calls. The pervasive presence of cell phones has changed our lives and society -- sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

Talk Anywhere

With cell phone towers sprouting up like mushrooms all over the world and satellite phones available for areas without coverage, cell phones have brought the world together by allowing people to communicate with each other no matter where they are. Worried parents can give a cell phone to their child and ensure they can always reach him; the homeless can purchase or be gifted inexpensive cell phones to be able to more easily obtain jobs and homes, as well as reach emergency services when in need; busy professionals can be found using cell phones to conduct business while away from the office.

The Changing Face of Language

The Short Message Service text messaging system built into cell phone networks originally only allowed for 160 characters per message. To increase the amount of information they could cram into each message and save time on tapping them out, people started inserting abbreviations, skipping punctuation and using phonetic spelling. Although these restrictions have since been lifted, the habit remains, and some of the changes in the language brought on by texting have extended beyond it. For example, the first recorded use of the abbreviation "OMG" for "Oh my God" is in a 1917 letter sent to Winston Churchill by Lord Fisher; still, it can't be denied that SMS accelerated the changes.

A Computer in Your Pocket

Since the first cell phone, there has been a consistent market push for the introduction of more sophisticated features. The modern smartphone is an evolution of cell phones that combines their usual functionality with that of music players and even computers. Smartphones offer an array of features including games, music playback, email, Internet browsing and document editing. In essence, these smartphones are the Swiss army knives of the cell phone world -- a single tool that fits in your pocket and can do pretty much anything you need it to, making life easier and offering convenient solutions for problems you may encounter, such as being lost in an unfamiliar city.

Downsides

For all the good that cell phones have done, they can also present a significant hazard when used irresponsibly or thoughtlessly. According to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the risk of being involved in a car accident rises dramatically when cell phones are involved; the lives of drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists are endangered daily by irresponsible people who are too distracted by their phone to pay attention to the road. Even when they don't present a risk to life and limb, cell phones cause a noticeable shift in the way our society functions. Text messages are swiftly replacing face-to-face interactions and even phone calls, affecting our social development and our ability to relate to others. According to MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle, this flight from conversation "can compromise our capacity for self-reflection," a skill that is the bedrock of personal development.

About the Author

Laurel Storm has been writing since 2001, and helping people with technology for far longer than that. Some of her articles have been published in "Messaggero dei Ragazzi", an Italian magazine for teenagers. She holds a Master of Arts in writing for television and new media from the University of Turin.

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The first commercially available cell phone was released in 1983 and only let you talk for half an hour before it needed to be recharged. It resembled a brick in size, weight and design, and despite the hefty $3,995 price tag, people were all over it.

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Cellular phones have had a major impact on our lives and the way that we perform every day tasks. Many of these changes are apparent, while others we may not even be aware of. Cell phones have brought a whole new meaning to the term multitasking.

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40 Years of Cell Phone History [Infographic] | Firebelly | Social Media Marketing & Management Company

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40 Years of Cell Phone History [Infographic] | Firebelly | Social Media Marketing & Management Company

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Firebelly Marketing | Social Media Marketing Agency

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Today, April 3, 2013, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of mobile telephones. It's hard to imagine a world without cell phones. Most of us use them for a lot more than calls nowadays. We use them for everything from asking Siri where to eat for dinner to updating our Facebook statuses, emailing and business transactions.

We have Dr. Martin "Marty" Cooper to thank for this multi-tasking machine! Cooper, a Motorola employee, was the first person to make a mobile call. He took his prototype, later known as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, to New York City on April 3, 1973 where he called AT&T, reportedly saying, "I'm ringing you just to see if my call sounds good at your end." The DynaTAC was the first commercially sold phone, weighing in at 2.5 pounds and costing $3,995!

In honor of this special day, Mashable partnered with Column Five to research and design the following infographic, a timeline of pivotal moments in cellphone history.

What was your first cell phone? How old were you when you got it?

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40 Years of Cell Phone History [Infographic] | Firebelly Marketing | Social Media Marketing Agency

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Today, April 3, 2013, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of mobile telephones. It's hard to imagine a world without cell phones. Most of us use them for a lot more than calls nowadays. We use them for everything from asking Siri where to eat for dinner to updating our Facebook statuses, emailing and business transactions.

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how cell phones have changed over the years - Google Search

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how cell phones have changed over the years - Google Search

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how cell phones have changed over the years - Google Search

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www.amazon.com ' Books ' Education & Reference Evolution

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40 years yes, FORTY of cellphone mobile evolution

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VIDEO: 40 years (yes, FORTY) of cellphone (mobile) evolution | Mail ... www.dailymail.co.uk/.../40-years-yes-FORTY-cellphone-mobile-evoluti...‎ 40 years (yes, FORTY) of cellphone (mobile) evolution. Starting with the DynaTAC in 1974 and ending with a side-by-side comparison between the iPhone 5s ...

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Animation Mobile Phone Evolution - Animation Cell Phone Evolution

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Animation Mobile Phone Evolution - Animation Cell Phone Evolution - This video shows how mobile phones have changed over the years, changing from a simple talk/listen device to a multimedia hub.

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Mike and AJ look at how cell phones have changed over the years!

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Few technologies have advanced quite as quickly as what the world has witnessed in relation to how have cell phones changed in the last ten to twenty years. The mobile phone is still a very modern and recent invention, but it has evolved very rapidly with new features, new functions, and new innovations.

How Have Cell Phones Changed?

The first major mobile phone to be made widely available to the average consumer looked like a large brick and it was very rudimentary in its feature set. The phone was used solely as just that: a phone. The Motorola cell phone could be used only for voice calls and it connected via an analog network. Since then, phones have taken on a number of additional functions and they make use of digital networks for the transfer of wireless data packets.

When asking how have cell phones changed, the single biggest change is the shift toward multifunctionality. It is no longer acceptable for a phone to be just a phone; most consumers expect their cell phones to have an increasingly large array of additional functions and this wealth of multifunctionality continues to expand each and every year. For instance, even the most basic of contemporary phones come with rudimentary PDA features like a calendar and a robust contact list.

The Emergence of Mobile Games

While the game may have existed on other platforms since the 1970s, Snake really came to the forefront when it was installed on Nokia cell phones starting in the late 1990s. This really pushed the industry forward in terms of using cell phones as viable mobile gaming platforms. Up until then, mobile gaming had largely been dominated by the Nintendo Game Boy series of devices, as well as smaller and cheaper handhelds from other manufacturers. With the rise of mobile gaming came an increased desire for more "fun" functions on cell phones in addition to ones that actually served a utilitarian purpose.

As color screens, touchscreens, and more powerful processors made their way onto cell phones, cell phone games got even more advanced as well. Many modern cell phone games, both as Java-based applications and as smartphone applications, are actually more advanced than many of the games that players would have enjoyed on traditional consoles several years prior.

Improving Cameras and Media Players

The first camera phones emerged in the late 1990s and they did not offer much in terms of a usable resolution. Digital camera technology was still being developed at that time for standalone point-and-shoot consumer cameras, so it's understandable that the less sophisticated sensors and technology implemented in camera phones were a grade or two below that.

Today, the more advanced digital cameras installed into higher-end phones can rival some standalone cameras. There are several smartphones from Sony Ericsson, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and other companies that push five megapixels or more, offering more manual controls, white balance options, HD video recording, and more. The same phenomenon is happening with mobile media players too, as some cell phones can be used to stream high-definition video content, as well as manage extensive music playlists.

Smartphone Apps and More

How have cell phones changed in the last two or three years? While cell phone applications have existed for several years already, the emergence of the Apple App Store really revolutionized the industry. Smartphone apps quickly rose to popularity since 2008 with the launch of the Apple iPhone 3G. Up until then, most applications were scattered around the Internet and the onus fell on the cell phone owner to seek out the applications he or she desired. With the App Store, iPhone owners were afforded a unified marketplace with a single point of entry, a single transaction system, and a searchable database.

This paved the way for other smartphone platforms to do the same, including the Ovi Store, Android Market, BlackBerry App World, and more. For non-smartphones, several carriers have set up specialized online app and game stores that can be accessed through regular phones too. These apps aren't as powerful, but they can expand the phone's functionality substantially.

Much More Than Phone Calls

Very few people use their phones strictly for voice calls anymore. Early smartphones and PDA phones opened up this opportunity for more functions and features, including calculators, calendars, mobile email, multimedia management, photography, videography, and so much more. Only time will tell what other innovative features will show up in future mobile phones.

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How Have Cell Phones Changed | LoveToKnow

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Few technologies have advanced quite as quickly as what the world has witnessed in relation to how have cell phones changed in the last ten to twenty years. The mobile phone is still a very modern and recent invention, but it has evolved very rapidly with new features, new functions, and new innovations.

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how cell phones have changed over the years - Google Search